Iran and the United States are exchanging prisoners today after the Biden administration released $6 billion in frozen Iranian assets.
Officials say five prisoners wanted by the United States in a prisoner swap were flown out of Tehran this morning.
Qatar is supposed to oversee the funds to ensure that Iran uses them only for humanitarian purposes. But as CBN News reported, some are still describing this as paying a huge ransom for American hostages.
“It’s good news that American hostages, illegally held by the regime in Iran, are returning home,” explained Mark Dubowitz, president of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. “But paying $6 billion in ransom payments means the regime will only take more hostages.” “This has become a lucrative means of international blackmail for the Iranian Supreme Leader.”‘
The tension between the two countries will not decrease because the nuclear threat posed by Iran is stronger than ever. The Islamic regime is now enriching uranium closer than ever to weapons-grade levels.
The process of exchanging prisoners and paying $6 billion also comes amid a large American military buildup in the Persian Gulf, with the possibility of American forces boarding commercial ships and guarding them in the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of total oil shipments pass. Iran has harassed oil tankers and seized many of them without any good reason.
