The $6 Billion Dollar Men: Donald Trump leads outrage at Joe Biden's cash-and-prisoner-swap deal with Iran
WASHINGTON, DC: Former President Donald Trump lashed out at his successor President Joe Biden after the US government announced on Monday, September 11, 2023, that it had secured the release of five American citizens held hostage in Iran in exchange for the unfreezing of $6 billion held in South Korean banks.
The timing of this announcement, coinciding with the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, further intensified the political debate surrounding this deal.
The five US hostages at the center of this exchange include Siamak Namazi, 51, and Emad Shargi, 58, both businessmen; Morad Tahbaz, 67, an environmentalist; and two anonymous individuals.
They are set to regain their freedom once the $6 billion is transferred from South Korea to an intermediary, Qatar, and subsequently to Iran. In return, five Iranian citizens who were being held in the US will also be released.
This arrangement has been in the works for months and was widely anticipated. However, it has triggered a strong reaction from Republican critics, with former President Trump leading the backlash.
Donald Trump slams Iran prisoner-swap deal
Donald Trump voiced concerns that the unfrozen funds could be used to support terrorism, and criticized President Biden, calling him an "incompetent fool" for agreeing to the deal.
In a statement on the social media platform Truth Social, Trump said, "Can you believe that Crooked Joe Biden is giving $6 Billion to the terrorist regime in Iran? That money [will] be used for terrorism all over the Middle East, and, indeed, the World. This incompetent FOOL is absolutely destroying America."
The former president also expressed dismay over the timing of the announcement, stating, "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!"
Who are the American hostages held by Iran?
Among the American hostages, three have been publicly identified, while the identities of the other two remain undisclosed.
Siamak Namazi
Siamak Namazi, an energy executive, was arrested in 2015. His advocacy for closer relations between Iran and the West caught the Iranian authorities' attention.
Iran subsequently sentenced both Siamak Namazi and his father Baquer Namazi to 10 years in the notorious Evin Prison. These charges were widely contested by the US and the UN, who deemed them to be trumped-up accusations.
In 2018, Baquer Namazi was placed under house arrest for medical reasons. Despite his family's pleas for him to travel abroad to receive emergency heart surgery after multiple hospitalizations, Iranian authorities prevented his departure. Eventually, in October 2022, he managed to leave Iran.
Siamak Namazi's imprisonment is notable as he holds the unfortunate distinction of being the longest-held Iranian-American detainee in Tehran.
In June 2022, during indirect talks between American and Iranian nuclear negotiators in Doha, Qatar, he made a direct appeal to President Joe Biden through an essay published in The New York Times, urging the President to intervene and bring an end to what he described as a "nightmare".
Emad Sharghi
Iranian-American businessman Emad Sharghi faced a web of espionage charges that came to light in early 2021 when an Iranian court declared that the venture capitalist had been sentenced in absentia to a 10-year prison term.
However, his family asserted that Iran had cleared him of spying allegations in December 2019 after subjecting him to months of imprisonment and interrogation.
Iran's version of events differs, as they claim that security forces apprehended Sharghi on the country's northwestern border as he attempted to flee Iran while on bail.
Morad Tahbaz
Morad Tahbaz, a British-American conservationist of Iranian heritage, was meant to be released from prison on furlough as part of a broader agreement between Iran and the UK aimed at resolving a longstanding debt dispute.
This arrangement led to the release of two prominent detainees, charity worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and retired civil engineer Anoosheh Ashoori, who returned home to London.
However, Tahbaz's situation took a different turn as he remained confined in Iran. Disturbing reports emerged, suggesting that he was sent back to prison despite the promise of furlough.
Tahbaz's initial imprisonment stemmed from his association with environmental activists, as he was caught up in a broader crackdown on this group while visiting Iran in January 2018. Consequently, he received a 10-year prison sentence.
Concerns about Iran's growing threat
Secretary of State Antony Blinken approved the deal last week, but Congress was only informed of the decision on Monday, which coincided with the nation's commemoration of the 9/11 attacks. This timing added another layer of controversy to an already contentious exchange.
One key aspect of the deal involves a waiver that allows banks to process the transaction without violating sanctions. This move is expected to provide a boost to the Iranian economy, even as concerns grow about Iran's increasing threat to US troops and Middle Eastern allies.
The funds, held by Qatar's central bank, are intended for Iran to purchase humanitarian goods, and this arrangement aims to address the reservations of European countries regarding US sanctions on banks involved in transactions benefiting Iran, as per the Associated Press.