The five American prisoners released by Iran in a contentious prisoner exchange have arrived in Doha, marking the beginning of their journey back to the United States.

One of them expressed his eagerness to visit an Apple store to discover the latest phones, having spent eight years behind bars.

These former prisoners were initially transported from Tehran to Doha aboard a Qatar Airways aircraft earlier today.

Upon their arrival at Doha Airport, they were warmly received on the tarmac by Timmy Davis, the US Ambassador to Qatar, the Daily Mail has reported.

The cost of securing their release amounted to $6 billion in frozen funds that the United States had confiscated from Iran in 2018.

The US now asserts that these funds will be exclusively allocated for humanitarian purposes. Additionally, five Iranians who were formerly in US custody have been set free.

Among these five individuals, only two have returned to Iran.

Two others have expressed their intention to remain in the United States, despite their convictions for acting against American interests on behalf of Iran, while one has been permitted to relocate to another country.

President Biden and his administration have faced criticism for this agreement, with some critics contending that the United States has once again overpaid in its foreign diplomacy efforts.

It’s worth noting that only three of the five released American prisoners have been publicly identified.

Written by staff