The precedent this White House is setting in deals to release Americans held captive by Tehran and Moscow is one we will come to regret.
On Thursday, the Biden administration secured a deal with the theocratic regime in Iran for the release of five American citizens unjustly detained inside the Islamic Republic. The details of what the Iranians will receive in reward for their belated cooperation remain undisclosed, but one feature of the deal that the administration has telegraphed publicly since at least March involves the unfreezing of roughly $6 billion in Iranian assets impounded by the government of South Korea.
“Iran will not be receiving any sanctions relief,” said Secretary of State Antony Blinken. “Iran’s own funds would be used and transferred to restricted accounts such that the monies can only be used for humanitarian purposes, which, as you know, is permitted under our sanctions.”
While welcome, the forthcoming exfiltration of Americans from Iranian custody also demonstrates the ease with which the United States is extorted by hostile foreign powers under this administration. As Senator Jim Risch observed, the release of these funds “dangerously further incentivizes hostage taking.”
Much the same could be said of the White House’s efforts to extract the Americans recently or still held captive by Moscow. The Biden administration’s deal with the Kremlin to secure the release of Women’s National Basketball Association player and Olympian Brittney Griner showed that Americans do not leave their own behind. It also showed that for the low, low price of taking one athlete hostage, Russia could secure the release of a notorious arms dealer and a convicted hitman.
The Biden administration is reportedly scouring the earth for infamous Russians in Western custody it can trade for the release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich. “Moscow has expressed interest in brokering a deal to regain Vadim Krasikov, a Russian serving a life sentence in Germany for killing a former Chechen rebel leader in Berlin at Moscow’s behest, people familiar with the matter told the outlet,” the New York Post reported. Pity poor Paul Whelan, a defense contractor wrongfully detained by Russia since 2018 whose release is always just over the horizon. His family and friends should organize some sort of hashtag campaign on social media. That might get the White House’s attention.
There are few negotiations more complicated and fraught than those over the mutual exchange of prisoners between mutually antagonistic parties. It is imprudent to judge the outcome of those negotiations from afar. But a trend has become clear: America is easily blackmailed because its citizens abroad are ripe targets. The precedent this White House is establishing is one we will come to regret.