Iran Ready for Unconditional Prisoner Swap With US, Reports Suggest

The New York Times previously reported that Tehran and Washington were holding negotiations on exchanging a US Navy veteran, Michael R. White, for an unidentified doctor held by the US.

Spokesperson for the government of Iran Ali Rabiei has stated that the Islamic Republic is ready for a prisoner swap with the US, and sets no preconditions, according to the KhabarOnline news agency.

"We are ready to exchange Iranian and American prisoners and we are prepared to discuss this issue, but the Americans have not responded yet", Rabiei said, as cited by KhabarOnline.

نگرانی دولت از وضعیت #ایرانیان_زندانی در #آمریکا در روزهای شیوع کرونا

ربیعی: ما دولت آمریکا را مسئول جان و سلامت همه #شهروندان_ایرانی می دانیم و آماده #تبادل_زندانیان بین دو کشور هستیمhttps://t.co/2ZH9J325HP

— خبرآنلاين (@khabaronlinee) May 10, 2020

​He also said that Tehran holds the United States responsible for the safety of Iranian prisoners, adding that "there is no need for a third country to mediate between Iran and America for the prisoner exchange".

Last year, the two countries conducted an exchange, swapping US-held Iranian scientist Massoud Soleimani and Chinese-American Princeton scholar Xiyue Wang detained in Iran. Switzerland, which is diplomatically representing the US in the Islamic Republic, assisted in the swap.