In a significant diplomatic development, five American detainees were flown out of Iran on Monday in exchange for five Iranians held in the U.S. This rare deal, brokered by Qatar, also saw the unfreezing of $6 billion of Tehran's funds.
A Qatari plane departed from Tehran carrying the five Americans, accompanied by two of their relatives, shortly after confirmation that the funds had been transferred to accounts in Doha.
Iran's Press TV reported that two of the five Iranians to be released had landed in Doha, although there was no independent confirmation. Iranian officials had previously stated that three of the released Iranians would not return to Iran.
The release of the funds marked the culmination of months of negotiations between the United States and Iran, despite their ongoing disputes over Tehran's nuclear ambitions and other contentious issues. The five American detainees, who hold dual nationality, are expected to fly to Doha before returning to the U.S. An Iranian official assured that they were in good health.
Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Nasser Kanaani, revealed that two of the released Iranians would return to Iran, two would remain in the U.S. by choice, and one detainee would reunite with family in a third country. Kanaani emphasized that the funds, previously blocked in South Korea due to U.S. sanctions on Iran, would become available to Tehran on Monday.
Under the terms of the agreement, Qatar will oversee that the money is spent on humanitarian goods, avoiding items subject to U.S. sanctions.
This deal has the potential to ease tensions between the U.S., which designates Iran as a state sponsor of terrorism, and Iran, which refers to the U.S. as the "Great Satan."
However, both nations remain deeply divided on various fronts, including Iran's nuclear program, its regional influence, U.S. sanctions, and the American military presence in the Gulf.
Qatar, a wealthy Gulf Arab energy producer, has played a pivotal role in facilitating this exchange and has actively engaged in global diplomacy, hosting events such as the recent soccer World Cup. Qatar has both a significant U.S. military base and close ties with Iran.
Doha hosted multiple rounds of talks between Iranian and U.S. negotiators, who operated separately but engaged in shuttle diplomacy.
Critics from the U.S. Republican party have voiced concerns, arguing that President Joe Biden is effectively paying a ransom for the release of American citizens. In contrast, the White House has defended the deal.
Among the released U.S. dual citizens are Siamak Namazi, Emad Sharqi, Morad Tahbaz, and two individuals whose identities have not been disclosed. Iran has named the five Iranians released by the U.S. as Mehrdad Moin-Ansari, Kambiz Attar-Kashani, Reza Sarhangpour-Kafrani, Amin Hassanzadeh, and Kaveh Afrasiabi, with Afrasiabi choosing to remain in the United States.
This development comes after years of strained relations between Washington and Tehran, dating back to the withdrawal of the U.S. from the Iran nuclear deal in 2018 during Donald Trump's presidency. Renewing a nuclear agreement has proven challenging, with President Biden navigating these issues as he prepares for the 2024 U.S. election.
As an initial step in the exchange, Washington waived sanctions to facilitate the transfer of $6 billion in Iranian funds from South Korea to Qatar. These funds had been blocked due to sweeping financial sanctions imposed by the U.S. on Iran.