IRAN HOSTAGES
Hi Everyone,
Big news out of Iran as we speak, with the release of five American hostages, currently on board an airplane flying from Tehran, to Doha, Qatar across the Gulf.
From a human point of view, these people had to be released after years of captivity, in horrible conditions in Irans notorious Evan prison.
Who are they?
2 of the five have not been identified at the requests of their families. The other 3 were political prisoners, or as many outsiders describe hostages of the Iranian regime.
Siamak Namazi Namazi, 51, is an oil executive who was first detained in 2015 when he traveled to Iran on business. ...
Morad Tahbaz Tahbaz, 67, is an Iranian American conservationist who also holds British citizenship; he was arrested in 2018 and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Emad Shargi, 59, businessman
Why Now?
That question is unlikely to be answered clearly in the coming hours and the timing is odd considering it comes as violence continues in Iran against protesters, marking the year anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini, murdered in prison for not wearing a head covering.
What was the deal?
The U.S. is also releasing five Iranians from American custody in return for the release of the U.S. hostages. And Iran will receive 6 billion dollars that was tied up in South Korean Banks. It had been frozen by U.S. sanctions policies, and the payment to Iran will be widely criticized as cash for hostages, a deal that will be a high price and likely lead to more Americans taken prisoner elsewhere.
Iran is a rogue state, that has sold drones and other equipment to Russia for it’s war in Ukraine, and continues to violate UN sanctions, designed to stop it from developing a nuclear weapon.
It is a country that sponsors terror and unrest from Lebanon, to Syria, to even the Palestinian areas including the Gaza Strip.
Inside Iran political opponents are jailed and murdered, and human rights are under constant attack.
The release may be viewed by the Biden administration as a victory, which he can wave in the upcoming Presidential race, but it will equally be touted as an unwise move that awards hostage taking and a regime that is not complying with international law, so say the least.
In the coming hours, Biden himself will have to explain to the American people why he said yes to this deal with Iran, and defend the billions awarded to the Iranian regime.
Dana Lewis