The Iranian Foreign Ministry put the blame on the US government for the prolongation of the process of exchange of prisoners.

Speaking to reporters at a press conference on Monday, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said the US government lacks the necessary resolve to finalize the exchange of prisoners with Iran.

Iran has always been serious about the prisoner swap issue considering the importance that it attaches to the fate of its citizens, he underlined.

�The prolongation of this process, unfortunately, results from the US government�s lack of resolve,� Kanaani stated.

Asked about the media stories on the arrest of a fourth American national in Iran, the spokesman said he would neither confirm nor comment on such speculations.

He also highlighted the efforts made by certain governments that have good relations with both Iran and the US, reiterating that the completion of the prisoner swap depends on the US government�s political determination.

Iran and the US have conducted prisoner exchanges twice in the past, once in January 2016 when the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was implemented, and again in December 2019.

By Tasnim