The US has issued a sanctions waiver for banks to transfer $6bn (£4.8bn) of frozen Iranian funds from South Korea to Qatar, paving the way for the release of five Americans held by Iran.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Congress that the money would provide “limited benefit” to Iran as it could only be used for humanitarian trade.
He also confirmed that five Iranians detained in the US would be freed as part of the prisoner exchange deal.
Republicans condemned the transfer.
One senator accused President Joe Biden of paying a “ransom to the world’s worst state sponsor of terrorism”.
Last month, US officials said four American-Iranian dual nationals had been taken out of Evin prison in Tehran and moved to house arrest.
Credit: bbc.com
