Iran prisoner swap moves forward
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The Big Story
Five Americans released in Iran prisoner swap
The Americans were released Monday in exchange for the Biden administration granting clemency to five Iranians and unlocking $6 billion in frozen Iranian funds.
© AP Photo/Lujain Jo
Five American citizens wrongfully imprisoned and two family members who have been banned from traveling from Iran boarded a Qatari plane en route for Doha early Monday, according to a senior administration official. They will then travel to Washington to reunite with families.
The citizens include Siamak Namazi, Morad Tahbaz, Emad Shargi and two unidentified Americans who have wished to remain private. Additionally, the mother of Namazi and the wife of Tahbaz, both of whom have not been able to leave Iran, were also set to be on the plane.
Five Iranians who were convicted or charged with nonviolent crimes will be freed in the exchange, the official said. Two of the Iranians who do not have legal status in the U.S. will return to Doha.
The U.S is also moving $6 billion of Iranian funds frozen in South Korea to a Qatari bank as part of the deal. The funds will be available for Iran on a limited use and only for humanitarian transactions such as food, medicine and agricultural products.
“These are Iranian funds, payments made by South Korea to Iran for purchases of oil years ago, including during the last administration,” an official said. “These funds will be available only for transactions for humanitarian goods with vetted third party non-Iranian venders.”
If Iran tries to divert the funds or use them for another use other than humanitarian purchases, “we will take action to lock up the funds,” the official added.
The administration has received pushback for the deal, with Republicans expressing “deep concern” about potential threats to national security from the agreement.
“This has been a process that has been going on for a very difficult negotiation really over a period of years,” the official said, adding that some offers during negotiations were “flat out rejected” by the Biden administration.
A new set of sanctions against actors in Iran will also be issued Monday.
Read the full report at TheHill.com.
Welcome to The Hill’s Defense & National Security newsletter, I’m Ellen Mitchell — your guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond.
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On Our Radar
Upcoming things we’re watching on our beat:
President Biden will address the 78th session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York City tomorrow.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley will hold a news conference after the 15th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at Ramstein Air Base tomorrow at 4 a.m. in Ramstein, Germany.
Army Secretary Christine Wormuth and Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George will speak tomorrow at the Association of the U.S. Army’s “Landpower Dialogue” at 10 a.m.
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On Tap Tomorrow
Events in and around the defense world:
The American Enterprise Institute will host a discussion on “The Future of Defense for the U.K. and Its Allies,” with United Kingdom Shadow Defense Secretary John Healey and Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) at 8:30 a.m.
The German Marshall Fund of the U.S. will have a virtual talk on “The Impact of the War in Ukraine on the Political Situation in Belarus: Three Short-Term Scenarios” at 9 a.m.
Brookings Institution will discuss “Homeland security and the current threat environment,” with Kenneth Wainstein, Department of Homeland Security undersecretary for intelligence and analysis, at 10 a.m.
The House Armed Services Committee will hold a hearing on “Defense Cooperation with Taiwan,” with testimony from Ely Ratner, assistant defense secretary for Indo-Pacific security affairs, and other officials, at 10:35 a.m.
The House Administration Committee will have a hearing on “Oversight of U.S. Capitol Security: Assessing Security Failures on January 6, 2021,” at 3 p.m.
What We’re Reading
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Trending Today
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