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STORY: Environmentalist Morad Tahbaz is among up to five U.S.-Iranian dual nationals who could be freed from Iran as early as next week in a prisoner swap mediated by Qatar.

A similar number of Iranian prisoners held in the U.S. would also head home… after $6 billion of frozen Iranian funds are wired to Qatari banks.

These details come from multiple sources who spoke to Reuters.

The prisoner swap would mark a rare moment of cooperation between two adversaries who remain at odds over issues including Iran’s nuclear program and U.S. military presence in the Gulf.

Under the deal, prisoners from both sides would transit through Qatar.

Sources say the trickiest part of the talks was figuring out how to make the money transfer transparent and respect U.S. sanctions against Tehran.

The idea is that Doha will make sure Iran does not spend the cash on sanctioned items.

The U.S. State Department says Washington will also have oversight.

The potential transfer has drawn Republican criticism that President Joe Biden is effectively paying ransom for American citizens.

Here’s Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaking last month:

"The dollars that are being made available - that is, Iranian funds that are being made now available to Iran - this is a way of actually facilitating their use strictly for humanitarian purposes.” //

"Nothing about our overall approach to Iran has changed. We continue to pursue a strategy of deterrence, of pressure, and diplomacy.” 

Siamak Namazi and Emad Shargi are other Americans also involved in the swap.

Tahbaz's daughter Tara spoke to Reuters in April about the toll the experience has taken.

"I mean all of our families have been destroyed."//

"This is a humanitarian issue and it should be dealt as such."

The identities of two other Americans have not been disclosed, although sources say one is a woman.

Reuters could not establish which Iranian prisoners would be involved.

The American men’s families either did not respond to a request for comment or declined to speak.

Qatar’s and Iran’s foreign ministries did not respond either.