US citizens Siamak Namazi (C-with glasses) and Morad Tahbaz are greeted upon their arrival at the Doha International Airport in Doha on September 18, 2023.
Karim Jaafar | AFP | Getty Images
President Joe Biden celebrated the release of five American prisoners from Iran.
“Today, five innocent Americans who were imprisoned in Iran are finally coming home,” Biden said in a statement.
Siamak Namazi, Morad Tahbaz, Emad Sharghi and two unnamed citizens were released Monday as part of a deal that unfroze $6 billion of Iranian money from South Korea and led to the release of five Iranians imprisoned in the United States.
Biden thanked the emir of Qatar and the sultan of Oman for their assistance in facilitating the trade.
The president in the statement reminded Americans not to travel to Iran, citing a State Department warning.
“The U.S. State Department has a longstanding travel warning that states: ‘Do not travel to Iran due to the risk of kidnapping and the arbitrary arrest and detention of U.S. citizens.’ All Americans should heed those words and have no expectation that their release can be secured if they do not.”
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