Five Americans freed in prisoner swap with Iran land in Qatar

Contributing sentiments towards policy:

67% : the political prisoners, and indeed, the entire populace of Iran, where the indomitable courage of women leaves us in awe, deserve their liberty,” he added.
61% : The new sanctions coincided with the first anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini, a young Kurdish woman who died in police custody and whose death triggered a wave of anti-regime protests.
60% : Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, however, told NBC News' Lester Holt in an exclusive interview that Tehran will decide how to spend the $6 billion.
51% : A spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry said Monday that of the five Iranians released as part of the swap, two planned to return to Iran, one was headed to a third country and two others intended to remain in the U.S., where they have legal residence.
47% : Jamshid Sharmahd, a software developer living in California, was kidnapped in 2020 during a stopover in the United Arab Emirates and taken to Iran, according to his family.
47% : But his family says he merely advocated for democracy in Iran.
46% : Days before the Americans were released, Republican lawmakers in Washington blasted the deal, saying it amounted to a “ransom” payment and will only encourage Iran to imprison more foreigners. 
45% : His father, Baquer Namazi, was arrested in 2016 when he traveled to Iran to visit his son.
45% : Darian Dalili speaks with a woman outside the White House as he calls for the release of his father, Shahab Dalili, on Aug. 14.Andrew Caballero-Reynolds / AFP via Getty Images fileThe prisoner exchange did not include two U.S. legal permanent residents with green cards who remained behind bars in Tehran.
44% : Courtesy Babak NamaziOne of the Americans, Siamak Namazi, 51, had been imprisoned in Iran for almost eight years — longer than any of the other current American detainees.
44% : The official also defended the terms of the deal, saying that the funds unblocked by the U.S. “are not taxpayer dollars” but Iranian oil revenues that Tehran would only be permitted to use for medicine, food or other humanitarian purchases. 
43% : After his release, Namazi issued a statement through his lawyer thanking all those who did not allow “the world to forget about me,” but said his elation was tinged with sadness for those who remain behind bars in Iran. 
43% : Human rights groups say Iran has been engaged in hostage-taking for decades, using foreign prisoners as a tool to exert leverage over other governments. 
43% : “Importantly, this deal does not change our relationship with Iran in any way.
42% : And he urged the president to lead an international effort to impose severe costs on Iran and other states that engage in hostage taking.
41% : One of them, Shahab Dalili, was arrested and imprisoned in 2016 while visiting Tehran for his father’s funeral, according to his family.
41% : “To be blunt, no American should travel to Iran for any reason,” the official said.
39% : The senior administration official said that the prisoner exchange would not fundamentally alter America’s tense relations with Iran.
38% : Iran denies the accusation and says all prisoners are treated in accordance with the country’s laws.
36% : Iran is an adversary and a state sponsor of terrorism.
31% : U.S. officials have warned that Washington is prepared to freeze the funds again if Iran violates U.S. sanctions.
28% : DOHA, Qatar — Five Americans wrongfully imprisoned in Iran for years were released Monday as part of a prisoner exchange agreement that gives Tehran access to $6 billion in oil revenues frozen under U.S. sanctions, according to a senior diplomat in the region with knowledge of the exchange.
24% : ”U.S. officials said they had no confidence that Iran would stop detaining Americans or other foreigners, and that was why they were issuing stark warnings against any travel to Iran.
3% : A similar 2015 arrangement during the Obama administration, in which Iran was given access to blocked funds at the same time Americans held in Iran were freed, also had come under fierce criticism then from Republicans as a capitulation to Tehran. 

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