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President Biden's administration has brokered an agreement with the Islamic Republic of Iran. And five wrongfully detained United States citizens are set to be returned to the U.S. But Biden’s deal is controversial since $6 billion is part of the exchange.

Biden has agreed to give Iran back people convicted in the US. And release a substantial portion of Iran's frozen oil revenue.

Biden’s deal for wrongfully detained

 Adrienne Watson, National Security Council spokesperson suggested that the hostages were wrongfully detained on “bogus spying charges.”

She updated the status explaining the US confirmed that Iran released the five prisoners and placed them on house arrest. The detainees transitioning from prison to house arrest marks the initial phase of the agreement's implementation.

Watson also stated, “While this is an encouraging step, these US citizens should have never been detained in the first place. We will not rest until they are all back home in the United States.”

Convicted Iranian criminals will be exchanged, and a substantial portion of Iran's frozen oil revenue will be released, amounting to almost $6 billion. 

The prisoners' return hinges on the availability of the money. The five American prisoners won’t be permitted to leave Iran until the funds are transferred to Iranian accounts in Qatar. 

The official Islamic Republic News Agency divulges that, as part of the deal, a sum of $10 billion will be released from accounts in South Korea and Iraq. 

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Past hostage exchanges

Historically, previous administrations have engaged in hostage exchanges. 

During the Obama presidency, the US secured the release of five detained Americans concurrent with the transfer of a $400 million ransom to Iran. This exchange was accompanied by contentious debates.

The money Obama paid Iran had been held since the 1980s when Iran took over and held Americans hostage in the US Embassy in Tehran. 

The cash was loaded onto a plane in pallets of cash. The prisoners at the time were only released after the money was counted. The hostages were at the airport waiting for the cash to come in.

The Trump administration later secured the return of two Americans held in Iran, without financial transfers.

The Democrats are excited about Biden’s deal. Many Republicans are highly critical.

Senator Jim Risch, the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, emphasized he welcomes the release of the wrongfully detained Americans. But he is concerned that “unfreezing $6 billion in Iranian assets dangerously further incentivizes hostage-taking and provides a windfall for regime aggression.”