• Iran has released five American citizens as part of a Qatari-mediated prisoner exchange with the United States, which also freed five Iranians.
• The US citizens and two of the five Iranians have landed in Qatar’s capital, Doha, before making their way to their own countries. The three other released Iranians are not returning to Iran, with two staying in the US and one going on to a third country.
• Analysts say the swap is an “important first step” but does not point to an imminent thaw in the frosty relations between Iran and the US.
• US President Joe Biden says Siamak Namazi, Morad Tahbaz, Emad Sharghi and two other citizens whose identities have not been released “will soon be reunited with their loved ones” in the United States.
• The agreement between Tehran and Washington, first made public on August 10, includes the release of about $6bn of frozen Iranian money.
• 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.
• US President Joe Biden has long been urged to bring home Americans widely seen as hostages used by Iran as bargaining chips.

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