A developing story out of Iran where the U.S. State Department says five Americans have been released from the notorious Evin prison and placed on house arrest. ABC News learning the U.S. and Iran reached this agreement after months of quiet negotiations.
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00:00 We turn now to a developing story out of Iran where the U.S. State Department says five
00:05 Americans have been released from the notorious Evin prison and placed on house arrest.
00:11 ABC's news learning the U.S. and Iran reached this agreement after months of quiet negotiations.
00:17 Reena Roy has the latest.
00:20 After years of detainment in Iran's infamous Evin prison, the State Department says a group
00:25 of American citizens have now been transferred to house arrest.
00:29 It's a rare deal between the two countries who have no formal diplomatic relations and
00:34 comes after months of quiet negotiations between the U.S. and Iran.
00:37 They're going to be taken to a hotel is the understanding.
00:41 There they'll be allowed to use the phone, watch TV, even talk to each other.
00:45 But they still aren't free.
00:47 The American prisoners identified as 51-year-old oil executive Siamak Namazi detained in 2015
00:54 and charged with espionage, plus 67-year-old Iranian-American Mourad Tabaz, who was arrested
00:59 in 2018.
01:01 That same year, 58-year-old Imad Shargi was detained without explanation while traveling
01:06 with his wife.
01:07 Officials say two other American nationals have also been wrongfully held.
01:10 Namazi's brother reacting to the news in a statement saying, "While this is a positive
01:14 change, we will not rest until Siamak and others are back home," adding, "We have suffered
01:19 tremendously and indescribably for eight horrific years and wish only to be reunited again as
01:26 a family."
01:27 Some of the prisoners' family members speaking out last month.
01:29 I'm really urging everybody to do everything they can to bring them home.
01:33 Every day matters for us.
01:35 State Department officials saying negotiations for the eventual release of all the prisoners
01:39 are ongoing and delicate.
01:41 A source telling ABC they could potentially return home sometime next month.
01:45 In exchange for a safe return back to the U.S., the Biden administration is prepared
01:50 to approve the release of roughly $6 billion in frozen Iranian funds from South Korea.
01:56 A source familiar with the plan said the U.S. would require that the money go toward humanitarian
02:00 causes, though it's not yet clear how the administration plans to enforce that.
02:05 Reena Roy, ABC News, New York.