Some Iranian politicians and many citizens on social media have offered mixed reactions to the news about the release of Iran's frozen assets as part of a prisoner swap.
However, most Iranian social media users were explicit in stating that the Iranian American dual nationals are hostages, not individuals who were wrongly imprisoned, a euphemism that even some US sources and figures tend to use.
President Ebrahim Raisi’s Deputy Chief of Staff for Political Affairs, Mohammad Jamshidi wrote in a tweet on Thursday night: “After releasing Iran’s Frozen assets in Iraq, the release of all of Iran’s funds in South Korea has started. The prisoners the United States is interested in will remain in Iran until the money is fully transferred to Iran.”
Meanwhile in a tweet in English, Jamshidi wrote: “Hopefully, Iranians held hostage by the US will be freed. US prisoners in Iran will leave simultaneously with the irreversible release of our illegally held citizens and the full transfer of illegally held assets in South Korea, similar to the recently freed assets in Iraq.”
An Iranian commented on social media, “There is no money. This is a credit held by banks in Qatar for purchasing food and medicine,” and that "Well-connected individuals are getting ready to embezzle the money."
A former reformist lawmaker reacted to the news by tweeting "Can one ever be humiliated more than this? According to Iran’s laws, those prisoners are Iranian citizens, and their release has nothing to do with the United States. By the way, If they were spies, why they are being released, and if they were not spies, why they have been arrested?”
Conservative journalist Vahid Hajipour quoted Fars News Agency in a tweet as having reported that Iran’s frozen money in South Korea will go to Qatar and will be used to import goods that are not subject to US sanctions. Hajipour added: "This is exactly the same mechanism that was used for Iran’s frozen money in Iraq. What does this mean? It means that it is the United States that makes the decision about which goods can be bought by Iran’s money.” Using the Islamic Republic officials’ jargon about the deals between Iran and the United States, Hajipour added: “Welcome to watch Iran’s dignified diplomacy.”
Meanwhile, a member of the Iranian nuclear negotiator team, Mohammad Marandi wrote on Twitter: "This is a dishonest claim manufactured by bitter people. Iran will have full and direct access to its released assets, there will be no Qatari companies involved, Iranian banks will have full control, and they can purchase goods and services without any limitation or restriction." Marandi was responding to US an Iran-watcher who had quoted Ali Vaez of the Iran Crisis Group as having said: " All Iran can do...is submit orders to a bank in Doha for food and medicine and a limited number of medical equipment...The bank in Doha would pay for the goods, and Qatari companies would deliver them to Iran. Iran has no direct access to the funds at all.'
In an optimistic analysis published by Etemad Online website political analyst Abdolreza Faraji Rad opined that the development is part of a wider unwritten agreement between Iran and the United States which is supposed to also cover other issues. Although Faraji wrote the piece in a way as if a nuclear deal is going to be within reach, the media in Europe and United States reported that any wider agreement is meant to also restrict Iran's regional military ambitions and prevent its proxy groups from attacking US bases in the region.
Meanwhile, Nour News, a media outlet close to Iran's Supreme Council of National Security also wrote that although negotiations between Tehran and Washington took a long time to lead to an agreement, "Now the situation is changing."