Jason Rezaian discusses potential release of Americans held by Iran

Amna Nawaz:

It appears that five Iranian Americans who have been detained in Iran are in the process of being released.

The White House issued a statement this afternoon saying — quote — "We have received confirmation that Iran has released from prison five Americans who were unjustly detained and has placed them on house arrest."

The five U.S. citizens are Siamak Namazi, Morad Tahbaz, Emad Shargi, and two Americans who wish to remain unnamed at this moment. The Associated Press reports Iran's move is part of an agreement in which billions of dollars frozen in South Korea will be released to Iran.

Late today, Secretary of State Antony Blinken was asked about this.

Antony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State: My belief is that this is the beginning of the end of their nightmare. In any respect, Iran will not be receiving any sanctions relief.

And in any instance where we would engage in such efforts to bring Americans home from Iran, Iran's owns funds would be used and transferred to restricted accounts, such that the moneys can only be used for humanitarian purposes, which, as you know, is permitted under our sanctions.

Amna Nawaz:

The chief Iranian negotiator also wrote on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, that Iranian prisoners jailed in the United States would be returned.

Here with me now is Washington Post columnist Jason Rezaian, whose own grueling detention by the Iranian government ended in January of 2016.

Jason, welcome back. Thanks for being here.

Jason Rezaian, Journalist Detained in Iran: Thank you, Amna.

Amna Nawaz:

I just want to begin briefly with your reaction, because you spent hundreds of days, more than 500, inside that same prison. You know what these men have endured.

What did you think when you heard the news?

Jason Rezaian:

Look, I have been tracking the story of these fellow Americans for years, and other Americans held in Iran for a long time.

So, any time someone is released from being in prison, I'm ecstatic for them and their families, but also remain vigilant and nervous, because there's a period of time before they fly home. And anything could happen between now and then.

Amna Nawaz:

So, the deal, as it's been reported and as the Iranians claim is done, $6 billion in oil revenues unfrozen, jailed Iranians in the West freed. U.S. officials are not publicly confirming any of this right now.

But I have to ask you, is this deal worth doing to bring these men home?

Jason Rezaian:

So, I'm asked that any time we negotiate the release of an American who's being wrongfully detained, held hostage by a foreign government.

And, to me, it's a real stark binary choice right now, either negotiating the release of fellow Americans or leaving them behind. Leaving them behind means longer detentions, imprisonments, potentially death.

And I think the hard truth is what we should be talking about is, what can we do, what will we do to deter hostage-taking in the future? Right now, we're not doing enough. And countries like Iran, Russia, China are doing this more and more, because they don't see anything standing in their way.

But I think, to the question of whether or not we should do deals, it's really a choice of bringing people home or leaving them behind. I'm proud and thankful to live in a country where our government cares about its citizens enough to try and bring them home.

Amna Nawaz:

And to that point about fueling potential more hostage-taking there, we have already seen criticism of this potential deal, right, specifically from Republican lawmakers.

Some have called it a dangerous deal. Former Vice President Mike Pence said it's a ransom payment that will fund terrorism. Are these valid concerns?

Jason Rezaian:

You know, I think concerns are always valid, right?

But the reality the situation is that these funds are being held in a restricted account. Restricted accounts existed in other countries, like India and Turkey. Those accounts were spent down by Iran with no oversight by the U.S. government.

In this situation, my understanding is that Korea has said that, we don't want to release these funds unless the United States gives us permission.

If we're going to have leverage against a country like Iran, in the form of their money being held in a third country, what better way to use it than to free Americans?

Amna Nawaz:

Now, the U.S. has been able certainly to bring you home safely.

Jason Rezaian:

Yes.

Amna Nawaz:

They have also been able to bring home Americans from other adversarial nations, Russia and Venezuela.

Morad Tahbaz's daughter Tara and Emad Shargi, one of his daughters, Ariana, came on the show recently and talked about that. Ariana had this to say.

Ariana Shargi, Father Imprisoned in Iran: I don't know if we're being treated differently. But what I will say is that the administration has been able to get individuals who are being held hostage out of Russia, as Russia is currently in a war.

Amna Nawaz:

So, Jason, she was concerned that somehow they're being treated differently because their fathers are being held in Iran. Is it more complicated getting Americans freed from that nation?

Jason Rezaian:

I think it's more complicated, first and foremost, because we don't have diplomatic relations with Iran.

Even though the situation with Russia is at bottom, we have maintained direct ties with Moscow since the Cold War. We have never broken them. Another thing to consider is that, while I don't consider the argument that these are dual nationals and that Iran doesn't recognize dual nationality, they think of these people as single nationals, well, the truth is, they think of them as single nationals, subject them to Iranian court proceedings, as if they were Iranians.

And then when it comes time for a deal, then they become tradable Americans. It's more complicated just because we don't have the direct communications with them that we do with other countries. And then, in a way, the Iranians have been doing this for so long, so often, that they may be a bit more seasoned at hostage-taking and negotiations than some of these other countries.

Amna Nawaz:

I know you and I and everyone else are hoping they are back home with their families safely soon.

Jason Rezaian, thank you so much for joining us.

Jason Rezaian:

Thank you, Amna.