USA: Released Iranian Funds Can Only Be Used for Non-Sanctioned Items; Users: 'It's Shameful'

The news of the release of six billion dollars of Iran's blocked funds in South Korea in exchange for the freedom of five Iranian-American prisoners in Iran has sparked various reactions among social media users. While U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that Iran can only use the released funds for humanitarian purposes, some users have compared this exchange to Saddam's 'Oil for Food' program, deeming it humiliating. Mostafa Faghihi, a journalist and owner of the news site 'Entekhab', described the recent diplomacy of Ebrahim Raisi's government as 'begging diplomacy' and 'hanging diplomacy', stating: 'truly, a hundred blessings to Saddam's Oil for Food program.' Abdolnaser Hemmati, former head of the Central Bank, accused Ebrahim Raisi's government of returning to square one after 'three years of imposed costs.' A user named Seyed Sadegh Hosseini referred to the repeated news of the release of Iran's blocked funds in South Korea over the past months, calling 'Oil for Food' shameful. Maryam Jamshidi, a sociologist and university professor, attributed the one billion dollar loss and the conversion of seven billion dollars of Iran's money to six billion dollars in South Korea to the 'inept government's' delay. Although Abbas Abdi, a social researcher and media activist, emphasized the Iranian nationality of the five prisoners, he pointed out the psychological and political repercussions of such a 'damaging' deal. Observers of Iranian affairs say that the Islamic Republic aims to use the detention of citizens from other countries, especially dual nationals, as leverage in its negotiations with other countries, effectively taking them hostage with false accusations. Meanwhile, Antony Blinken reiterated on Thursday that the Islamic Republic would receive no 'relief from sanctions' in exchange for the release of the five dual-national prisoners. The widespread reaction to the agreement between the U.S. and the Islamic Republic for the release of hostages has been noted in global media, with users reacting to the potential release of dual-national hostages, describing it as the Islamic Republic's policy of piracy. Shahin Modarres stated that the Islamic Republic uses the ransom money for repression programs. The European Union has expressed its support for the change in the status of Iranian-American prisoners.