The United States agrees to unfreeze Iran's assets and release five Iranians in exchange for Iran's release of five Americans

The United States will unfreeze $6 billion of Iran's assets and release five of its citizens in exchange for Tehran's release of five Americans.

The Voice of America reported this.

"The US has agreed to allow the transfer of funds from South Korea to restricted accounts held in financial institutions in Qatar and the release of five Iranian nationals currently detained in the United States," a US State Department spokesman told Voice of America.

The Iranian mission to the UN in New York said it expects the release of Kaveh Lotfolah Afrasiabi, Mehrdad Ansari, Amin Hasanzadeh, Reza Sarhangpour Kafrani, and Kambiz Attar Kashani.

They were arrested for violating US sanctions against Iran and other types of illegal assistance to Tehran.

The US side refused to name the possible participants in the exchange.

Andrea Stricker of the Washington-based research group Foundation for Defense of Democracies criticised Biden's decision.

"Rather than facing US penalties or repercussions, the [Iranian] regime will be emboldened to continue abducting innocent people," Stricker said.