The United States and Iran have completed a prisoner exchange, facilitated by Qatar, involving the release of five American prisoners and five Iranian prisoners. The American former detainees arrived in Doha, Qatar, from Tehran and subsequently departed for the United States. Meanwhile, two of the five released Iranians have returned to Iran, while the others have opted to remain in the US or move to a third country.
This exchange was accompanied by the unfreezing of $6 billion in Iranian assets held in South Korea, which triggered the prisoner swap. Iran’s central bank chief, Mohammad Reza Farzin, confirmed the receipt of over 5.5 billion euros ($5.9 billion) in Qatar accounts.
Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi characterized the release of the American detainees as a “purely humanitarian action” and expressed hope that it could pave the way for future humanitarian initiatives. He made these remarks during his visit to New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly.
President Joe Biden welcomed the return of the American citizens, namely Siamak Namazi, Morad Tahbaz, Emad Sharghi, and two individuals who chose to remain anonymous. He expressed gratitude to the governments of Qatar, Oman, Switzerland, and South Korea for their efforts in securing the detainees’ release. However, Biden cautioned against traveling to Iran, emphasizing that the US could not guarantee the freedom of citizens detained in Iran.
The White House announced sanctions on Iran’s former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and its intelligence ministry for their involvement in wrongful detentions. This move underscores the Biden administration’s commitment to holding Iran accountable for its actions.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken downplayed expectations that the prisoner exchange would lead to an immediate breakthrough in efforts to return to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, from which the US withdrew in 2018. While he acknowledged the possibility of future opportunities, he stated that the US was not currently engaged in such negotiations.
The prisoner exchange has garnered mixed reactions, with critics expressing concerns about potential future detentions, while supporters emphasize the importance of bringing home American citizens detained abroad.
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