Five Americans who had been imprisoned in Iran are now under house arrest the first step in a deal between the United States and Iran that would include making billion in Iranian funds more accessible to Tehran in exchange for their return to the US . Four of the Americans Siamak Namazi Emad Shargi Morad Tahbaz and a fourth American who has not been identified publicly were moved out of Tehrans notorious Evin Prison on Thursday the White House confirmed . The fifth American who also has not yet been publicly identified was already under home arrest according to a source familiar with the negotiations . The source said that this would not be giving new funds to Iran noting that those funds are currently in South Korean accounts and able to be used for humanitarian purposes and nonsanctionable trade of goods like food and medicine by moving them to a restricted account elsewhere . There is also expected to be a prisoner swap component to the deal though the source said no prisoners held in the U.S. will be released in exchange with these Americans moving to house arrest . The US does not have diplomatic relations with Tehran and therefore has no embassy or diplomats on the ground in the country in Iran . There have been challenges in converting the Korean currency . There are no guarantees about what happens from here he said. The source did not get into specific details about the next steps saying it was too early to do that. This has been a very intensive process of negotiations with the Iranians . The sources said it is tooEarly to get into specifics about the future of the next step . The U.K. and the source did say that US was very clear with the Americans. The US has no diplomatic relations. The sources did not say that to get anywhere the Americans have to
Americans moved out of prison in deal that could see US releasing Iranian funds and prisoners .
