On Sept. 18, 2023, President Ebrahim Raisi welcomed the prisoner swap with the United States as a “confidence builder” that could lead to future “humanitarian actions.” But he also criticized Washington. The swap “could have been accomplished much sooner had it not been for the wrong calculus of the other side in thinking that instead of choosing the table, pausing the conversations, they are better off betting on the dead horses of rioters and those who cause instability,” he told media executives and journalists. Raisi was referring to widespread protests in Iran sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody in September 2022. He and other officials had blamed the United States and other Western powers of fomenting unrest. The following are statements from Iran on the prisoner swap.
President Ebrahim Raisi
To journalists on Sept. 18, 2023: “This was purely a humanitarian action ... And it can certainly be a step based upon which in the future other humanitarian actions can be taken.”
“Unfortunately history has shown the lack of trust towards the United States because it has trampled upon commitments and broken promises repeatedly.”
“The funds were unjustly confiscated from the people of Iran” and “will be solely spent to meet the needs of the people of Iran.”
“Certainly, any step taken to fulfill the commitments will be a confidence builder for us.”
The swap “could have been accomplished much sooner had it not been for the wrong calculus of the other side in thinking that instead of choosing the table, pausing the conversations, they are better off betting on the dead horses of rioters and those who cause instability.”
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Sept. 19, 2023, in a statement: “In order to achieve the rights of Iranian nationals all over the world as well as Iranians residing in the US and within the framework of an independent process, five Iranian citizens who were illegally prosecuted by the US judicial system due to their normal business activities were released and returned to their families.
“In order to achieve the rights of Iranian nationals all over the world as well as Iranians residing in the US and within the framework of an independent process, five Iranian citizens who were illegally prosecuted by the US judicial system due to their normal business activities were released and returned to their families.
“Prior to that, the Iranian assets in South Korea---which had been frozen due to the illegal pressures of the United States, making it impossible to use them for years---were unlocked thanks to diligent pursuit of the issue by the Foreign Ministry and Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Through a financial and banking process that lasted several weeks, the assets were transferred to the accounts of Iranian banks in Qatar.
“These assets are under the control of the Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran and will be used at the discretion of relevant Iranian authorities and based on the country’s needs and priorities.
“Undoubtedly, the policies and actions of different administrations in the US in preventing Iran's free and legitimate access to its financial resources in other countries are illegal and inhumane.
“Nevertheless, the illegal move of the US to abuse the international banking system and put pressure on other countries to limit Iran's access to its assets does not in any way mean that the governments where these assets are kept have no responsibility in this regard, and those governments must be held to account for their unjustified move to comply with the illegal demands of the US government, the financial losses inflicted on Iran as a result of the long-term freezing of Iranian assets and its humanitarian consequences, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The Iranian people will never forget that even during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, the US regime, while ignoring the health emergency and humanitarian issues as well as repeated requests by the UN secretary general and human rights officials, denied Iran access to its financial resources in South Korea.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran hereby thanks the government of Qatar for playing an effective role in transferring the assets of Iran and exchanging the prisoners.
“We also appreciate the valuable efforts of the Sultanate of Oman to advance this process and also the Swiss government’s cooperation and assistance in facilitating all this.”
Related Material:
Iran-US Prisoner Swap: Fact Sheet on Details
Iran-US Prisoner Swap: US Statements
Iran-US Prisoner Swap: Hostage History
Iran-US Prisoner Swap: Congressional Reaction
Iran-US Prisoner Swap: New Sanctions
Iran-US Prisoner Swap: Profiles
Iran-US Prisoner Swap: World Reaction