Iran: No Pre-conditions for Prisoner Swap with US

Abdollahian speaks at the ‘Iran and BRICS: Prospects for Partnership and Cooperation’ conference in Tehran on Tuesday (Iranian Foreign Ministry)
Abdollahian speaks at the ‘Iran and BRICS: Prospects for Partnership and Cooperation’ conference in Tehran on Tuesday (Iranian Foreign Ministry)
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Iran: No Pre-conditions for Prisoner Swap with US

Abdollahian speaks at the ‘Iran and BRICS: Prospects for Partnership and Cooperation’ conference in Tehran on Tuesday (Iranian Foreign Ministry)
Abdollahian speaks at the ‘Iran and BRICS: Prospects for Partnership and Cooperation’ conference in Tehran on Tuesday (Iranian Foreign Ministry)

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said on Tuesday that Tehran has no pre-conditions for a prisoner swap deal with the United States.

Abdollahian stated that Iran has been for months discussing prisoner swaps with Washington via Oman and Qatar, and that Iran has announced its readiness to exchange prisoners to intermediary parties.

The Iranian FM was then asked about reports saying the total of US citizens detained in Iran has increased to five after the arrest of an American woman of Iranian origins.

“The number is not important in this file,” Abdollahian said.

“The issue of prisoner exchange is a humanitarian one and we do not consider any preconditions for it. We have announced to the intermediary parties that we will exchange prisoners within agreed frameworks,” the top Iranian diplomat added, according to ISNA.

Abdollahian’s comments came hours after he held a phone call with his Omani counterpart Sayyid Badr Al Busaidi.

The two ministers discussed the latest developments regarding their ties and the implementation of the deals signed between the two sides, Iran's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Iran’s extremist newspaper, Khorasan, said Monday that the US suspended a deal to release four US nationals in Iran in return for four Iranian prisoners in the US “until the release of the US woman arrested” over spying charges.

State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller declined to confirm or deny the arrest of the fifth US citizen when asked about the issue during his daily press conference on Monday evening.

Meanwhile, Abdollahian arrived in the Japanese capital on Sunday where he held talks with senior government officials. Discussions touched on the bilateral relations between the two countries and other regional and international issues.

Abdollahian said that Japan put forward proposals on indirect negotiations with the aim of reviving the nuclear agreement and stopping Iranian nuclear violations in return for lifting sanctions.

He said that Iran is seeking ways to reactivate the nuclear agreement through negotiations and expressed appreciation for Japan’s diplomatic efforts.

Meanwhile, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov visited Tehran and held talks with his Iranian counterparts, Ali Bagheri Kani Reza Najaf on the future of the Iran nuclear deal and other security issues, ISNA said late on Monday.

Ryabkov and Bagheri Kani exchanged views on the implementation of Resolution 2231. The Russian official then invited Iran to continue its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) despite US obstacles.

Ryabkov further said the revival of the Iran nuclear deal hinges on the decision of the United States and European participants in the JCPOA, expressing certainty that the Iranian friends are ready for the JCPOA revival.

Ryabkov then stated that Russia supports Iran's membership in the BRICS group.

He said that the military cooperation between Iran and Russia will continue despite the enemies' opposition, adding that Russia is committed to cooperation with its friendly countries like Iran.

Tehran on Tuesday organized an ‘Iran and BRICS: Prospects for Partnership and Cooperation’ conference.

At the event, Abdollahian said Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi will participate in the BRICS summit, which will be held this month in Johannesburg.

Iran is trying to convince BRICS members to accept its request to join the organization.



Danish PM Arrives in Greenland for Three-Day Visit amid Trump Pressure

Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, right, and her husband Bo Tengberg is greeted by Greenland's Acting Head of Government, Múte B. Egede after arriving at Nuuk airport, Greenland, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (Ritzau Scanpix via AP)
Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, right, and her husband Bo Tengberg is greeted by Greenland's Acting Head of Government, Múte B. Egede after arriving at Nuuk airport, Greenland, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (Ritzau Scanpix via AP)
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Danish PM Arrives in Greenland for Three-Day Visit amid Trump Pressure

Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, right, and her husband Bo Tengberg is greeted by Greenland's Acting Head of Government, Múte B. Egede after arriving at Nuuk airport, Greenland, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (Ritzau Scanpix via AP)
Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, right, and her husband Bo Tengberg is greeted by Greenland's Acting Head of Government, Múte B. Egede after arriving at Nuuk airport, Greenland, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (Ritzau Scanpix via AP)

Denmark's prime minister landed in Greenland on Wednesday for talks with the Danish semi-autonomous territory's incoming government, following US President Donald Trump's repeated expressions of interest in controlling the vast Arctic island.

Mette Frederiksen begins her three-day trip less than a week after a visit to the territory by US Vice President JD Vance received a frosty reception from authorities in Denmark and Greenland.

The Danish leader said ahead of her visit that she aims to strengthen Copenhagen's ties with the island and emphasized the importance of respectful cooperation amid what she described as "great pressure on Greenland".

Frederiksen was expected to speak to the media later on Wednesday.

Greenland's incoming Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen, who won last month's parliamentary election and will form a coalition government, has welcomed Frederiksen's trip, saying on Monday that Denmark remains "Greenland's closest partner".

Nielsen's new coalition is expected to formally take office on April 7.

Relations between Greenland and Denmark have been strained after revelations in recent years of historical mistreatment of Greenlanders under colonial rule. However, Trump's interest in controlling Greenland, part of a growing international focus on competition for influence in the Arctic, has prompted Denmark to hasten work to improve ties with the island.

Nielsen told Reuters late on Monday that Greenland would strengthen its ties with Denmark until it could fulfil its ultimate wish to become a sovereign nation.

'RESPECTFUL'

Meanwhile, Greenland wishes to establish a "respectful" relationship with the United States, he said.

"Talking about annexation and talking about acquiring Greenland and not respecting the sovereignty is not respectful. So let's start by being respectful to each other and build up a great partnership on everything," he said.

Frederiksen's visit is primarily about signaling support at a time of intense scrutiny, said Ulrik Pram Gad, an academic at the Danish Institute for International Studies.

"It is important for Denmark to signal to Greenland that Denmark is Greenland's closest friend and ally - and to the US that it stands behind Greenland," he said.

During his visit to a US military base in northern Greenland last Friday, Vance accused Denmark of not doing a good job of keeping the island safe and suggested the United States would better protect the strategically-located territory.

Frederiksen, who has said it is up to the people of Greenland to decide their own future, called Vance's description of Denmark "not fair".

Opinion polls show that a majority of Greenland's 57,000 inhabitants support independence from Denmark, but many oppose seeking independence too quickly, fearing their island could become worse off and expose itself to US interests.