Iranian Officials Insist Again; Raisi: The Prisoner Exchange Was a 'Humanitarian Action'

While American hostages in Iran were able to leave the country following the confirmation of the transfer of six billion dollars from South Korea to Qatar, Ibrahim Raisi once again referred to this prisoner exchange as a 'humanitarian action.' Raisi made this statement during a meeting with some American media on Monday night regarding the prisoner exchange between Iran and the United States. The reiteration of this topic by the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, who is currently in New York, comes as the release of five American citizens imprisoned in Iran was conditional upon the transfer of blocked Iranian funds from South Korea to Qatar, according to an agreement reached between the two parties that was implemented the previous day. According to this agreement, the transfer of the American hostages to the airport was not permitted until a letter confirming the Islamic Republic's access to the transferred amount to the accounts of six Iranian banks in Qatar reached the Central Bank of the Islamic Republic. However, since the announcement of this agreement, Iranian officials have denied 'any connection' between the release of the hostages and the release of part of the blocked foreign resources. On Monday, following the news of the confirmation of the transfer of six billion dollars of the Islamic Republic's blocked funds in South Korea to Iranian banks in Qatar, five Iranian-American citizens along with two family members were transferred from Tehran to Doha, Qatar. Following this prisoner exchange, five Iranians 'convicted or accused' in the U.S. were also released, two of whom returned to Iran, while three others refused to return. Additionally, there is ambiguity regarding the status of three 'Iranians granted clemency' under the Iran-U.S. agreement.