Iran FM says prisoner swap deal with France nearing completion | International

TEHRAN, Sept 12, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Thursday that a deal to exchange French prisoners in Iran for an Iranian woman held in France was nearly complete. The proposed swap involves Mahdieh Esfandiari, an Iranian woman arrested in France in February on charges of promoting terrorism through social media. "We have carried out a great deal of activity, and I can now say that we have reached the point where the exchange of the French prisoners in Iran is now approaching its final stages," Araghchi said in a televised interview, without elaborating further. Iran has repeatedly called for her release, arguing that she has been unjustly detained. France has filed a case against Tehran at...