On Tuesday, a plane carrying five American prisoners who were freed by Iran landed in the United States. This comes after a successful swap deal between the two countries, involving the release of five Iranians held in the US and the unfreezing of $6 billion in Iranian funds. The exchange, made possible through months of Qatar-mediated negotiations, marks a significant step towards easing tensions between the two nations.
The carefully planned exchange began when the funds, which had been blocked in South Korea, were wired to banks in Doha via Switzerland. Upon confirmation of the transfer, the five US prisoners and two of their relatives boarded a Qatari plane in Tehran, while two of the five Iranian detainees landed in Doha on their way back to Iran. Three Iranians chose not to return to their home country.
This deal serves to alleviate one of the points of contention between the United States, which considers Iran a sponsor of terrorism, and Iran, which refers to the United States as the “Great Satan”. However, it remains uncertain whether this exchange will lead to progress on other contentious issues, such as Iran’s nuclear program, its support for regional militias, US military presence in the Gulf, and US sanctions.
Among the Americans who were freed are Siamak Namazi, 51, and Emad Sharqi, 59, both US-Iranian dual citizens and businessmen, as well as Morad Tahbaz, 67, an environmentalist who also holds British nationality. The identities of the other two prisoners have not been made public. US President Joe Biden welcomed the released prisoners home but also announced the imposition of fresh US sanctions. He stated, “We will continue to impose costs on Iran for their provocative actions in the region.”
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who was in New York for the annual UN General Assembly, described the swap as a humanitarian action and expressed hope for future humanitarian initiatives. “It can certainly be a step based upon which, in the future, other humanitarian actions can be taken,” he said.
Relations between the United States and Iran have remained strained, particularly since 2018 when then-President Donald Trump withdrew from a nuclear deal aimed at restraining Tehran’s nuclear ambitions and imposed stricter sanctions. While US Secretary of State Antony Blinken did not rule out the possibility of nuclear diplomacy, he hinted that no immediate progress should be expected.
Most US analysts remain skeptical about the prospects for significant advancements. Henry Rome of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy stated, “The prisoner swap does likely pave the way for additional diplomacy around the nuclear program this fall, although the prospect for actually reaching a deal is very remote.”
By releasing the American prisoners and unfreezing Iranian funds, both nations have taken a step towards de-escalating tensions. However, the full resolution of their differences, including those relating to Iran’s nuclear program, remains uncertain at this point.