
U.S. clears way for release of $6 billion in frozen Iranian funds as part of prisoner swap deal
CBSN
Washington — The Biden administration has cleared the way for the eventual release of five American citizens detained in Iran by issuing a blanket waiver for international banks to transfer $6 billion in frozen Iranian money from South Korea to Qatar without fear of U.S. sanctions. In addition, as part of the deal, the administration has agreed to release five Iranian citizens held in the United States.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken signed off on the sanctions waivers last week, a U.S. official told CBS News, a month after U.S. and Iranian officials said an agreement in principle was in place.
Congress was not informed of the waiver decision until Monday, according to a congressional notification obtained by The Associated Press. The U.S. official confirmed that the administration had informed Congress of the move, saying the waiver is one of the final steps before the deal can be completed.

Robert Morris, founding pastor of Gateway Church, a megachurch in Southlake, Texas, has been indicted on five counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child, stemming from alleged incidents dating back to the 1980s, the Oklahoma attorney general's office announced Wednesday. We are aware of the actions being taken by the legal authorities in Oklahoma and are grateful for the work of the justice system in holding abusers accountable for their actions. We continue to pray for Cindy Clemishire and her family, for the members and staff of Gateway Church, and for all of those impacted by this terrible situation.