Iran Says Prisoner Exchange Process with US Will Take Up to Two Months

Iran's and US' flags are seen printed on paper in this illustration taken January 27, 2022. (Reuters)
Iran's and US' flags are seen printed on paper in this illustration taken January 27, 2022. (Reuters)
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Iran Says Prisoner Exchange Process with US Will Take Up to Two Months

Iran's and US' flags are seen printed on paper in this illustration taken January 27, 2022. (Reuters)
Iran's and US' flags are seen printed on paper in this illustration taken January 27, 2022. (Reuters)

The process of releasing US prisoners held in Iran will take up to two months, Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said on Monday during a press conference. 

"A specific time frame has been announced by relevant authorities, and it will take a maximum of two months for this process to take place," Kanaani said. 

Earlier this month, Tehran and Washington reached an agreement whereby five US citizens held in Iran would be freed while $6 billion of Iranian assets frozen in South Korea would be released. 

South Korean media reported on Monday that the assets have been transferred to Switzerland's central bank last week for exchange and transfer to Iran. 

The Swiss National Bank plans to exchange the $6 billion holdings in won for dollars and then euros in the currency market, converting about 300 billion won ($223.85 million) to 400 billion each day for next five weeks, Yonhap Infomax reported, citing an unnamed currency market source.  

An official at South Korea's finance ministry declined to confirm the report, citing the legal and diplomatic sensitivity of the matter.  

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said last week that the released assets would be used to enhance domestic production. 



Dump Truck Crashes Into Minibus in Indonesia, Killing 11 Kindergarten Teachers

Police and people inspect the wreckage of a minibus after crashing with a dump truck in Purworejo, Central Java Province, Indonesia, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/ Zain Firmansyah)
Police and people inspect the wreckage of a minibus after crashing with a dump truck in Purworejo, Central Java Province, Indonesia, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/ Zain Firmansyah)
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Dump Truck Crashes Into Minibus in Indonesia, Killing 11 Kindergarten Teachers

Police and people inspect the wreckage of a minibus after crashing with a dump truck in Purworejo, Central Java Province, Indonesia, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/ Zain Firmansyah)
Police and people inspect the wreckage of a minibus after crashing with a dump truck in Purworejo, Central Java Province, Indonesia, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/ Zain Firmansyah)

A dump truck crashed into a minibus on a downhill road in Indonesia's Central Java province, killing 11 people, all of them kindergarten teachers, officials said Wednesday.
The truck, loaded with construction materials, collided with the minibus before crashing into a house in Kalijambe village, in Purwerjo district, The Associated Press reported. The minibus was carrying a group of teachers from Magelang district who were attending a funeral in Purworejo district, the local disaster management agency said in a statement.
“The truck allegedly lost control and hit the minibus,” said Andry Agustiano, the Purworejo police chief. He added the police officers immediately opened an investigation.
Several ambulances transported the bodies and other injured victims, including the truck driver and the owner of the house, to a nearby hospital.
Road accidents are common in Indonesia because of poor safety standards and infrastructure.
On Tuesday, a bus carrying 34 passengers sped out of control on and overturned in Indonesia’s West Sumatra province, killing at least 12 people.