Joe Biden Welcomes Release of Five American Citizens; Warns Americans: Do Not Travel to Iran

On Monday, September 18, U.S. President Joe Biden welcomed the release of five dual-national prisoners and urged American citizens not to travel to Iran. In his statement, he mentioned Siamak Namazi, Morad Tahbaz, and Emad Sharqi, along with two other citizens whose names have not been disclosed, stating they would soon reunite with their loved ones after enduring years of suffering, uncertainty, and pain. Biden specifically thanked Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad, the Emir of Qatar, and Haitham bin Tariq, the Sultan of Oman, for their assistance in facilitating this agreement through months of difficult and principled American diplomacy, as well as South Korea. He continued by emphasizing the need for accountability from the Islamic Republic regarding 'those who did not return today,' referencing Bob Levinson, and announced sanctions against Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the Ministry of Intelligence under the Levinson Act due to their involvement in these detentions, asserting that he would continue to impose costs on the Islamic Republic for their 'provocative actions' in the region. Biden reiterated the serious dangers of traveling to Iran, advising all American passport holders not to go there. He referenced the State Department's travel warning concerning the risks of 'kidnapping and arbitrary detention of American citizens' in Iran, urging all Americans to heed these warnings and not to expect their freedom to be guaranteed if they ignore them. The U.S. President concluded by noting that the return of American citizens from countries such as Russia, Afghanistan, Venezuela, and others has been a priority for his administration since day one, and he will continue efforts to bring all of them back. Meanwhile, Nasser Kanaani, spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, announced in his press conference today that the prisoner exchange between Iran and the U.S. would take place today. This Iranian official also reported that 'the released Iranian assets in South Korea' would be 'available to the government and people' today. Reuters reported on Monday that Qatar had informed Washington and Tehran that Iran's funds worth $6 billion had been transferred to banks in Doha. Mohammad Reza Farzin, the head of the Central Bank of Iran, announced at a press conference today that €5.573 billion had been deposited into accounts of six Iranian banks at Al Ahli and Al Dukhan banks in Qatar. This Iranian official listed the banks that opened accounts in Qatar as Agricultural Bank, Saman, Pasargad, Tourism, Kaarafarin, and Shahr. The head of the Central Bank of Iran also stated that 'all payments will be made by international brokers via SWIFT.' Five Iranian-American citizens had been moved from prison to a location outside of prison since August 10, following the announcement of an agreement between the U.S. and the Islamic Republic. This agreement also included the transfer of $6 billion of Iran's frozen funds in South Korea to Qatar and the release of five Iranians who had been 'convicted or accused' in the U.S. According to the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, two of these Iranians 'will return to Iran based on their own interest and desire, one will join his family in a third country, and two others wish to remain in the U.S.' Iranian officials had previously described the prisoner exchange between the U.S. and Iran as a 'humanitarian' issue and denied that the exchange of prisoners was in return for receiving blocked funds. On August 10, Iran transferred four dual-national prisoners from Evin Prison to another controlled location, reportedly in a hotel in Tehran. The fifth had previously been placed under house arrest. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated on the same day that this action was the first step in a process that would lead to the return of these five individuals to the U.S. Siamak Namazi, 51, and Emad Sharqi, 59, both businessmen, and Morad Tahbaz, 67, an environmental activist, are three of the five dual nationals released. The identities of the fourth and fifth individuals have not been disclosed, but it is said that one of them is a woman. On the other hand, the Iranians released in the U.S. had committed serious crimes such as circumventing U.S. sanctions against Iran. Voice of America previously reported the names of these individuals as Amin Hassan Zadeh, Mehrdad Ansari, Kambiz Attar Kashani, Reza Sarhangpour Kafrani, and Kaveh Lotfollah Afrasiabi.