Iran Ready to Implement Agreement on Prisoner Swap with US: Spokesman

Answering reporters’ questions regarding comments made by the US secretary of state and also the US special representative on Iran affairs about the issue of prisoners, Kanaani said on Wednesday, “The Islamic Republic of Iran, independent of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), has repeatedly announced its readiness to the American side through various channels to address the issue of prisoners.”

Announcing Iran’s readiness for the immediate implementation of the existing agreement, the spokesman said, “By implementing this agreement, we are ready to get the innocent Iranians imprisoned in the United States, those who have become victims of injustice by the judicial system of that country on false charges of violating the cruel and illegal US sanctions, released and make their quick freedom and return to the open arms of their families possible.”

The agreement was reached in Vienna on the sidelines of negotiations concerning the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

Tehran has repeatedly said it is ready for prisoner exchange with the United States based on the agreement and independently of the nuclear deal, which the US unilaterally abandoned in May 2018 despite Iran's full and strict compliance.

Kanaani’s remarks came a day after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Washington’s point man on Iran, Robert Malley, respectively accused Iran of “wrongful” detention of Americans and holding them ransom to “political leverage.”

Reacting to the hostile rhetoric, Kanaani blasted the US for performing “theatrical skits” against Iran instead taking practical measures in eliminating the obstacles that lie in the path of prisoner swap between the two countries.

Kanaani added, “It is surprising that the American side, instead of acting and removing the obstacles in this field, is only performing propaganda shows against the Islamic Republic of Iran.”