US denies Iran state media report saying prisoner swap agreed

Meanwhile, UK downplays Iranian state TV report on Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s possible release from prison.

The United States has immediately denied a report by Iran’s state-run broadcaster that deals had been reached between Tehran and Washington that would see prisoners swapped and Tehran receive billions of dollars. An unnamed official quoted by Iranian state TV said earlier on Sunday that a deal made between the US and Tehran involved a prisoner swap in exchange for the release of $7bn in frozen Iranian funds. The state TV report, quoting the unnamed Iranian official, also said British-Iranian national Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe would be released once Britain had paid off a debt on military equipment owed to Tehran.