Americans freed from Iran in $6bn prisoner swap land in Qatar

1. Five American citizens jailed for years in Iran are flying back to the US as part of a prisoner swap mediated by Qatar
2. The four men and one woman, who also hold Iranian passports, have landed in Qatar, after leaving the Iranian capital Tehran
3. Their release was dependent on the transfer of $6bn (£4.8bn) in Iranian funds, earned from selling oil to South Korea, to banks in Doha
4. Five Iranians imprisoned in the US are also supposed to be freed as part of the swap: two have landed in Doha, Iran's Press TV says
5. US President Joe Biden has long been urged to bring home Americans widely seen as hostages used by Iran as bargaining chips
6. But leading US Republicans and Iranian activists have condemned the swap, saying it will only encourage more hostage taking

Thank you and goodbye

Nadia Ragozhina

Live reporter

The journey of all the released men and women continues, but ours ends here as we wrap up today's coverage.

You can keep up with the latest developments by reading our news story here.

Today's page was edited by Alexandra Fouché, Emma Owen, Heather Sharp and Nadia Ragozhina. It was written by Ben Morris, Gem O'Reilly, Bernd Debusmann and Aoife Walsh.

What's happened today?

We're going to bring our live coverage of the release of five Americans jailed in Iran and their arrival in Qatar to an end. Here's a recap of today's events:

• Five American citizens jailed in Iran have been freed as part of a prisoner swap that involved the transfer of $6bn (£4.8bn) in Iranian oil revenue. They have landed in Qatar, from where they are expected to travel to the US
• US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he'd spoken to the five released Americans, describing the conversation as "emotional"

• Among the prisoners freed is conservationist Morad Tahbaz, who holds Iranian, US and British citizenship

• Five Iranian nationals detained in the US have also been released, according to Iranian news network Press TV. The network said two of them had landed in Doha and were on their way to Tehran
• The US has said Iran will only be allowed to use the released money for humanitarian goods, such as food and medicine. However, speaking last week, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said Iran would decide "to spend it wherever we need it"
• After news of the prisoners' release, US President Joe Biden announced new sanctions on former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the country's intelligence ministry

A day prisoners thought they would never see

Lyse Doucet

Chief International Correspondent

Today marks the end of a deeply painful personal ordeal for five Americans who became bargaining chips in Iran’s wrangling with the West.

One of them, 51-year-old Siamak Namazi, said in a statement he had dreamed of this moment every one of the 2,898 days he was imprisoned in Iran.

He and his fellow prisoners know it will take time for them, and their loved ones, to deal with their profound trauma including the guilt of leaving friends still behind bars in Tehran.

And they know they will arrive home not just to embrace loved ones, but to face criticism of leading Republicans and Iranians in exile who say this deal only paves the way for more hostage taking.

But, for now, this is a profoundly emotional moment, a celebration of the human spirit, and a day these prisoners had often feared they would never see.

Trump, sanctions and the $6bn

EPA

A key condition of the US-Iran prisoner swap deal was the transfer of $6bn (£4.8bn) frozen funds from South Korea to banks in Qatar.

Iran made the $6bn through exports, mainly of oil, to South Korea, but the money ended up in restricted accounts in South Korea after then-US President Donald Trump abandoned a landmark nuclear deal.

Iran agreed to the deal in 2015 with a group of world powers known as the P5+1 - the US, UK, France, China, Russia and Germany.

It agreed to limit its sensitive nuclear activities in return for the lifting of crippling economic sanctions.

But in 2018, Trump withdrew from the deal, saying he didn't think it went far enough in curtailing Iran's nuclear activities.

He reinstated US sanctions against Iran and threatened to punish countries and firms that continued buying its oil. Iran's economy fell into a deep recession.

Iran retaliated by increasingly breaching the restrictions agreed under the nuclear deal, particularly those on the production of enriched uranium, which is used to make reactor fuel and potentially nuclear weapons.

In 2021, President Joe Biden took office with hopes of returning to the deal and bringing Iran back into compliance, but months of indirect talks have failed to resolve the dispute.

Where are the Iranian prisoners now?

As you'll know, under the prisoner swap deal, the US also released five Iranians.

We haven't heard as much about them as we have about the US men.

Earlier, Iran's Press TV said two of its citizens were on their way back to Tehran.

Two others are expected to remain in the United States, and one other will fly to a third country to join his family.

Former Pentagon officials warns of more US detainees

A former high-ranking Pentagon official has warned that the prisoner swap may give US foes abroad "more reasons" to imprison Americans.

Speaking to the BBC, Mick Mulroy, a former CIA paramilitary officer and deputy assistant secretary of defence for the Middle East, said that "while it is always good to see Americans returned home after being unlawfully detained, this may ultimately cause more Americans to be used this way".

"[Iran] will also have five of its citizens returned who were lawfully prosecuted and convicted in the United States in addition to these funds," he added. "This is probably something Russia will take not of".

Mulroy also said that the US should take steps to monitor the funds, ideally through the Qatari government.

"If it does not, they hopefully can stop all further expenditures as a violation of this agreement," he said.

New US sanctions target former Iranian president's assets

A bit more detail now on the sanctions on Iran announced by the Biden administration earlier.

In a statement, the US Department of the Treasury said it would target the former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for having "provided material support to the Iranian ministry of intelligence and security (MOIS)".

These actions, it said, imposed "tangible consequences on those responsible for, or complicit in, hostage-taking or the wrongful detention of a United States national abroad".

As a result, "all property and interests in property of the designated persons described above that are in the US or in the possession or control of US persons are blocked", the statement said.

Released prisoner thanks US president Biden

Reuters

Siamak Namazi, one of the five US citizens released by Iran, has issued a statement.

"My heartfelt gratitude goes to President Biden and his administration, which had to make some incredibly difficult decisions. Thank you... for ultimately putting the lives of American citizens above politics," he said.

Namazi urged the president to push for a means of ending the practice of what he described as "hostage-taking".

"It is only if the free world finally agrees to collectively impose draconian consequences on those who use human lives as mere bargaining chips, that the Iranian regime and its ilk will be compelled to make different choices," he said.

"Sadly, until then, we can anticipate more Americans and others falling victim to state hostage-taking - a horror that, thanks to you, my family and I will strive to put behind us - starting today."

Iran funds will be used for humanitarian needs - Blinken

Blinken says the $6bn frozen funds released to Iran under the prisoner swap deal have always been available to Tehran for humanitarian purposes.

He says "technical reasons" meant Iran was not able "to access those funds where they were".

Blinken says the funds were moved to another bank "where we have absolute oversight of how they're used, and they can only be used for humanitarian purposes."

He says the US has "absolute confidence" in the mechanisms in place to ensure the funds are used for humanitarian needs.

Freeing US citizens is highest priority, says Blinken

Blinken says 30 Americans unjustly detained around the world have been brought home under the current administration.

He says Biden has demonstrated that he's prepared to make tough and difficult decisions.

"I have no higher priority, the president has no higher priority, than making sure that Americans that are unjustly detained anywhere can come home," he adds.

Blinken 'grateful' for prisoners' release

More now from Blinken.

He says the prisoners' freedom means that "husbands and wives, fathers and children, grandparents can hug each other again".

"It's a day that I'm grateful for," he says, as he thanks international allies who played a role in helping to free the American citizens.

'Husbands and wives, fathers and children can hug again'

US thanks those who worked to free prisoners

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is now talking about the prisoner release - he says he spoke to the group after they landed and had an emotional conversation with them.

You can watch his comments by clicking on the play button above.

And we'll bring you what he says here shortly.

In pictures: The US men's arrival in Doha

Reuters

Emad Shargi, Morad Tahbaz and Siamak Namazi walked down the steps in front of a large media pack

Reuters

Siamak Namazi said he'd longed for this day for 2,898 days

Reuters

They were met by dignitaries on the tarmac...

Reuters

...and then were free to embrace their loved ones they had waited so long to see

WATCH: The moment US prisoners walk off the plane

The BBC's Lyse Doucet caught the moment the five US prisoners walked off the plane.

She said the relief among those on the tarmac was clear.

She said Siamak Namazi reportedly said to his lawyers that "the nightmare has ended".

Moment US prisoners freed by Iran change planes in Qatar

Iran must stop using foreigners for bargaining - UK PM

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has welcomed the release from Iran of British-American conservationist Morad Tahbaz.

His spokesman said he was "extremely pleased that Morad Tahbaz's terrible ordeal is finally over and that he will be reunited with his loved ones".

"By seeking to use foreign nationals as bargaining chips, the regime's leaders are fatally undermining Iran's credibility on the world stage.

"They must stop using foreign nationals for political bargaining."

He adds the UK wasn't involved in the negotiations for today's deal.

Biden administration announces new sanctions

As soon as the plane carrying the US citizens landed in Doha, US President Joe Biden announced new sanctions targeting Iran's former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the country's intelligence ministry.

"Today, five innocent Americans who were imprisoned in Iran are finally coming home," Biden said in a statement.

"As we celebrate the return of these Americans, we also remember those who did not return," he said.

"We will continue to impose costs on Iran for their provocative actions in the region."

Prisoners met with hugs on the tarmac

Reuters

Siamak Namazi and Morad Tahbaz were met by their loved ones

The five American citizens and their families shook hands and exchanged hugs with Qatari and American officials as they disembarked from the plane in Doha.

The group spent a few minutes on the tarmac before being brought into the terminal for medical checks.

They will soon make their way to the US.

BreakingPlane lands in Doha

The plane carrying five American prisoners freed from Iran has landed in Doha.

We'll be bringing you live updates from the scene. Stay with us.

This is a rare moment of US-Iran co-operation

Lyse Doucet

Chief International Correspondent, reporting from the airport in Doha

It’s been hard for Iran and the United States to talk, especially on tough issues, when there’s such deep distrust.

It’s even harder when you can’t talk face to face. Tehran and Washington severed diplomatic ties in April 1980, months after radical Iranian students took over the US embassy in Tehran and held dozens of American citizens hostage for more than a year in the wake of the Iranian revolution.

Years ago, there was a rare exception when then US Secretary of State John Kerry repeatedly sat down with his Iranian counterpart, Javad Zarif, which helped clinch the historic Iran nuclear deal in July 2015.

But since former US President Donald Trump pulled out of that accord in 2018, there have been almost no face-to-face meetings.

And there’s been no easing of the deep distrust despite this rare moment of co-operation during indirect talks which led to this prisoner swap.

Plane to land shortly

BBC

We've just heard the plane carrying the five American citizens freed from Iran will land in Doha shortly.

Here's the scene as the press await its arrival.

Stay with us as we bring you the latest developments.