Iranian prisoners freed from the United States remained in the US without boarding a plane bound for Switzerland where an exchange was to take place, national media cited officials familiar with the negotiations surrounding their release.








MOSCOW (Sputnik) � None of�the seven Iranians freed from�US custody over�the weekend chose to�return to�Iran when given the choice, the ABC News broadcaster cited the officials with�knowledge of�the talks on�Tuesday.

Iran released four US nationals in�exchange, including a Washington Post journalist, a former Marine and a Christian pastor, all of�whom have dual US-Iranian citizenship.

Three boarded the plane bound for�Geneva, one decided to�stay in�Iran for�unknown reasons.

The plane had nonetheless departed from "somewhere on�the East Coast of�the United States" because it was designated to�bring the US nationals released by�Iran to�Germany.

The seven Iranians, six of�whom have dual citizenship, were convicted of�violating US sanctions on�the sale of�sensitive equipment and technology to�Iran.

The Implementation Day of�the Joint Comprehensive Plan of�Action (JCPOA) announced last weekend marked an end to�the years-long sanctions regime, opening Tehran to�billions in�frozen assets and restored trade.
By Sputnik