Qatar has been discreetly working with Iranian officials to release detained Jewish prisoners in Iran, Israel's public broadcaster KAN News reported on Sunday, citing sources familiar with the matter.
The Qataris are doing this in order to garner goodwill with the United States, sources told KAN.
According to the report, five Jewish detainees were arrested recently by Iranian authorities on various charges, including criticizing the Islamic regime amid the backdrop of a military escalation between the US and Iran.
In addition to Jewish prisoners, Qatar is further involved in efforts to secure the release of US citizens detained in Iran, the report added.
Tehran has released foreign prisoners before, with one recent release being an American prisoner detained in Iran since 2024, KAN reported. US President Donald Trump thanked the Iranians on the occasion.
American Jews arrested in Iran, July 2025
In July 2025, two American Jews were arrested in Iran on suspicion of having ties to Israel, KAN reported.
One of those arrested, an Iranian-American Jew from Los Angeles, was released on bail.
The report noted that 33 additional Jews were arrested at the time on the same charges.
The arrests were part of an Iranian government crackdown following Israel's Operation Rising Lion.