Dear John,
When the U.S.- Iran prisoner swap to free Iranian Americans from Evin was announced several weeks ago, the "maximum pressure" network – former Trump officials, hawkish lawmakers, rightwing lobby groups – sprung into action to attack it. Iran’s detention of dual nationals and prisoners of conscience is deplorable. We must not add to the suffering and injustice by politicizing efforts to free these innocent people.
Despite critiques by people like Mike Pompeo, did you know that it was Iran’s own money – $6 billion in South Korea – that Biden leveraged to get these Iranian Americans freed?
Or that it was actually Trump who issued the waivers that helped allow Iran to accumulate the $6 billion in South Korea in the first place ?
Or that the transfer of those funds for the prisoner swap was actually based on a framework the Trump Administration put in place to comply with U.S. law that food and medicine are not supposed to be sanctioned ?
There are unfortunately a lot of contentious issues that we disagree on. But the fundamental principles that we should prioritize freeing Americans and that food and medicine should not be blocked by sanctions is something that even the most hawkish Administrations have accepted, however grudgingly. And, based on the facts, that is what this prisoner swap seeks to achieve.
That's why we have been working to ensure policymakers have the facts on this complicated agreement beyond politicized distortions. And we wanted to share with you this FAQ [[link removed]] in case it helps answer any of your questions, or informs your own conversations about this matter.
Read the FAQ [[link removed]]
Policy is complicated and politics can often be absurd. And any time there is a policy regarding Iran that doesn't involve more broad sanctions that hurt ordinary people or escalate military threats to appear tough, it seems to become full blown silly season. But beyond the politics, real lives are at stake.
We will continue to inform and educate policymakers, and the public, to help ensure the lives of innocent people don't get caught up in political games.
- Jamal
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