WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Five American citizens imprisoned for years in Iran are reportedly flying back home as part of a prisoner swap deal with the United States.
In return, Washington will release five Iranians jailed in the United States.
As per the deal, Washington agreed to transfer $6 billion worth of frozen Iranian assets, earned from selling oil to South Korea, to multiple banks in Doha.
The freed Americans, who also possess Iranian passports, are heading to Qatar aboard a Qatar Airways aircraft.
The US government has designated them as being wrongfully detained by the Iranian regime.
From Qatar's capital Doha, they will board a flight to Washington later, CNN reported, quoting a senior U.S. administration official.
Two of the five Iranians, released by the U.S., have arrived in while the three others prefered not to return to their homeland, according to reports.
The prisoner swap comes after prolonged and complex negotiations between the two hostile nations, who do not have formal diplomatic relations.
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