Republicans on Capitol Hill have criticized the Biden administration's prisoner swap with Iran that resulted in the return of every American legally considered wrongfully detained from Tehran.
On Monday, five Americans who had been imprisoned in Iran left the country and will return to the United States in the coming days. Two relatives of the five who had been barred from leaving the country are leaving with them. In exchange, President Joe Biden granted clemency to five Iranians charged with crimes in the U.S., two of whom had been convicted and sentenced, and the U.S. gave Iran additional access to roughly $6 billion of their own money that had been frozen overseas.
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"We have received confirmation that the 5 freed Americans and 2 American family members are wheels up in Tehran and en route to Doha," a senior administration official said on Monday morning.
Siamak Namazi, Emad Shargi, and Morad Tahbaz had been imprisoned for at least five years, while two other Americans who want to remain anonymous are on their way home. Namazi was detained in 2015 and later sentenced to 10 years in prison on charges of having "relations with a hostile state," Shargi was detained in 2018 and also sentenced to a decade in prison in 2021 on unsubstantiated espionage charges, and Morad Tahbaz was arrested in January 2018 during a crackdown on environmental activists and was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Biden administration officials have downplayed the possibility of Tehran using the money for nefarious purposes, which will still be under restrictions and only available for a limited number of humanitarian transactions. The funds represent money South Korea owed Iran, but hadn't paid, for oil purchased before the U.S. imposed sanctions on such transactions in 2019, and that money will be transferred to Qatar.
"The Biden admin says that Iran will use ransom payments for humanitarian purposes only," Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), the ranking member on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said last week. "But Iran is clear that it has other plans. Iran has used sanctions relief to fund terrorism before. It is disgraceful and dangerous that Biden's Iran team never learns."
President Joe Biden hailed the return of the seven civilians but did not address the release of the $6 billion. He also called for Tehran to "give a full account of what happened to Bob Levinson, a former U.S. federal agent who disappeared in 2007 and is presumed to have died in the custody of the Iranian government.
Similarly, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) told the Washington Examiner he's "immensely relieved that the five Americans held hostage by Iran are finally reunited with their families and on their way home. I wish them peace, strength, and health as they rebuild their lives in freedom," but warned that he's "very concerned that this $6 billion hostage deal incentivizes future hostage-taking."
"Even though the Administration claims these funds are limited to humanitarian transactions, we all know that transactions are difficult to monitor and that money is fungible. There is no question this deal will free up funds for Iran’s malign activities," he added. "Iran has not changed its ways, and very importantly, has not provided a full account of the fate of U.S. hostage Robert Levinson, who is presumed to have died in Iranian custody. U.S. citizens should not travel to Iran; the risks are far too great, and the potential consequences are catastrophic. We need swift, significant action to restore deterrence against Iran’s hostage-taking and malign activities.”
National Security Council coordinator John Kirby said Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi was "wrong" when the Iranian leader claimed that they will use the money "wherever we need it."
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Sen. John Thune (R-SD) said on Facebook, "The U.S. should be unrelenting in its efforts to bring detained Americans home, but Iran will now count pallets of ransom money, putting its leaders in a better position to develop a nuclear weapon and fund terrorists. And the price to release U.S. hostages will only go up."
Republicans were also critical of the deal Biden agreed to with Russia to secure the release of WNBA superstar Brittney Griner, who had been arrested on drug charges. The U.S. gave up notorious arms dealer Viktor Bout in the deal, and left Americans Paul Whelan and Marc Fogel behind.