Repeat: This is NOT a Hostage Exchange, This is NOT a Hostage Exchange

The U.S. government has been holding five Iranians that the Iranian government says are "diplomats" since they were captured near Irbil in Iraqi Kurdistan in January.

In what was probably an attempt to get the five released, Iran's IRGC captured a British naval crew and held them for 13 days in March-April of this year.

More recently, Iran's government seized four Iranian-Americans visiting Iran and has charged them with spying or other anti-regime crimes.

Now several U.S. officials have indicated that the U.S. will very likely release the five Iranians. This will probably depend on what tone comes out of Tehran in response.

Remember, this is not a hostage exchange. I repeat, this is not a hostage exchange.