Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman has urged the US to stop acting callously and release the Iranian “hostages” jailed in America and other parts of the world upon Washington’s request.
Abbas Mousavi made the remarks on Monday in reaction to remarks made by US Acting Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Ken Cuccinelli, who claimed the Iranian side has not seriously pursued the release of its inmates in the US despite Washington’s efforts to send them back.
“Stop talking rubbish!” the Iranian spokesman tweeted, reacting to Cuccinelli’s comments.
“Since September 2018, [Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad] Zarif has put ‘universal prisoners swap’ on the table, urged Washington to act responsibly about the Iranian HOSTAGES in the US and elsewhere,” Mousavi added.
“Your regime has reacted callously and risked their lives. The world is watching your action, not your word. Let our citizens go!” he went on to say.
Stop talking rubbish! Since Sep2018, @JZarif has put 'universal prisoners swap' on the table, urged??to act responsibly abt the Iranian HOSTAGES in ?? & elsewhere. Your regime has reacted callously & risked their lives.?is watching your action,not your word. Let our citizens go! pic.twitter.com/xIAeCfI8lG
— S.A. MOUSAVI (@SAMOUSAVI9) May 11, 2020
A few hours earlier, Foreign Minister Zarif said he had announced in New York some 1.5 years ago that the “Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to swap all Iranian prisoners, who are in jail in the US or other countries under the US pressure, with all American prisoners…but the Americans gave no response.”
Iran’s government spokesman Ali Rabiei said on Sunday that the country has expressed its readiness to exchange prisoners with the United States, but that it will not accept any preconditions from Washington.
“We have declared that there is readiness to exchange all prisoners and discuss their release without any preconditions, but the US has refused to respond,” he told Khabar Online news website.
