The Biden administration has authorized the release of five American citizens held in Iran. This decision is part of a larger accord that also involves the release of five Iranian individuals detained in the United States. The accord permits the transfer of $6 billion in blocked Iranian assets from South Korea to Qatar, with foreign banks granted a waiver to execute the transaction without risk of US penalties.
While Secretary of State Antony Blinken authorized the agreement, Congress was not notified until later. Republicans and others are expected to criticize this action, claiming that it would offer a huge financial boost to the Iranian economy, perhaps benefitting the Iranian dictatorship.
Critics of the agreement also worry that it sends a dangerous message to Iran by basically pricing each U.S. citizen held hostage by Iran at about $1.2 billion in return for Iranian people jailed in the United States. Furthermore, some senators have expressed concerns that the pact may violate the Iran Nuclear pact Review Act of 2015, since it seems to be tied to both a prisoner swap and a nuclear accord with Iran.
The agreement is likely to spark discussion and scrutiny in Congress and among policymakers.