Five American citizens who had been detained in Iran were released on Monday and are on their way back to the United States. They initially stopped in Doha, Qatar, as part of their journey home, according to information provided by a US official and a source familiar with the situation.
These individuals, who had been designated as wrongfully detained, were released as part of a broader agreement that also involved the US unfreezing $6 billion in Iranian funds. The release of these Americans marks the end of a harrowing ordeal for those who had been detained. Among the individuals included in this deal are Emad Shargi, Morad Tahbaz, and Siamak Namazi, all of whom had spent more than five years in Iranian captivity. Siamak Namazi, in particular, had been detained since 2015. The identities of the other two Americans have not been publicly disclosed.
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Notably, Siamak Namazi's mother, Effie Namazi, and Morad Tahbaz's wife, Vida Tahbaz, who were previously unable to leave Iran, were also on the flight from Iran to Doha, according to a senior Biden administration official.
The group was transported out of Tehran aboard a Qatari government jet bound for Doha on Monday afternoon local time. From Doha, they are set to travel to the Washington, DC, area, where they will be reunited with their families, as confirmed by the senior administration official.
President Joe Biden celebrated the release of these five Americans in a statement, acknowledging the years of hardship they endured. He stated, "Today, five innocent Americans who were imprisoned in Iran are finally coming home," expressing relief at their freedom.
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This release represents a significant diplomatic achievement following years of intricate indirect negotiations between the United States and Iran, despite the absence of formal diplomatic ties between the two nations. A senior Biden administration official emphasized that this deal does not alter the US relationship with Iran, as the US will continue to hold Iran accountable for human rights violations and work to constrain its nuclear program.
In his statement, President Biden expressed gratitude to "partners at home and abroad for their tireless efforts to help us achieve this outcome, including the Governments of Qatar, Oman, Switzerland, and South Korea."
While the release of these Americans was a momentous occasion, it has also garnered criticism from some Republicans, who likened it to a "ransom payment." Nonetheless, the Biden administration views this as another successful effort to secure the release of Americans wrongfully detained abroad, following similar deals with Russia and Venezuela.
The return of these Americans to the United States marks the end of a long and challenging chapter in their lives and offers a glimmer of hope in the complex landscape of US-Iran relations.
