The delay in the prisoner exchange process between Iran and the United States is explained by the lack of political will on the part of Washington, but the swap is "possible" if the White House shows such a will, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said on Monday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th July, 2023) The delay in the prisoner exchange process between Iran and the United States is explained by the lack of political will on the part of Washington, but the swap is "possible" if the White House shows such a will, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said on Monday.
"Iran is serious about the prisoner exchange, and the delay in the exchange process is due to the lack of (political) will on the part of the US government. Now we are at a stage where we can say that this exchange is possible if there is political will on the part of the US," Kanaani was cited by Iranian news agency Fars as saying at a press conference.
He also noted the role of the governments of the countries acting as mediators and expressed hope that the prisoner swap would take place shortly, once more emphasizing that it depended on Washington's will.
Talks on the exchange of prisoners between Washington and Tehran have been underway for several years. Over the past year and a half, there have been increasingly active contacts on the issue, alongside talks on the resumption of the Iran nuclear deal, which involves lifting sanctions against Tehran in exchange for restricting the Iranian nuclear program. Washington has said on multiple occasions that signing an agreement on prisoners may revive this deal.
