Rand Paul saying he was pleased “our government did not sit idly by” as Iran held pastor Saeed Abedini, who was among those freed.
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Saeed Abedini, a pastor jailed in Iran since 2012 for allegedly trying to set up house churches, was one of four Iranian-Americans freed on Saturday (Jan. 16) in a prisoner deal with the US linked to the nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers.
The Florida senator also asserted that the Iranian capture of 10 USA sailors – and subsequent release – was an effort to show how powerful Iran was compared to the U.S. In two emails made public in November, Naghmeh Abedini publicly accused her husband of struggling with “demons” that led to sexual abuse involving pornography, though she later expressed regrets for doing so.
When her husband does return, she said they will just work on returning back to normal, she said.
The Boise man was detained for compromising national security, presumably because of Christian proselytizing.
The officials, who spoke to reporters by conference call on condition of anonymity as per diplomatic protocol, said that “it was not always apparent” that Iran’s compliance with the nuclear deal and the prisoner releases would come at the same time.
Be Civil – It’s OK to have a difference in opinion but there’s no need to be a jerk.
“We’ve diminished the possibility of war between the USA and Iran”, said former Air Force Intelligence Officer Cedric Leighton.
Pittenger said: “I wish we could trade our negotiators for theirs, because they obviously have the upper hand”. She also thanked everyone who has supported them ‘during this hard journey’.
Here’s a deeper look at what the candidates had to say on Saturday about the prisoner exchange.
Iran first announced that it released four Iranian-Americans, and in exchange the USA said it would drop or stop pursuing charges against seven Iranians for violating sanctions against Teheran.
“Even though we’re not super happy that innocent people were released from Iran and criminals were released from here…” I know the family would appreciate your continued prayers in the days ahead.
The freeing of the Americans and the certification marked the beginning of a new era in U.S.-Iranian relations.
“This is a good day for the Iranian people… and for the world”, he told Iranian media. “This is why we must pray that we never lose the freedom in the United States to openly proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ”.
According to the family, Saeed will be taken to a medical center in Germany before returning back to the US. That it turn triggered steps to lift United Nations sanctions against the country and return an estimated $50 billion in frozen Iranian funds.
Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID) was the next to release a statement.
The prisoner release was not the first U.S.-Iranian deal before the certification that Iran was implementing the nuclear accord.
Obama has long argued that a US policy to isolate Iran, in force since the 1979 takeover of the USA embassy in Tehran and the hostage crisis there, did not slow Tehran’s nuclear program.
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But U.S. officials stressed that the U.S. had not released anyone tied to terrorism and they said the benefit to Iran from the lifting of sanctions paled in comparison to the country’s economic needs.
