Congress was notified of the move on Monday, and it’s likely to come as a relief to U.S. prisoners’ families and supporters, many of whom have waited several years for the return of the detainees. It also is expected to come under harsh criticism from Republicans in Congress opposed to any agreement that allows for the release of frozen Iranian funds, money that is being transferred from South Korea to Qatar and limited for the purchase of humanitarian goods like food or medicine.
The deal marks a major breakthrough for the longtime adversaries who remain at loggerheads over a range of issues, including the rapid expansion of Tehran’s nuclear program, its ongoing military support for Russia and Iran’s harsh crackdown on dissent. Though it remains unclear when the two sides could complete the prisoner transfer, Monday’s announcement comes as President Biden and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi each prepare to travel to New York for the annual U.N. General Assembly next week.
Amid the prisoner release talks, the United States and Iran have been discussing a possible informal arrangement that would seek to place some limitations on Iran’s nuclear program and avoid an international crisis. U.S. officials have insisted, however, that those talks are unrelated to the prisoner-exchange negotiations.
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The U.S. prisoners held by Iran include Siamak Namazi, an Iranian American who had been behind bars in Tehran for nearly eight years, the longest duration the Islamic republic has jailed any American. Others include Morad Tahbaz, an Iranian American who also holds British citizenship, and Emad Shargi, an American Iranian dual citizen. Each was released from Iran’s notorious Evin Prison last month in an initial step of the deal.
Two other American detainees involved in the swap have not been named at the request of their families.
While the five American detainees remain in Iran, the waiver decision, first reported by the Associated Press, tees up the prisoners’ full release, which could happen as early as next week amid the high-profile U.N. gathering, according to people familiar with the matter. They spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive details.
South Korea, one of Iran’s largest oil customers, has held $6 billion in Iranian funds as a result of a waiver issued by the Trump administration in 2018 that allowed Seoul to continue purchasing Iran’s oil. Those funds became stuck in 2019 when the Trump administration tightened sanctions on Iran.
Nearly 10,000 evacuated in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region after Russia attack
Nearly 10,000 people have been forced to leave their homes in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region since a ground attack launched by Russian forces on May 10, its governor said Saturday.
The assault may only be the first wave of a wider offensive, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told AFP.
Over a week after its launch, “a total of 9,907 people have been evacuated,” governor Oleg Synegubov said.
They were fleeing Russian soldiers who managed to advance between five to 10 kilometres (three to six miles) along the northeastern border before being stopped by Ukrainian forces.
Synegubov said Ukraine’s armed forces had repelled two attempts to break through defences overnight.
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The situation was “under control” with “defenders in certain areas conducting assault… and combing operations.”
Moscow has been attacking several settlements including Vovchansk, just five kilometres from the border.
“In the area of the city of Vovchansk, Ukrainian troops are reinforcing their defence,” Synegubov said.
There are about 100 people left in the city where “heavy fighting” is taking place, he added later.
Russian forces have taken 278 square kilometres (107 square miles) between May 9 and 15, their biggest gains since the end of 2022, AFP calculated using data from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
Russia’s offensive “could consist in several waves. There was the first wave” in the Kharkiv region, Zelensky told AFP journalists.
Zelensky played down Russia’s gains in the offensive but added: “We have to be sober and understand that they are going deeper into our territory. Not vice versa. And that’s still their advantage.”
Speaking about the offensive during a visit to China on Friday, President Vladimir Putin said it was a response to Ukraine shelling Russian border regions.
Russia could increase Ukraine attacks, says Zelensky
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says Russia could increase its attacks in Ukraine’s north east following its recent gains near the city of Kharkiv.
Russian troops have been trying to push forward as Ukraine’s outgunned forces attempt to shore up a weakened front line.
Mr Zelensky admitted that there were issues with military staffing and morale, saying a number of existing brigades were empty.
He also told the AFP news agency the country’s air fleet was lacking and renewed calls for allies to send more air defence and fighter jets.
“Today we have about 25% of what we need to defend Ukraine,” Mr Zelensky said of Ukraine’s air capabilities.
“So that Russia does not have air superiority, our fleet should have 120 to 130 modern aircraft.”
The US recently approved a new $61bn (£48bn) aid package for Ukraine, which includes military support.
Russian forces recently began a summer offensive, grabbing a number of villages on Ukraine’s north-eastern frontier near Kharkiv – the country’s second largest city.
Kharkiv’s regional governor Oleg Synegubov said on Saturday that nearly 10,000 people have been forced to leave in just over a week.
“The situation is controlled by defenders of Ukraine,” he added.
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Polish Prime Minster Donald Tusk, meanwhile, has announced the country will spend over €2.3bn (£1.9bn) to fortify its eastern border against “potential enemies”.
The border includes Russia, Belarus and Ukraine.
Mr Zelensky also told AFP more soldiers were desperately needed at the frontlines.
“There are a serious number of brigades, existing brigades, which, a large number of them, are empty. We need to do this so that the guys have a normal rotation. Then their morale will be improved.”
A new mobilisation law aimed at addressing this came into force on Saturday.
Under the new rules, the age that people can be conscripted into the war has been lowered from 27 to 25 in an effort to boost recruit numbers.
The flood of volunteers Ukraine saw following Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022 has now dried up. Most of those who wanted to fight are either dead, injured or still stuck at the front waiting to be relieved by new recruits.
In February, Mr Zelensky announced that 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed during Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Typically, Ukrainian officials do not make casualty figures public, and other estimates are much higher.
BBC Russian, in a joint project with the Mediazona website, has established the deaths of more than 50,000 Russian soldiers. But it estimates the total number to be greater than that.
Palestinian envoy lambasts US for arresting protesters
The Palestinian Ambassador to Nigeria, Abdullahi Shawesh, on Thursday, May 16, lambasted the Western World for clamping down on student protesters who were expressing solidarity and sympathy with his country.
He stressed that the arrest and clampdown on protesters negates the Western world’s stand as promoters of freedom of speech.
He said: “When college students express their solidarity and sympathy with the Palestinians, it is labelled as hate speech and anti-Semitism. These students are beaten and harshly treated. Threatened with expulsion from universities, severe sanctions in the future, imprisonment, and facing trial.
“This is the exact meaning of hypocrisy and double standards.”
Shawesh who gave a review of the 223-day battle between the Israeli forces and Hamas, said no fewer than 45,091 Palestinians have been killed, including 15,103 children and 9,961 women.
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He also said the battle has consumed 142 journalists and 492 medical staff.
The envoy said no fewer than 10,000 persons have been declared missing.
He added: “78,404 wounded and injured, with 72% of the victims being children and women. 17,000 children live without one or both of their parents.”
Beside the human casualties, Shawesh also listed a number of destructions recorded, which include “243 mosques destroyed and 321 partially damaged. 3 Churches targeted and destroyed, 86,000 housing units completely destroyed and 294,000 partially damaged. 103 schools and universities destroyed. 206 archaeological and heritage sites destroyed, 75,000 tons of explosives materials dropped on Gaza.
“33 hospitals along with 54 health centres were taken out of service. A total of 160 health institutions and 126 ambulances were targeted by the Israeli occupation.”
He said the state of infrastructure devastation has forced 11,000 wounded people to travel for treatment to undergo operations.
He also said that no fewer than “10,000 cancer patients face death due to the lack of medical treatment. 1,095,000 are infected with infectious diseases as a result of displacement. 20,000 cases of viral hepatitis infection due to displacement. Tens of thousands of pregnant women are at risk due to a lack of access to healthcare. There have been 310 cases of health personnel being arrested.”
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