A plane carrying five American prisoners released by Iran as part of a high-profile prisoner exchange has landed in the Qatari capital Doha, before the former detainees are expected to then fly on to the United States.

The former detainees walked off the plane on Monday onto the tarmac at Doha International Airport after arriving from Tehran. They were greeted by both US and Qatari officials.

Al Jazeera's Imran Khan, reporting from the airport, said that the former prisoners were not expected to spend long in Qatar, and would soon be on their way home to the US.

"There's a visible sense of actual relief," Khan said. "Its all smiles now."

Two of the five Iranians imprisoned by the US have already arrived in the Gulf state, before they transit on to Iran. The three other released Iranians have decided against returning to Iran, with two staying in the US, and one going on to a third country.

The agreement between the US and Iran has also seen $6bn in Iranian assets held in South Korea unfrozen, triggering the prisoner exchange.

US President Joe Biden welcomed the return of the five citizens and thanked allies for helping secure their release.

"Siamak Namazi, Morad Tahbaz, Emad Sharghi, and two citizens who wish to remain private will soon be reunited with their loved ones - after
enduring years of agony, uncertainty, and suffering," Biden said in a statement released by the White House.

"I am grateful to our partners at home and abroad for their tireless efforts to help us achieve this outcome, including the governments of
Qatar, Oman, Switzerland, and South Korea."

Biden also reminded US citizens about the risk of travelling to Iran and said Washington could not guarantee their freedom should they be detained.

"American passport holders should not travel there," he said.

The White House has come under criticism from Republicans and some Democrats for striking the prisoner exchange deal with Tehran, saying that it could lead to further detentions.

Al Jazeera's Kimberly Halkett says the Biden administration has repeatedly said freeing US citizens imprisoned abroad is a top priority of his presidency.

"Anyone who has a family member in detention would want to see their family member brought home, and that is his top priority. That was the opportunity that was in front of him and so he seized it," Halkett added.

This is a developing story, more to follow.

In a highly anticipated prisoner exchange, a plane carrying five American prisoners released by Iran has landed in the Qatari capital, Doha. The former detainees, Siamak Namazi, Morad Tahbaz, Emad Sharghi, and two citizens who wish to remain private, disembarked the plane at Doha International Airport, where they were greeted by both US and Qatari officials. Al Jazeera's Imran Khan, reporting from the airport, described a visible sense of relief among the former prisoners and emphasized their imminent return to the US.

 ..... However, the three other released Iranians have decided against returning to Iran. Two have chosen to stay in the US, while one will proceed to a third country. This prisoner exchange was made possible by the agreement between the US and Iran, which also led to the unfreezing of $6 billion in Iranian assets held in South Korea.

 ..... He named the individuals involved and acknowledged the years of agony, uncertainty, and suffering they endured. Biden recognized the tireless efforts of partners both at home and abroad, including the governments of Qatar, Oman, Switzerland, and South Korea.

However, Biden also cautioned US citizens about the risks of traveling to Iran, stating that Washington cannot guarantee their freedom if detained. He advised American passport holders to avoid traveling to the country. The White House has faced criticism from Republicans and some Democrats for the prisoner exchange, with concerns raised about potential repercussions and further detentions.

Responding to the criticism, Al Jazeera's Kimberly Halkett highlighted the Biden administration's repeated emphasis on prioritizing the release of US citizens imprisoned abroad. She noted that anyone with a family member in detention would want them brought home, and that this was Biden's top priority. Halkett explained that the opportunity to secure their release was presented to Biden, and he seized it.

As this is a developing story, further updates are expected to follow.

Washington, DC - Republicans have denounced Monday's prisoner swap between the United States and Iran, saying that the deal provides an incentive for Tehran to detain more Americans in future.

Officials in the administration of US President Joe Biden, however, hailed the release of the five US citizens from Iranian custody, adding that they would soon be reunited with their families.

Five Iranian prisoners in the US were likewise returned to their home country.

The Qatar-brokered agreement also saw the unfreezing of $6bn in Iranian funds formerly held in South Korea. Prior to Monday's deal, the funds could not be transferred due to US sanctions against Iran.

Here's how Republicans and Democrats reacted to the agreement.

Here is a look at the detainees released Monday as part of a prisoner swap between the United States and Iran.

Siamak Namazi

Siamak Namazi, 51, was the longest held Iranian American detainee. He was arrested in 2015 and sentenced the following year to 10 years in Tehran's Evin Prison on charges of espionage. Months later, his father was arrested when he visited Iran to check on his son. The elder Namazi was later placed on house arrest and permitted to leave Iran in 2022 due to medical reasons. Namazi is an energy executive who promoted closer ties between the west and Iran.

Emad Sharghi

Emad Sharghi, 59, is an Iranian American venture capitalist who moved to Iran with his wife in 2017. He was detained the following year, but his family says he was released after going through eight months of interrogations. Authorities rearrested Sharghi while he was trying to leave the country while on bail. He was charged with espionage and sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Morad Tahbaz

Morad Tahbaz, 67, was also sentenced to 10 years of prison. He is an Iranian American conservationist who also holds British citizenship. In 2018, he was arrested during an Iranian crackdown on environmental activists. Tahbaz had reportedly remained in prison despite an agreement between the United Kingdom and Iran that he be released from prison on furlough.

Two unnamed detainees

Two additional prisoners were released Monday. However, the U.S. government has not released their names at the request of their families.

The Iranians

Five Iranians charged or convicted of nonviolent crimes in the United States received clemency under the deal:

Kaveh Lotfolah Afrasiabi
Mehrdad Ansari
Amin Hasanzadeh
Reza Sarhangpour Kafrani
Kambiz Attar Kashani

Some information for this story came from the Associated Press and Reuters.

Washington, DC - The prisoner swap between the United States and Iran is a step towards de-escalating tensions between the two countries, experts say, but it does not point to an imminent thaw in frosty relations.

Alex Vatanka, director of the Iran programme at the Middle East Institute think tank in Washington, DC, called the prisoner exchange a "transactional deal".

 ..... 

"Everybody is basically reconciling themselves with the fact that the best they can do for now is to take small steps toward preventing a crisis," Vatanka told Al Jazeera.

"So that's all it is. There is no big vision being articulated by anybody that could tell us that something in terms of a breakthrough is in the pipeline. There is no sign of that."

Five American citizens previously detained in Iran were flown out of the country on Monday as part of the agreement, which was facilitated by Qatar and other countries.

They landed in the Qatari capital, Doha, on Monday afternoon and were expected to be "soon be reunited with their loved ones-after enduring years of agony, uncertainty, and suffering", US President Joe Biden said in a statement.

Five US citizens freed by Iran in a high-profile prisoner swap mediated by Qatar have landed back in the United States to a joyous reunion with family members.

The group arrived on board an executive jet at an airfield in Fort Belvoir southwest of Washington, DC on Tuesday, a day after landing in Doha on a Qatar Airways flight following their release.