The United States and Iran have struggled to maintain open communications between their political leaders for as far back as the 1970s.
On November 4, 1979, Iranian militants stormed the United States Embassy in Tehran and took Americans captive.
Historically it has come to be known as the Iranian hostage crisis.
Following Ronald Reagan’s victory over Jimmy Carter in the 1980 presidential election, negotiations took place until 1981 when the 52 American hostages were finally released on January 20th.
Fast forward to 2023, even though US foreign policy has included not negotiating for the release of hostages with terrorists, on Monday the Biden administration announced that had reached a deal between the United States and Iran.
It includes exchanging five American citizens held in Iran for five Iranians currently held in the US. They will be returned to their prospective homelands.
But in what has conservatives riled up, the Biden administration is also acquiescing to the Islamic terrorist nation’s demand that the US coordinate the release of $6 billion in Iranian funds that has been frozen for decades.
The transfer of the $6 billion was the critical element in the prisoner release deal, which saw four of the five American detainees transferred from Iranian jails into house arrest last month. The fifth detainee had already been under house arrest.
According to the Associated Press, Secretary of State Antony Blinken approved the financial aspect of the deal last week, but it was only on Monday that Congress was informed.
Monday marked the first time the prisoner swap was mentioned. The United States will be receiving Siamak Namazi, Emad Sharghi, and Morad Tahbaz, as well as two others whose identities have not been released.
“To facilitate their release,” Blinken explained, “the United States has committed to release five Iranian nationals currently held in the United States and to permit the transfer of approximately $6 billion in restricted Iranian funds held in (South Korea) to restricted accounts in Qatar, where the funds will be available only for humanitarian trade.”
The US currently imposes sanctions on foreign banks, barring them from facilitating transactions that are seen as beneficial to Iran. Under the terms of the deal, those sanctions would be waived.
On X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa said “it’s ridiculous for US to be blackmailed into paying $6B for hostages which will help indirectly finance the number 1 foreign policy of Iran: terrorism.”
It’s ridiculous for US to be blackmailed into paying $6B for hostages which will help indirectly finance the number 1 foreign policy of Iran: terrorism Last time it was $1.7B traded for hostages next time it will probably be $10B the price keeps going up & up
— Chuck Grassley (@ChuckGrassley) September 11, 2023
Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas accused Biden of “paying ransom to the world’s worst state sponsor of terrorism.”
President Trump also blasted Biden’s decision on Truth Social.
“Can you believe that Crooked Joe Biden is giving $6 Billion to the terrorist regime in Iran? That money be used for terrorism all over the Middle East, and, indeed, the World.”
“This incompetent FOOL is absolutely destroying America. He had the audacity to announce this terrible deal today, September 11th. To pay for hostages will lead to kidnapping, ransom, and blackmail against Americans across the globe. I freed many dozens of our people from various unfriendly countries and never paid a dime!”
Ella Ford