US-Iran prisoner swap ‘important first step’ but tensions remain: Analysts

Siamak Namazi, Emad Shargi and Morad Tahbaz arrive in Qatar after their release as part of the US-Iran prisoner swap deal, September 18, 2023 [Lujain Jo/AP Photo]

Washington, DC – The prisoner swap between the United States and Iran is a step towards de-escalating tensions between the two countries, experts say, but it does not point to an imminent thaw in frosty relations.

Alex Vatanka, director of the Iran programme at the Middle East Institute think tank in Washington, DC, called the prisoner exchange a “transactional deal”.