After a successful prisoner exchange between the US and Iran, the Islamic Republic says they are ready for more. On Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Mousavi thanked the Swiss government for brokering the deal and said, “If there is a possibility for exchanges and the readiness is there from the opposing side, we are ready to free the other individuals imprisoned in the United States and bring them home.”
The exchange released Iranian-American Majid Taheri, a doctor who was detained for 16-months on charges of sanctions violations. Taheri arrived in Tehran on Monday and thanked the Iranian government for his release. Taheri says he was punished by the US for sending material to a research group in Iran that was working on vaccines.
Iran released Michael White, a US Navy veteran, who was detained in Iran since 2018. White was reportedly arrested over a social media post and convicted of insulting the supreme leader, although Iranian state media says he was arrested for “security crimes” in a lawsuit brought about by “private plaintiffs.”
The prisoner exchange was a rare show of cooperation between the US and Iran. After the exchange, President Trump took to Twitter to thank Iran and said, “it shows a deal is possible!” Although both sides seem open to more prisoner swaps, the US still maintains crippling economic sanctions on the Islamic Republic, hampering other negotiations.
Maybe Iran should do a Gen. Solomanie on the US, kinda even the score. Trying a few Americans and confining them to an Iranian style Gitmo might also be in order.