Live Blog: Freed Americans from Iran Arrive in Washington; Blinken: Our Deep Issue is with the Regime, Not the People of Iran

The released hostages arrived in the United States on Tuesday morning, Washington time, and were welcomed by their families. On Monday, during a prisoner exchange agreement between Iran and the United States, American citizens imprisoned in Iran arrived in Qatar to head home to the U.S. In this live blog, follow the latest news regarding this exchange. President Joe Biden welcomed the release of five American citizens, warning Americans: Do not travel to Iran. The plane carrying the freed Americans left Qatar for the U.S. The U.S. imposed sanctions on Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in connection with the 'detention of American citizens.' Reactions to the release of five Iranian-American hostages; prisoner exchanges can happen 'without money' as well. The world's media's perspective on the exit of American hostages from Iran. The dual nationals freed from the Islamic Republic's captivity arrived in the U.S. capital early Tuesday local time. The return home and reunion with family after several years created emotional scenes at the airport. Jake Sullivan, the White House National Security Advisor, shared a photo of the freed American citizens on social media, welcoming their return from Iran to 'home' along with 'a group of top diplomats' from the U.S. The dual nationals who were freed from the Islamic Republic's prison left Doha, Qatar, for Washington on Monday night and arrived in the U.S. capital on Tuesday morning local time. President Ebrahim Raisi reiterated that the prisoner exchange was a 'humanitarian act.' While the American hostages were able to leave Iran after the confirmation of the transfer of six billion dollars from South Korea to Qatar, Raisi referred to this prisoner exchange as a 'humanitarian act' in a meeting with some American media on Monday night. This statement comes as the release of five American citizens imprisoned in Iran was conditional on the transfer of Iran's blocked funds from South Korea to Qatar. There is ambiguity regarding the status of three 'Iranians eligible for pardon' under the Iran-U.S. agreement. As the prisoner exchange between Washington and Tehran was executed, Voice of America learned that among the three prisoners who were supposed to be released under the Iran-U.S. agreement, one is still in prison, one has lost their residency, and the third has been pardoned. The Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee welcomed the return of the five Americans to their families. Lindsey Graham expressed happiness over the release of the hostages but stated that this deal would be a long-term nightmare for U.S. national security. A debate on the dual national prisoner exchange; is it beneficial for the U.S. or the Islamic Republic?