The five Americans released by Iran returned to the US today, ending their “nightmare” imprisonment, a day after they were exchanged for five Iranians held in the US and $6 billion in Iranian funds were released.

Stepping off the plane, the five Americans were greeted by family and friends with smiles, laughter and obvious emotion, according to airport video.

“The nightmare is finally over,” declared Babak Namazi, wrapping his arm around his brother Siamak who returned home.

The welcome ceremony followed a carefully orchestrated swap, agreed after months of talks brokered by Qatar and activated yesterday when funds held in South Korea were transferred, via Switzerland, to banks in Doha.

After the transfer was confirmed, the five American detainees and their two relatives boarded a Qatari aircraft and departed Tehran, at the same time as two of the five Iranian detainees landed in Doha on their way home. Three Iranians chose not to return to Iran.

The deal removes a point of friction between the US, which calls Tehran a sponsor of terrorism, and Iran, which the US refers to as the “Great Satan”. But it is unclear whether this will bring the two rivals closer together on other issues, such as Iran’s nuclear program and its support for regional paramilitary groups, or the US military presence in the Gulf and US sanctions.

The freed Americans include Shiamak Namazi, 51, and Emad Sharqi, 59, businessmen with dual US and Iranian citizenship, and 67-year-old environmentalist Morad Tahbaz, who also holds British citizenship. The details of the other two were not made public.