US and Iran swap prisoners in latest sign of warming ties

The United States and Iran have swapped prisoners in the latest sign of warming ties between the two countries. The swap involved five Iranian prisoners held in the US and one American prisoner held in Iran. It is the first prisoner swap between the two countries since 2021. The American prisoner, Siamak Namazi, was released from Iran after being held for seven years. Namazi was arrested in 2015 on charges of espionage, which he has denied. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2016, but was released on medical furlough in 2020. The five Iranian prisoners released by the US are: Alireza Shavarini Mohammad Bagher Namazi Emad Sharqi Nasrin Sotoudeh Majid Taheri Shavarini and Namazi were both arrested in 2016 on charges of espionage. Sharqi was arrested in 2018 on charges of violating US sanctions. Sotoudeh was arrested in 2018 on charges of national security crimes. Taheri was arrested in 2018 on charges of espionage. The prisoner swap was negotiated by the US and Iran over the course of several months. It is seen as a positive sign for relations between the two countries, which have been strained for decades. The swap is also seen as a victory for the Biden administration, which has been working to improve relations with Iran. The administration has been negotiating with Iran to revive the 2015 nuclear deal, which was abandoned by the Trump administration in 2018. It is unclear whether the prisoner swap will lead to further progress on the nuclear deal negotiations. However, it is a positive sign that the two countries are willing to engage in dialogue and cooperation.