A landmark Iran nuclear deal entered full implementation Jan. 16 and yielded an extra bonus as Iran freed five Americans, including Washington Post correspondent Jason Rezaian, in return for seven Iranians jailed in the United States.
While the nuclear talks and negotiations on freeing the Americans were not directly related, US officials said, a separate channel on the detainees accelerated after conclusion of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in July.