Iran Releases Five Iranian-American Prisoners to House Arrest

Contributing sentiments towards policy:

56% : "It's good news that American hostages, illegally seized by the regime in Iran, are coming home.
54% : In 2015 and early 2016, the Obama administration negotiated a similar scheme alongside the nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, sending Iran $400 million -- the first installment of a $1.7 billion payment -- as Tehran released four Americans.
50% : A lawyer for Namazi said Iran transferred the three named prisoners and one other to a hotel in Tehran, where they will remain for several weeks before they can board a plane to Qatar, which helped broker the agreement.
46% : This is how we can solve our economic problems." "U.S., Iran May Be Negotiating Payoff for American Hostages," FDD Flash Brief
43% : Should this be the opening salvo of a lesser or unwritten political arrangement with Iran over its nuclear program, Washington will have truly, to borrow a phrase, learned nothing and forgotten nothing about how to conduct diplomacy with Tehran."
43% : "We'll take 1,000 Americans hostage," Mohsen Rezaei, a former vice president of Iran for economic affairs who has held multiple senior positions in the regime, said in 2021.
42% : -- Richard Goldberg, FDD Senior Advisor "A prisoner swap deal with Tehran and Washington is emerging.
40% : At more than $1 billion per hostage, Iran, Russia, and China will be more likely to take Americans hostage, not less."
40% : Iran deliberately seeks hostages as a form of economic pressure against the West.
39% : The United States and Iran reached a deal on August 10 for Tehran's release of five Iranian-American dual nationals to house arrest in exchange for Washington's release of several jailed Iranians and the unfreezing of about $6 billion in Iranian oil revenue.
39% : -- Behnam Ben Taleblu, FDD Senior Fellow The latest prisoner release is not the first time Iran has demanded ransom payments in exchange for releasing hostages.
38% : Tehran released the fifth prisoner to house arrest earlier.
17% : The prisoners Iran freed include Siamak Namazi, Emad Sharghi, and Morad Tahbaz -- all of whom Tehran incarcerated on spurious espionage charges -- as well as two unnamed detainees.

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