Iranian News Media Reports Pending Released of Americans Detained in Iran; U.S. Possibly Swapping Iranian Prisoners in U.S. for Release of Americans Held in Iran.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is CNN breaking news.</s>WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. We want to welcome our viewers in the United States and around the world. We are following major breaking news here on CNN. There are reports, significant reports that four American prisoners in Iran have been released, including Jason Rezaian, the "Washington Post" reporter, Amir Hekmati, a former U.S. marine, Saeed Abedini, an American cleric Christian pastor who has been in jail, in prison in Iran now for several years, and a fourth American still unidentified. In exchange, we are told according to the Iranian news agency Fars, the semiofficial Iranian news agency, that the United States has agreed to release Iranian prisoners being held in the United States. We are joined now by Thomas Erdbrink who is "The New York Times" Tehran bureau chief. He is joining us now live from Tehran. We know that Fars, the semiofficial news agency, has been reporting this, Thomas. You are getting more information. Tell our viewers here in the United States and around the world what you are learning.</s>ERDBRINK: Well, Wolf, as far as what we know as the "New York Times" Tehran bureau, we have seen on Iranian state TV that they are quoting unknown sources, senior officials they say, as indeed confirming that these four Iranian Americans have been released. You mentioned their names, right. Jason Rezaian, "The Washington Post" correspondent, also a dear friend of mine, then Amir Hekmati, the U.S. marine who was arrested in 2012, Saeed Abedini, the American pastor, and then this fourth unknown person who they refer to as Nosratollah Khosrawi. I should check out his exact name. At the same time they are saying that in exchange for this prisoner swap, seven Iranians held probably held in the United States have been released. And they are also adding that another 14 Iranians have been taken off a certain Interpol watch list. Now, we don't know who these people are, we haven't given the names. And I am expecting these names will come out in the coming hours at least on the American side of this story. But what is seemingly clear is that there has been a prisoner swap that has been very long in the making that must have involved the Iranian foreign ministry, of course, Minister Zarif, then of course Secretary of State John Kerry, but also a lot of other actors mainly here in Iran. All these people are held by the Iranian judiciary. This is a hard line organization, not very friendly to the United States. So they must have been into this as well. This is a state effort by the Iranian leadership to, as this nuclear deal will be implemented tonight, which will mean that the sanctions will be lifted. They will start off on a clean slate with at least this level of relations with the United States, Wolf.</s>BLITZER: Thomas, you have been reporting from Tehran for a long time. You have been doing an excellent job for the readers of "The New York Times." In Tehran, in Iran, the Iranian prisoners being held by the United States, has the official or semi-official news media, the government, the various factions in the government, have they made a big deal in Iran about the Iranians held by the United States? Certainly here in the United States, everyone has made a major effort to win the release of the Americans in Iran.</s>ERDBRINK: Well, of course, Wolf, they have been much more covert than the effort we have seen in the United States and even in Europe to get, for instance, Jason Rezaian released, because the people they want to get released are the people that helped them bust the sanctions over the past six years. These are people that are referred to in Iranian media as those who have helped us. And of course, Iran is to be expected that when it was faced with this enormous sanctions, the restrictions on selling oil, the restrictions on foreign transactions, that is, of course, were trying to keep the country going. In order to keep the country going, it used middle men, people that would buy certain equipment, people that would buy food stuffs, and it's especially those people that I am hearing that the Iranians want to have released. And of course, we don't have names, but I think we will have those in the coming hours.</s>BLITZER: We certainly will. And we will see what follows. And obviously as you correctly point out all this happening on this day that the Iran nuclear deal is about to be implemented. That will free up tens of billions of dollars right away for Iran sanctions, Iranian sanctions, funds that have been held up. The money will start flowing back to Iran, all sorts of other restrictions on Iran, trade restrictions, et cetera, will be lifted as well. Thomas Erdbrink of "The New York Times," I want you to stand by with us, because our senior international correspondent Fred Pleitgen has been to Iran on several occasions in recent years is getting more information. Fred, you are in Berlin for us. What else are you learning.</s>PLEITGEN: One of the interesting things the Fars news agency, Wolf, also said is they say this was a decision by Iran's National Security Council for the benefit of the Islamic Republic. So as Thomas was saying, clearly this appears to be some sort of larger effort not just on part of the Iranian government, not just on the part of Iranian diplomacy, but certainly some hard line organizations, like, for instance, the Iranian judiciary, must have played their part in all of this as well. And we have to keep in mind just how hard line these people are when we talk about this. If you look at the trial of Jason Rezaian, there was virtually no information coming out of that trial. Jason Rezaian was able to see his lawyer probably on less than half a dozen occasions during the time that he was on trial. He didn't even know what he was being tried for for a long time. That's how secretive this judiciary operates, and that's how little accountability they have to people like Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, to people like Hassan Rouhani, the country's president. And so therefore this certainly is a very remarkable development that apparently for some time there must have been some sort of back channel negotiations going on between the U.S. and various people within the Iranian power structure to get this release organized. So it is certainly something that is very, very remarkable. Also in light of the fact that you still had a sort of struggle going in within Iran as well where you had the moderates around Hassan Rouhani who want better relations with the U.S. and on the other hand more hard line factions like, for instance, the Revolutionary Guard in the military, like for instance a lot of the clergy, the Supreme leader, who want to maintain confrontation towards the U.S. To get a deal like this going certainly is something that very, very remarkable not just for Jason Rezaian but also Amir Hekmati in detention for more than four years, or Saeed Abedini, in detention for more than three years, for them to finally be able to come home certainly is a big achievement on this very historic day, Wolf.</s>BLITZER: Fred, like all of us, we have been covering this story now for a long time, these Americans. We are now getting from the Iranian media the name of the fourth American about to be freed as part of this prisoner swap with the United States. His name is Nosratollah Khosrawi. Do we know anything about Nosratollah Khosrawi? We know a lot about the other three. What do we know about this fourth American that the Iranian say will be part of this prisoner swap?</s>PLEITGEN: Very, very little. I was trying to find out some information when the Iranian news agency there put the name out of Nosratollah Khosrawi. But it really is very difficult to find anything on who this person is, what exactly might have happened to him, why he was in Iran, why he was detained. At this point in time it is pretty unclear. There were some other names floating around various Iranian news agencies because of course there are other dual citizen American- Iranians who are still in detention. One American businessman who was just detained a couple of months ago, Siamak Namazi, was one who was speculated might be released as well because he was also a pretty high-profile case that actually happened around the time that the Iranians for the first time were engaged in Syrian peace talks in Vienna. And actually both the Iranian foreign minister and the U.S. secretary of state were there as well. This name that came up on that list on the Fars news agency list, unclear who that is at this point. But we are going to keep digging on that as well.</s>BLITZER: Because we have been familiar with two other citizens being held by Iran. They are not on this list. Robert Levinson, another American, a former FBI agent who was picked up in Iran several years ago. The Iranians have never even acknowledged, correct me if I'm wrong, that he is in their custody although the U.S. believes he is in their custody.</s>PLEITGEN: Absolutely. That was one on the things where the U.S. believes that Robert Levinson, who was picked up on Kish Island, which is obviously very close to the shores of Iran, that he is in Iranian detention as well. There was a video that surfaced of him having been captured. The Iranians, as you said, have not ever acknowledged that they are actually holding him. There are many in the U.S. of course who believe that they are. He is certainly one of the people they believe might have been on this list as well. So we are going to keep digging who is the fourth person on the list might actually be. But certainly, if you look at what happened today to people that are being released that is certainly a big diplomatic achievement, Wolf. Looking towards, also, the larger structure, if you will, of the nuclear agreements which will probably be implemented in a couple of hours as well, it certainly is the case, it seems that the diplomacy between Iran and the United States has not been at the level that it has been in the past couple of days for a very, very long time.</s>BLITZER: Fred, I want you to stand by. The two other names of American citizens who had been reportedly held by the Iranians apparently not on this list of the Iranians who are about to be freed, Siamak Namazi and Nazar Zaka, their names have been well known. This fourth name that we just received from the Iranian media, Nosratollah Khosrawi, that is a new name at least to me. I have been covering this story. The other three well known certainly to an American audience, Jason Rezaian of "The Washington Post," Amir Hekmati, who is from Michigan, a former U.S. marine, Saeed Abedini, Christian pastor who has been held by the Iranains as well. Our senior media correspondent Brian Stelter is working this story. Obviously, Brian, all of us in the news media, all of us journalists here in the United States, indeed, I should say many around the world, we have worked very hard to make sure our colleague Jason Rezaian is freed. What are you hearing from "The Washington Post"? They have been working feverishly for 500 days to try to get their man in Tehran released.</s>STELTER: That's right. This has been an exceptional case. We know, Wolf, there are journalists in perilous circumstances all around the world. There are journalists held by other countries in prison. But this is an exceptional case because he has been held for more than a year and a half and because he works for "The Washington Post." Jason Rezaian, one of the best-known Tehran correspondents before he was detained, and of course "The Post" a worldwide news organization that is now a part of the news itself. What I can tell you is "The Post" believes that Rezaian will leave Iranian airspace in the next few minutes. I heard from "The Post" about 15 minutes ago that he would clear Iranian airspace in 30 minutes. So if you do the math, about 15 minutes from now he should be leaving that air space. The headline there is that he is now on the way home. We haven't heard officially from Rezaian's family yet or anything more from "The Post," but they are gathering more information as we are. It would indicate that there is some flight, perhaps the others are on the same flight, perhaps not. We don't know yet.</s>BLITZER: It would suggest to me, Brian, that if, in fact, Jason Rezaian and the other Americans are imminently about to be released, they are about to get on a plane and fly out of Iran, that the Iranian prisoners being held in the United States, presumably simultaneously, would be about to get on a plane to fly out of the United States, out of U.S. custody. Usually these kinds of prisoner swaps are negotiated over very long periods of time, meticulous detail. The Iranians don't want to release the Americans until they know for sure the Americans are releasing the Iranians. Usually there's a third party involved to coordinate to make sure it all happens very simultaneously. I assume that's what's going on right now.</s>STELTER: And that may be why we have not heard from the State Department. Everyone trying to reach out of the State Department now for confirmation from the U.S. side. That may be why we have heard nothing from the U.S. yet. You're absolutely right. This would have been taking months behind the scenes. This would have been a confidential process. I would presume that "The Washington Post" might now something about it. I don't know that for sure. But this is something that would go on for many months. And of course this is something that government officials would not be able to talk about. So in the short-term, as we hear criticism of the administration, including, frankly, from news agencies urging the administration to do more to free Rezaian, in the long term these negotiations would have been happening in a very confidential way.</s>BLITZER: Brian, stand by with us. I know you are working your sources. We'll get more information. I also want to bring in the host of "Smerconish," Michael Smerconish. Michael, as you know, this has been a huge issue that not only many members of Congress but Republican presidential candidates have been very critical of the president for not demanding that the Iranians release these American citizens as part of this nuclear deal. Donald Trump, of course, has made a major issue out of this. Ted Cruz is the first presidential candidate to react to the news. I want you to listen to what Ted Cruz, one of the Republican presidential frontrunners, has just said.</s>SEN. TED CRUZ, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We have just gotten the news that Pastor Saeed Abedini and three other Americans are apparently coming home from Iran. I say praise God. Millions of us have been lifting up Pastor Saeed and have been lifting up Amir Hekmati, have been lifting Jason Rezaian. I hope he is among them. We have yet to get full details. But at this point we are giving prayers of thanksgiving that they are coming home. Pastor Saeed's wife is someone I have been blessed to get to know. She is a wonderful woman. Their two little kids have been praying and longing for their daddy to come home for a long, long time. We don't know the details of the deal that is bringing them home, and it may well be that there are some very problematic aspects to this deal. But at least this morning, I am giving thanks that Pastor Saeed is coming home. It is far later than it should have been, but we will be glad to welcome him home with open arms.</s>BLITZER: Michael, the good news, these Americans, four American citizens, are about to be freed from Iran. You know the criticism that will develop. The price the United States will pay is the release of Iranian prisoners being held here in the United States over the past several months when we have discussed the possibility of a swap. And I'm sure you have as well. Many members have said, yes, we want the Americans home, we want the pastor, the journalist, the marine, all of them to come home. On the other hand, they are reluctant to give up Iranian prisoners, saying this merely encourages more Americans being taken down the road to be used for prisoner swaps. You have heard that argument many times, I'm sure.</s>SMERCONISH: I'm mindful of the fact, Wolf that we were together on Tuesday night for the State of the Union address. And the fact that at that moment 10 United States sailors were being held by the Iranians was a focal point of debate because many Republicans believe that the president should have said something in his remarks that night about that situation. And by the following day, they had been released. And then Thursday night in the Republican debate, Senator Cruz, whom you just referred to, went out of his way on the first question posed to him to make reference to the photograph that showed the 10 sailors on their knees and with their hands in the air. And so my point is that the political ramifications of this are significant and yet to be unraveled. As I was listening to Senator Cruz and the sound bite that you just played, the name that popped into my mind was Bowe Bergdahl. And it popped into my mind because you know that the Taliban prisoners that were given up in exchange for Bergdahl became a focal point. We don't know too much about the six who have been released or are about to be released by the United States other than they are being held on sanctions-related charges. But you can rest assured that Cruz and company will be paying very close attention to who they are, what they did, and why they were being held to begin with. So we celebrate the release of Jason Rezaian which appears to be imminent and the others. But we'll have to watch the political ramifications of this against the backdrop of 2016 might be. And one other thought, Wolf, that occurs to me, if you'll indulge me. You know that the Obama administration was criticized widely and Secretary Kerry in particular for not negotiating the release of Jason Rezaian and the others as part of the Iranian nuclear deal. It makes me wonder perhaps there was a negotiation that for whatever reason needed to be delayed until now. Maybe the Iranians needed to save face with their hard right influences. I don't know. But I would be thinking it would be unfair to say they didn't negotiate it as part of the deal. Maybe it was very much on the table.</s>BLITZER: This has been a huge issue obviously here in the United States, dare I say around the world, the release of these Americans. And I know, Michael Smerconish, you have been reporting on this for a long time. Three of the Americans who we are about to be released are well-known. We know a lot about the pastor, the marine, the journalist. This fourth American, we don't know much about him. I don't know anything. It is the first time I have heard his name, Nosratollah Khosrawi. Do you know anything about him or why he was being held by the Iranians?</s>SMERCONISH:: : I'm sorry, I don't. What I was referring to are those being held by the United States. I'm saying that the Republican scrutiny will be on those that we have released in return for the response of the four. And about them, I know absolutely nothing.</s>BLITZER: We know that several of them, and there could be six or seven according to the Iranian news media, have been arrested in the United States for violations of the U.S. and international sanctions that have been imposed against Iran for trying to smuggle sensitive information, sensitive technology, into Iran. That's why they were being held here in the United States. Those names will be released, I assume, very, very quickly as a result of the American names being released. The other point, Michael, if these four Americans are released, and we hope, of course, they will be, there are at least two, probably three if you include Robert Levinson, the former FBI agent, who are still suspected, believed to be held by the Iranians. At least two confirmed held by Iranians. And I assume we will hear some criticism that why weren't all the Americans released?</s>SMERCONISH: No doubt. You know that on one side of the political equation, we are going to hear this regarded as a win for diplomacy. Here is what conversation can do. Here is what having dialogue with a prior enemy, for lack of a better description, can yield. But the Republican and more conservative perspective of this is going to be the glass remains half empty because not all of the Americans have been released. And until they are, it would be premature for the Obama administration to say this was a victory for diplomacy.</s>BLITZER: Michael Smerconish, I want you to stand by as well. Our Christiane Amanpour, who has spent a lot of time in Iran, knows this subject very well, she is standing by to join us. Let's take a quick break. Much more on the major breaking news we are following. A huge prisoner swap between the United States and Iran on this very sensitive day, the day the Iran nuclear deal is about to be implemented. We'll be right back.