Newspapers' Reactions to Dollar Exchange for Dual Nationality Prisoners; Conservatives: Victory Without Ransom; Government Critics: Agreement Out of Necessity

Iranian newspapers at the beginning of the week had varied reactions to the agreement between Iran and the United States for the exchange of several dual nationality prisoners in return for access to blocked dollars in South Korea. Conservative newspapers referred to it as a 'victory without ransom,' while government critics deemed it an agreement made 'out of necessity.' The newspaper 'Javan,' affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards, wrote that while nuclear negotiations remain stalled due to American greed, other openings are about to be implemented that could resolve the deadlock in the JCPOA talks. This newspaper described it as a 'great victory for the Islamic Republic,' believing that Washington officials have come to realize they cannot achieve their 'evil' plans in Iran with the help of 'rioters' and have 'inevitably taken the path of diplomacy.' On the other hand, the newspaper 'Ham-Mihan,' close to the Kargozaran Party, took a different approach, discussing the shortcomings and misunderstandings of Iranian policymakers regarding the nature of international relations. This newspaper stated that continuing this trend will certainly lead Iran to face more problems. It argued that just as there were no significant developments in the case of Saudi Arabia and improving relations with them, the $6 billion will not resolve any major issues for the country. The author believes that a country that, according to its oil minister, needs only $240 billion in investment in the oil and gas industry will find that $6 billion does not remedy its problems. The newspaper 'Kayhan' also addressed this issue in its front page, stating that the anger of the 'internal Western-oriented current' and some 'former government officials' over the release of $6 billion of the Iranian people's assets 'without the JCPOA and FATF and without conceding and wasting the country's nuclear achievements' is primarily due to their discursive failure, which is becoming clearer day by day. The newspaper 'Shargh' also commented on this issue, quoting international analyst Saeed Mohammadvand, who stated that 'the internal exigencies of Iran due to the political, social, economic, and livelihood crisis, especially on the eve of parliamentary elections and the approaching anniversary of last year's events, have led Tehran to conclude that it must reach an agreement to overcome internal issues.' The newspaper 'Hamshahri' also addressed this topic in today's issue, stating in an article titled 'Surrender Without the JCPOA' that 'the agreements made, even without the JCPOA and FATF, indicate the achievement of another important outcome in the foreign policy domain by the eleventh government; a topic that some critics had previously emphasized was 'impossible.' However, the newspaper 'Khorasan' reacted to criticisms raised against Iran's behavior, which critics label as 'hostage-taking,' justifying it by stating that 'the spy element, after arrest, is practically a spent pawn and keeping him in prison has no benefit, but he can be valuable in prisoner exchanges like during the war.' This newspaper claimed that this practice has always existed and that Western countries have also engaged in such exchanges multiple times. On Friday, August 11, one day after the news of the transfer of five American prisoners from the Islamic Republic's prisons to a 'safe house' in exchange for the release of $6 billion of blocked Iranian funds in South Korea, the U.S. emphasized that the Islamic Republic would not have unrestricted access to these funds. John Kirby, the National Security Council's Strategic Communications Coordinator, stated that the released Iranian funds would be subject to restrictions and would only be used for 'non-military' purposes such as 'buying food and medicine.' According to Reuters, Kirby specified that the United States would closely monitor how the released Iranian assets, estimated at around $6 billion, are used and would prevent these funds from being spent on 'military purposes.' Some Republicans expressed concern that as the funds are transferred from South Korea to Qatar, the Islamic Republic might indirectly support its 'nuclear program' or 'militia groups' with this money. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized that this agreement does not grant any reduction in sanctions against the Islamic Republic. Previously, Blinken confirmed positive progress in the prisoner exchange agreement and stressed that such diplomatic efforts do not diminish the 'will to counter' the Islamic Republic's 'destabilizing actions' in the region. The Vice President of Raisi's administration stated that until the complete transfer of the $6 billion, the American prisoners will remain in Iran. The lawyers of Shahab Deli and Jamshid Sharmeh stated that hostage-taking should not be accompanied by financial rewards. It is expected to take several weeks for the dual nationality prisoners to reunite with their families. John Kirby stated that the Biden administration is pursuing the release of Iranian-American citizens from Iranian prisons. The claim from the newspaper 'Khorasan' states that the fourth American prisoner in Iran is a woman.