President Biden has released frozen Iranian funds in exchange for the release of American hostages.
In addition to the release of the funds, five Iranian prisoners in America were set to be released and deported back to Iran. The Wall Street Journal reports:
Five Americans who had been imprisoned in Iran were on their way to the U.S. on Monday after the Biden administration released billions of dollars in revenue from Iranian energy sales that had been frozen under sanctions, senior U.S. officials said.
The detainees, along with the wife of one and the mother of another, flew to Doha, Qatar, where they were transferred from Iranian to Qatari custody and greeted by U.S. officials, before heading to the Washington, D.C., area.
The Biden Administration claims that the released money will not be used for terrorist activities. However, the Iranian government can simply shift funds previously allocated to domestic concerns towards its security forces. AP News reports:
Iran’s hard-line President Ebrahim Raisi, on hand for the United Nations General Assembly in New York, suggested Monday’s exchange could be “a step in the direction of a humanitarian action between us and America.”
However, tensions are almost certain to remain high between the U.S. and Iran, which are locked in disputes over Tehran’s nuclear program and other matters. Iran says the program is peaceful, but it now enriches uranium closer than ever to weapons-grade levels.
In turn, President Trump challenged President Biden in his hostage release record. Vaunting his own record as having brought 58 hostages home during his term, Trump decried Biden’s apparent poor deal making skills.
https://x.com/TrumpDailyPosts/status/1703798489711624347
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