WASHINGTON — The US government is saying little following an unusually public Oct. 21 declaration by Iran’s Foreign Ministry that it is sending a list of names of Iranians being held in the United States for a possible “prisoner swap.” But behind the scenes, there are signs of movement in two cases of Iranians held by the United States that the Iranians have expressed interest in.
"The recovery of hostages held by the Islamic Republic of Iran is a top priority for the US Government," a State Department official, speaking not for attribution, told Al-Monitor by email Oct. 31, in response to a query on discussions on a possible prisoner swap or negotiations to get US detainees released. The White House referred questions on the issue to the State Department.
