Americans Previously Detained in Iran Return Home, Reunite With Families and Exclaim ‘Freedom’

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Previously incarcerated Americans in Iran touched down on American soil Tuesday, sharing emotional reunions with family members and declaring “Freedom!” upon their return. Their release was part of a contentious agreement in which President Joe Biden consented to unfreeze approximately $6 billion of Iranian assets.

The freed individuals disembarked at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, to the sound of applause and cheers in the early morning darkness. Siamak Namazi, the first to exit the aircraft, momentarily halted, closed his eyes, and took a deep inhalation before stepping off the plane. Family members, some waving petite American flags, embraced them tightly and conversed in both English and Farsi, Iran’s dominant language.

“The ordeal is at last behind us,” remarked Babak Namazi, Siamak’s brother, at the landing facility.

“This is a moment we have awaited for over eight years,” he further commented, with his arm around his brother and their father, Baquer, who had been previously released by Iranian authorities. “It’s surreal.”

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Another released American, Emad Sharghi, was gifted a United States flag and a keepsake stuffed animal from his sister, Neda—a memento she had initially given to their father three decades prior during his bypass operation, a family spokesperson disclosed.

Subsequently, the formerly detained Americans, who traveled back on the Gulfstream 5—the same plane that recently repatriated WNBA star Brittney Griner following her detention in Russia—gathered for a group photograph with their families, audibly chanting, “Freedom!”

President Biden’s successful negotiation efforts garnered gratitude from the families but attracted criticism from Republican presidential contenders and other dissenters who questioned the financial terms agreed upon with a key American adversary.

“Today, five blameless Americans who were confined in Iran have finally returned,” stated the Democratic president as the aircraft initially touched down in Doha, Qatar, on Monday.

Ebrahim Raisi, Iran’s hardline President, who was present at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, intimated that the exchange could act as “a preliminary move towards humanitarian cooperation between the United States and Iran.”

“The exchange could potentially foster trust,” Raisi informed reporters.

Iran broadcasted video footage of two detainees who were repatriated as part of the swap; two will stay in the United States and a fifth will be sent to a third nation. Those returned were reunited with their families and criticized the U.S. justice system.

Reza Sarhangpour Kafrani, indicted in 2021 but not yet tried, questioned U.S. accusations, stating, “The U.S. government accused me of intending to endanger U.S. interests by violating sanctions. How can the U.S. government claim to know my intentions?”

Also freed was Mehrdad Ansari, an Iranian sentenced to 63 months in U.S. prison in 2021 for acquiring equipment with potential military applications.

Amidst ongoing tension between the United States and Iran over Tehran’s nuclear endeavors and other disputes, the release occurred at a time of increased U.S. military presence in the Persian Gulf. Iran continues to assert that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, although it is now enriching uranium closer to weapon-grade levels than ever before.

The complex asset release to Iran consists of funds South Korea owed for previous oil purchases, which had been held up due to U.S. sanctions imposed in 2019. The U.S. asserts that the funds, once transferred to Qatar, will be strictly used for humanitarian purposes, a point on which Iranian officials have largely agreed. However, some Iranian hard-liners have claimed, without evidence, that there will be no restrictions on how the money is spent.

The financial aspect of the deal has exposed President Biden to fresh censure, with critics suggesting that such an agreement could bolster the Iranian economy even as Iran remains a looming threat to American forces and Middle Eastern allies. The political implications for Biden’s re-election campaign remain to be seen.

Former President Donald Trump criticized the deal as “absolutely ridiculous,” while Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell accused Biden of “incentivizing Tehran’s unacceptable conduct.”

After the release, President Biden held a heartfelt conversation with the families of the freed Americans, while also demanding further information regarding the disappearance of Bob Levinson, an American missing for several years. The administration announced additional sanctions on former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence.

The U.S. government, the families of the prisoners, and activists have universally condemned the charges against the released Americans as unfounded.

Among the freed Americans were Siamak Namazi, incarcerated since 2015 and later sentenced to a decade in prison for espionage; Emad Sharghi, a venture capitalist also sentenced to ten years; and Morad Tahbaz, a British-American conservationist of Iranian descent who was arrested in 2018 and likewise received a 10-year sentence.

The history of prisoner swaps between the U.S. and Iran traces back to the 1979 hostage crisis following the Islamic Revolution.

Reporters and Contributors

Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Jo from Doha, Qatar. Additional reporting by Nasser Karimi and Amir Vahdat in Tehran, Iran; Matthew Lee, Paul Haven, Aamer Madhani, and Michelle Phillips in New York; and Eric Tucker and Farnoush Amiri in Washington.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Detainee Release

More about Detainee Release

• Americans Detained in Iran (Al Jazeera)
• President Joe Biden’s Role in the Release (AP News)
• Tensions Between the U.S. and Iran (BBC News)
• Details of the Asset Release Deal (Reuters)
• Criticism of the Release Agreement (CNN)