Three US citizens freed by Iran in a prisoner swap after more than a year of secret negotiations on Swiss soil are due to arrive in Switzerland later Sunday, Swiss and US officials said.
The Washington Post said that among those on board was its Tehran correspondent Jason Rezaian, who had been detained in Iran for nearly 18 months.
Iran had announced their release on Saturday, just hours before Tehran's historic nuclear deal with world powers was implemented, in exchange for Washington pardoning seven Iranians accused of sanctions-busting or violating trade embargoes.
"When Americans are freed, that's something we can all celebrate," US President Barak Obama said in a televised statement from the White House.
The Swiss foreign minister said the prisoner swap -- involving four Americans and seven Iranians -- followed 14 months of confidential discussions in Switzerland.
"A Swiss plane with a (foreign ministry) representative and several doctors on board is bringing back three of the American prisoners detained in Iran, along with the mother and wife of one of them," it said.
After landing in Switzerland, the freed prisoners, all of whom have dual US-Iranian citizenship, will then leave for an American base in Germany, it said in a statement.
A fifth American, Matthew Trevithick, was released in a separate process, a US official has said.
The Swiss ministry did not disclose where the plane would land but an official US aircraft was seen on the tarmac at Geneva airport.
Aside from The Post's Rezaian the other two freed prisoners aboard the plane were understood to be Saeed Abedini, a Christian pastor, and former US Marine Amir Hekmati.
The fourth Iranian-American released as part of the swap, Nosratollah Khosravi-Roodsari, was not on board, US officials told The Washington Post and The New York Times.
Iranian state television had said earlier that Khosravi-Roodsari was one of the four who flew out on a "special Swiss plane".
"We can confirm that our detained US citizens have been released and that those who wished to depart Iran have left," a senior US official said.
The Post reported that the flight out of Iran was delayed because Rezaian's mother Mary and wife Yeganeh, who also were on the plane, initially did not appear on the flight manifest.
US Secretary of State John Kerry told reporters travelling with him from Vienna to Washington that Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif resolved the problem.
"Zarif had no question about it," Kerry was quoted as saying. "It was part of the agreement, it was clearly stated. The problem was, one of the guys on the ground, at a military base, didn't have it on the manifest."
Iranian state television said the seven Iranians -- Nader Modanlou, Baharam Mechanic, Khosrow Afghahi, Arash Ghahreman, Tooraj Faridi, Nima Golestaneh, and Ali Saboonchi -- "will be freed today".
The family of former US Marine Hekmati, who faced a death sentence as an alleged spy, said they had also been officially told he was on a plane out of Iran.
"It is hard to put into words what our family feels right now. But we remain in hopeful anticipation until Amir is in our arms."
- 'Nightmare over' -
Washington Post publisher Frederick Ryan said in a statement: "We are relieved that this 545-day nightmare for Jason and his family is finally over."
The 39-year-old Rezaian, a dual US-Iranian citizen born in California, was detained in Iran on July 22, 2014.
The Post statement said the paper was "enormously grateful to all who played a role" in securing Rezaian's release, and the paper thanked those "around the world who have spoken out on Jason's behalf and against the harsh confinement that was so wrongly imposed upon him."
Rezaian "will be reunited with his family, including his brother Ali, his most effective and tireless advocate," the Post said.
Iran's ambassador to the United Nations, Gholam Ali Khoshroo, said on Saturday that Switzerland played a "positive role" in the prisoner swap.
The UN nuclear watchdog announced late Saturday that Iran had complied with its side of the July 2015 accord, allowing the lifting of sanctions.
Three US citizens freed by Iran in a prisoner swap after more than a year of secret negotiations on Swiss soil are due to arrive in Switzerland later Sunday, Swiss and US officials said.
The Washington Post said that among those on board was its Tehran correspondent Jason Rezaian, who had been detained in Iran for nearly 18 months.
Iran had announced their release on Saturday, just hours before Tehran’s historic nuclear deal with world powers was implemented, in exchange for Washington pardoning seven Iranians accused of sanctions-busting or violating trade embargoes.
“When Americans are freed, that’s something we can all celebrate,” US President Barak Obama said in a televised statement from the White House.
The Swiss foreign minister said the prisoner swap — involving four Americans and seven Iranians — followed 14 months of confidential discussions in Switzerland.
“A Swiss plane with a (foreign ministry) representative and several doctors on board is bringing back three of the American prisoners detained in Iran, along with the mother and wife of one of them,” it said.
After landing in Switzerland, the freed prisoners, all of whom have dual US-Iranian citizenship, will then leave for an American base in Germany, it said in a statement.
A fifth American, Matthew Trevithick, was released in a separate process, a US official has said.
The Swiss ministry did not disclose where the plane would land but an official US aircraft was seen on the tarmac at Geneva airport.
Aside from The Post’s Rezaian the other two freed prisoners aboard the plane were understood to be Saeed Abedini, a Christian pastor, and former US Marine Amir Hekmati.
The fourth Iranian-American released as part of the swap, Nosratollah Khosravi-Roodsari, was not on board, US officials told The Washington Post and The New York Times.
Iranian state television had said earlier that Khosravi-Roodsari was one of the four who flew out on a “special Swiss plane”.
“We can confirm that our detained US citizens have been released and that those who wished to depart Iran have left,” a senior US official said.
The Post reported that the flight out of Iran was delayed because Rezaian’s mother Mary and wife Yeganeh, who also were on the plane, initially did not appear on the flight manifest.
US Secretary of State John Kerry told reporters travelling with him from Vienna to Washington that Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif resolved the problem.
“Zarif had no question about it,” Kerry was quoted as saying. “It was part of the agreement, it was clearly stated. The problem was, one of the guys on the ground, at a military base, didn’t have it on the manifest.”
Iranian state television said the seven Iranians — Nader Modanlou, Baharam Mechanic, Khosrow Afghahi, Arash Ghahreman, Tooraj Faridi, Nima Golestaneh, and Ali Saboonchi — “will be freed today”.
The family of former US Marine Hekmati, who faced a death sentence as an alleged spy, said they had also been officially told he was on a plane out of Iran.
“It is hard to put into words what our family feels right now. But we remain in hopeful anticipation until Amir is in our arms.”
– ‘Nightmare over’ –
Washington Post publisher Frederick Ryan said in a statement: “We are relieved that this 545-day nightmare for Jason and his family is finally over.”
The 39-year-old Rezaian, a dual US-Iranian citizen born in California, was detained in Iran on July 22, 2014.
The Post statement said the paper was “enormously grateful to all who played a role” in securing Rezaian’s release, and the paper thanked those “around the world who have spoken out on Jason’s behalf and against the harsh confinement that was so wrongly imposed upon him.”
Rezaian “will be reunited with his family, including his brother Ali, his most effective and tireless advocate,” the Post said.
Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations, Gholam Ali Khoshroo, said on Saturday that Switzerland played a “positive role” in the prisoner swap.
The UN nuclear watchdog announced late Saturday that Iran had complied with its side of the July 2015 accord, allowing the lifting of sanctions.
