The US and Iran are nearing an informal agreement for the release of American prisoners and the eventual curtailment of Iran’s nuclear program. Preliminary agreements entail Iran freeing US prisoners in return for the US unfreezing Iranian assets. In addition, diplomats are promoting Iranian voluntary restrictions on uranium enrichment levels and bolstering cooperation with international monitors, offering increased crude shipping allowances in return. A significant stage of this plan, involving the US lifting sanctions to allow Iraq to settle its USD 2.7 bln debt to Tehran for natural-gas shipments, is currently in motion.