final talks
© AFPUS Secretary of State John Kerry (L) meets with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (2R) in Vienna, Austria on January 16, 2016 on the expected "implementation day" of Iran nuclear agreement.
Officials at the US State Department have announced that Iran's nuclear agreement with permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany (P5+1) is on course to be implemented as "no major issue" remains. A State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Saturday that "some technical clarifications" were taking place but "there is no major issue being fought over," AP reported.

The comments come as top diplomats from Iran, the United States and the European Union are in Vienna, Austria, ahead of the implementation of the historic nuclear agreement that was reached between Tehran and the P5+1 countries - the United States, France, Britain, Russia, China and Germany- last July. Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has already held talks with US Secretary of State John Kerry and EU Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini.

The diplomats await a final report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Tehran's adherence to commitments undertaken in the nuclear agreement with the P5+1. Zarif says the agreement will come into effect immediately after the IAEA publishes its report on Saturday. The implementation of the nuclear agreement with Iran will end international sanctions against the country over restrictions on its nuclear activities.

Iran-US Swap

Meanwhile, reports say the two countries freed a number of citizens as part of a prisoner exchange agreement.

Iran's official news agency, IRNA, said Saturday that the United States released seven Iranians held in US prisons. The source named Nader Madanlou, Bahram Mekanik, Khosro Afghahi, Arash Qahreman, Touraj Faridi, Nima Golestaneh and Ali Sabounchi as the freed Iranian nationals.

Tehran in turn released four prisoners with dual-citizenship. They were the Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian; Saeed Abedini, a Christian pastor; Amir Hekmati, a former US Marine, and another inmate named Nosratollah Khosravi.

A US State Department official described the move as not related to the nuclear agreement. "The timing of implementation day is not related at all to the American citizen release issue," Reuters quoted the official as saying.