Some Republican members of Congress reacted angrily to the reported agreement, framing it as capitulation to the Islamic Republic, the Breitbart News website reported on Friday.
It came a day after Iran’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement confirming reports of a prisoner swap deal between Tehran and Washington, which includes the unfreezing of some $6 billion Iranian funds in South Korea.
Bowing to Ayatollah Khamenei
Senator Tim Scott, Republican of South Carolina, released a statement accusing President Biden of “bowing” to Ayatollah Khamenei and endangering Americans at home and abroad.
In a message on X, formerly known as twitter, Senator Tom Cotton, Republican of Arizona, condemned the deal as a “craven act of appeasement” that would only “embolden” the Iranian leaders.
House Republican Conference Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik accused President Joe Biden of continuing to “put Americans’ safety and national security at risk with his terrible ‘deals.’”
Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis, Republican of New York, criticized the agreement with Iran as another “lopsided deal” by the Biden administration.
Republican Congresswoman Lisa McClain of Michigan said “President Biden has time and time again bent the knee” to the Iranian government
Five Iranians who would be freed as part of the swap agreement were jailed for allegedly trying to circumvent US sanctions, while five Americans in Iran have been held on espionage charges.
The exchange will only go through once Iran’s frozen funds are deposited into accounts introduced by the Iranian government, according to officials in Tehran.