Oman mediation helped seal prisoners exchange deal between Iran, Sweden

MUSCAT, The Omani Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Saturday that their mediation efforts helped secure a deal between the Iranian and Swedish governments, which resulted in the two sides agreeing on the mutual release of nationals detained in the two countries. In a statement, the Ministry said that those released from Tehran and Stockholm were transferred to Muscat in preparation for their return to their countries. Oman appreciated the high positive spirit that prevailed in the discussions in Muscat between the Iranian and Swedish sides and their keenness to settle this humanitarian issue. "Hamid Noury, who has been in illegal detention in Sweden since 2019, is free and will return to the country in a few hours," Kazem Gharibabadi, head of Iran's High Council for Human Rights, said in a post on social media platform X. Shortly afterwards, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said Johan Floderus, an EU diplomat, and a second Swedish national had been released by Iran and were on a flight home. Flod erus, 33yrs, had been held in Iran since April 2022 accused of espionage. Source: Kuwait News Agency