After Exchange 5 Prisoners And Disbursement Of Rp92 Trillion Funds, What Are The US-Iran Relations About Nuclear Programs And Sanctions?

Iranian and US flags. (Wikimedia Commons/Sonia Sevilla, Makristos)

JAKARTA - Prisoner exchanges and disbursement of suspended funds are said to have changed nothing in the United States' relations with Iran, although they did not close the meetings of dialogue opportunities regarding nuclear programs.

Five United States detainees flew out of Iran on Monday in exchange for five Iranians detained in the US in a rare deal, including the disbursement of USD 6 billion in Tehran funds (IDR 92,254,200,000,000) held in South Korea.

A plane sent by Qatari mediators flew five US citizens and two of their relatives out of Tehran, as soon as both sides received confirmation the funds had been transferred to an account in Doha, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters.

Speaking to reporters on Sunday evening, senior President Joe Biden's administration official said Washington would continue to pressure Tehran by imposing new sanctions on Iran's intelligence ministry and former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for their involvement in the detention of US citizens.

In addition, Uncle Sam's country has also increased its interception posture in the region to prevent Iranian arms shipments to Yemen.

Even so, Washington says the diplomatic door to Iran's nuclear program is not completely closed.

"If we see an opportunity, we will explore that opportunity, but right now, I have nothing to talk about," said a senior US administration official reluctant to be named.

When asked if there would be indirect talks with Iran this week in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, the official said: "You asked if any talks were planned this week? Not at all."

The five US citizens with dual citizenship will fly to Doha and then to the US.

"They are in good health," said an Iranian official explaining the process.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Miki said two Iranians who were released would return to Iran. While the other two will stay in the US at their request. One other detainee will join his family in a third country, he added.

It is known that relations between Washington and Tehran have been heating up since Donald Trump withdrew the US from the nuclear agreement between Iran and major world countries in 2018.