The Biden administration has signed off on a deal to release five Iranian prisoners and $6 billion in frozen assets in exchange for five Americans held captive in Iran.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken approved the deal last week, and Congress was notified Monday as lawmakers and officials honored the 22nd anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terror attacks, according to the Associated Press.
In exchange for the prisoners, the United States will issue a waiver for banks in South Korea and Qatar to allow Iran access to billions of dollars without fear of violating U.S. sanctions. The funds will be transferred to Qatar’s central bank where the Iranian government can make requests to pay for humanitarian goods out of the account.
Iran is a prolific state sponsor of terrorism hampered by strict U.S. sanctions since former President Donald Trump pulled the U.S. out of the Iran nuclear deal in 2018. Trump scrapped the deal over concerns that the agreement would allow Iran to construct…