Five Americans who were detained in Iran, some for nearly a decade, have been released and are on their way home. The Biden administration brokered a deal with Iran that involved unfreezing $6 billion in Iranian oil money. As part of the prisoner swap, Iran and the US agreed to release five prisoners each, including British-American citizen Morad Tahbaz.
The prisoners were taken from hotels in Tehran to a plane bound for Qatar, where they will undergo further travel before eventually arriving in Washington. Qatar has been acting as the mediator for the deal and facilitated the electronic transfer of the Iranian cash to bank accounts in Qatar and Switzerland.
There has been controversy surrounding the prisoner swap. Republican senators in the US and some former Iranian political detainees have criticized President Biden, arguing that the deal will encourage Iran to continue using hostage-taking as a diplomatic tactic. However, the US state department states that the money being released is oil money owed to Iran, which was frozen by the Trump administration in 2018 when the US withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal.
In a separate legal matter, Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, has filed a lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The lawsuit alleges that two IRS agents illegally released Hunter Biden’s personal information during the investigation into his business dealings. Biden is seeking damages and the release of all documents related to the case.
Hunter Biden has been embroiled in various controversies over the years, including his overseas dealings and struggles with addiction. The recent indictment against him on gun charges further adds to the scrutiny surrounding his actions. However, President Biden has publicly stated his support for his son.
Sources:
– The Guardian: Patrick Wintour
– Reuters