[elfsight_social_share_buttons id=”1″]

Last night, five freed Americans returned safely to U.S. soil and were embraced by friends and family.

Some of the captives were in prison for years. They were released in exchange for five Iranian prisoners and an agreement by the U.S. to unfreeze $6 billion in Iranian funds, which are now to be used for humanitarian aid.

However, many Republicans have criticized the move and accused the Biden administration of incentivizing future kidnappings. One of these Republicans is Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. It’s also a criticism shared by former President Donald Trump, who says the deal sets a “terrible PRECEDENT for the future.”

For his part, President Biden denies he’s going soft on Iran. He also announced new sanctions against the regime for “wrongful detentions,” saying “we will continue to impose costs on Iran for their provocative actions in the region.”