ASSOCIATED PRESS
Iran transfers 5 Iranian-Americans from prison to house arrest in step toward deal for full release
Jon Gambrell and Matt Lee
August 10, 2023

Iran has moved five Iranian-Americans from prison to house arrest in exchange for billions of dollars frozen in South Korea, U.S. and Iranian officials said Thursday, as part of a tentative deal that follows months of heightened tensions between the two countries. Iranian officials at the United Nations told The Associated Press that the prisoner transfer marked “a significant initial step” in the implementation of the agreement, which is still being negotiated and could eventually lead to the full release of the Americans. Iran acknowledged that the deal involves $6 billion to $7 billion that were frozen as a result of sanctions. READ MORE

POLITICO Republicans slam Biden’s deal to free Americans in Iran as ‘appeasement’ Other Republicans voiced concerns over what Iran could do with the funds. In a statement, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee, called the deal a “ransom” and a “craven act of appeasement,” warning that Iran would “use these ill-gotten gains to attack our troops, fund terrorism, and arm Russia.”