On September 18, 2023, Iran released five American citizens who were imprisoned in Iran.
The release was part of a prisoner exchange deal between the United States and Iran, which also saw the release of several Iranians who were jailed in the US.
The prisoners were flown out of Iran and landed in Doha, Qatar where they were officially handed over to the U.S. government.
The deal was mediated by Qatar and also involved the transfer of nearly $6 billion in Iranian oil money that was frozen in foreign banks due to US sanctions.
The release of the American prisoners was a significant development in the relationship between the US and Iran, signaling a partial thaw in the icy relations between the two countries.
Who are the 5 Americans released from Iran?
The five Americans who were released from Iran as part of a prisoner exchange deal were Siamak Namazi, Emad Shargi, Morad Tahbaz and two other unnamed individuals.
Namazi, Shargi and Tahbaz had all been sentenced to 10 years in prison on unsubstantiated charges, according to CNN.
The US government welcomed the release of the five American citizens from Iran and expressed gratitude to the Swiss government, which represents US interests in Iran, for its assistance in the negotiations.
President Joe Biden issued a statement thanking the Swiss government, the Qatari government, and the Iranian government for their roles in the release of the prisoners.
Biden also stated that the US would continue to work to secure the release of other Americans who are unjustly detained around the world.
The US government did not comment on the details of the prisoner exchange deal, which reportedly involved the transfer of nearly $6 billion in Iranian oil money that was frozen in foreign banks due to US sanctions.
Five Americans released from detention in Iran on their way home pic.twitter.com/Z4cUpwcfPa
— Ben LaBolt (@WHCommsDir) September 18, 2023
Iran and United States relationship
The relationship between the United States and Iran has been strained for several decades, with periods of both cooperation and conflict.
The roots of this relationship can be traced back to the 1950s, when the United States supported a coup that overthrew Iran’s democratically elected prime minister, Mohammad Mossadegh, and installed a pro-Western monarchy under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
The relationship between the two countries deteriorated further in 1979, when Iranian revolutionaries overthrew the Shah and established an Islamic republic.
The new government was deeply critical of the United States, which it saw as a symbol of Western imperialism and a supporter of the Shah’s regime.
In response, the United States severed diplomatic ties with Iran and imposed economic sanctions.
Tensions between the two countries reached a peak in 2018, when the United States withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
The JCPOA was a landmark agreement between Iran and six world powers, including the United States, that aimed to limit Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions.
The U.S. withdrawal from the deal and the subsequent reimposition of sanctions has led to a further deterioration in relations between the two countries.
Despite these tensions, there have been occasional signs of cooperation between the United States and Iran.
For example, the two countries worked together to combat ISIS in Iraq, and there have been occasional diplomatic contacts between the two governments.
However, these efforts have been limited and have not led to any significant improvement in the overall relationship.
In summary, the relationship between the United States and Iran has been marked by a long history of conflict and mistrust, with occasional periods of cooperation.
The two countries have been at odds over a range of issues, including Iran’s nuclear program, its support for militant groups in the Middle East, and its human rights record.
While there have been some efforts to improve relations, the overall trajectory of the relationship has been negative in recent years.