Qatar Mediates U.S.-Iran Prisoner Swap Deal, Iranian Prisoners Released to House Arrest
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Iran released 4 U.S. citizens from Tehran's Evin prison into house arrest as a first step in prisoner swap deal.
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Qatar hosted at least 8 rounds of talks between Iranian and U.S. negotiators in separate hotels using shuttle diplomacy.
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Qatar will pay banking fees and monitor how Iran spends unfrozen funds to ensure no sanctions violations.
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Prisoners will transit through Qatar when swapped; U.S. prisoners to fly from Tehran to Qatar, Iranian prisoners from U.S. to Qatar.
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Deal sidestepped main U.S.-Iran dispute over Iran's nuclear program, focused on prisoner release to build trust.