Exclusive: Unveiling the High-Stakes Diplomatic Maneuvers to Safely Retrieve Five American Heroes from Iranian Captivity

In the final moments leading up to a historic deal to bring five wrongfully detained Americans back to the United States from Iran, Iranian officials presented challenges and demanded last-minute concessions from the US government, causing delays and uncertainties. Despite these obstacles, American diplomats worked tirelessly to overcome them and ensure the successful completion of the long-awaited diplomatic breakthrough. Senior officials from the State Department shared these behind-the-scenes accounts with CNN, requesting anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the information.

According to officials, Abram Paley and Roger Carstens, acting US Special Envoy for Iran and Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs respectively, arrived in Doha on Saturday afternoon. Their objective was to coordinate with Qatari and Swiss officials to finalize the logistics for the release of the five American detainees and two of their family members. It was anticipated that the release would occur on Monday.

Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

Biden takes a political hit but brings Americans home

The diplomatic relationship with Iran remains highly tense. Despite years of arduous indirect negotiations, the process seemed on the verge of completion. However, the Americans faced last-minute attempts to delay and demand further concessions from the US, despite having an agreed-upon deal with Iran.

According to officials speaking to CNN, the Iranians even went as far as threatening not to release all five of the detained Americans unless the US provided additional concessions.

The Americans insisted on taking all five individuals back home and made it evident that they were not leaving without them. This demand was non-negotiable for the US, and ultimately, the Iranians yielded. "We stood firm and the Iranians conceded, allowing us to achieve our objective," stated a senior official from the State Department.

US officials viewed the Iranian attempts as a common tactic by Tehran, rather than a major threat that could jeopardize the agreement. According to an official, Iran is continually attempting to disrupt negotiations and obtain additional concessions. However, the US remained steadfast in its firm and principled stance, refusing to budge.

Still, "each hour there was something new that the Iranians were trying to stall with or just be difficult for the sake of being difficult," they added.

Hurdles on the day of departure

The Americans were confident that the deal was enticing enough to prevent Iran from walking away, and strong enough to prevent them from reneging on it and still achieving their desired outcome. As part of the agreement, $6 billion in Iranian funds were transferred from restricted accounts in South Korea to restricted accounts in Qatar for humanitarian purchases. Additionally, the US would release five Iranians from US custody. On Monday, the final installment of Iranian funds reached the bank accounts in Qatar. Prior to this, the US had coordinated with Qatari officials to inform Iran that the funds had arrived, initiating a series of steps that would lead to the release.

Upon their arrival at Doha International Airport in Qatar on September 18, 2023, Siamak Namazi (with glasses), Emad Sharqi (second from right), and Morad Tahbaz (right) from the United States were warmly greeted. These individuals, along with two unidentified detainees, were released by Iran in a prisoner exchange. The swap took place after $6 billion in frozen funds were transferred to Iranian accounts in Qatar. (Photo by Karim JAAFAR / AFP) (Photo by KARIM JAAFAR/AFP via Getty Images)

Karim Jaafar/AFP/Getty Images

How Iran can use the $6 billion involved in the release of 5 Americans

The Iranian officials encountered a delay as they were unable to locate the head of the Central Bank to sign certain letters. These letters were required for approval to allow the individuals to leave their hotel and travel to the airport. This was necessary to facilitate the entire process, according to a senior State Department official who spoke to CNN. Eventually, the funds were received and it appeared that everything was ready. However, the process remained complex, and even in the hours leading up to the departure of the released Americans on a Qatari jet from Iran to Doha, Iranian officials continued their attempts to cause further delays, as reported by officials to CNN.

The Iranians insisted that all released prisoners and diplomats from both sides have lunch at the airport in Tehran before departing. However, the Qatari officials tactfully countered, stating that they would be offended if everyone did not eat on board the Qatari plane. This diplomatic maneuver helped avoid a prolonged delay. After overcoming several obstacles, the Qatari plane, carrying Siamak Namazi, Morad Tahbaz, Emad Shargi, and two other unnamed freed detainees, as well as Namazi's mother, Effie, and Tahbaz's wife, Vida, departed from Tehran shortly before 9 a.m. ET on Monday.

Arriving at Doha International Airport on September 18, 2023, Siamak Namazi (R), Emad Sharqi (L), and Morad Tahbaz (C) from the United States disembark from a Qatari jet.

Upon arrival in Doha, Carstens and Paley warmly welcomed the Americans and provided them with their own dedicated cell phones. These phones were preloaded with the contact numbers of their respective family members, allowing the travelers to immediately reach out to their loved ones.

Content Result:

In addition to receiving a call from Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who personally spoke to each of them for over 10 minutes, the family members also received a call from President Joe Biden on Monday morning after their loved ones were released. The State Department had informed the families late last week that they should consider traveling to the Washington, DC, area, although they were careful not to provide too many details or raise their hopes too high. Throughout this time, the State Department maintained frequent communication with the families.

The department had finalized their plans to relocate the Americans back to Fort Belvoir, Virginia, approximately 10 days prior to their release, according to another US official who spoke to CNN. Additionally, personnel from the Defense Department's Post Isolation Support Activities (PISA) program were flown in to provide assistance. All the returning Americans willingly agreed to participate in the program.

On Monday afternoon, shortly after 1 p.m. ET, the US plane departed Doha carrying the seven Americans, along with Carstens, Paley, and other US officials. Carstens, in an interview with "CNN This Morning" on Tuesday, described the flight home as "highly emotional," as it marked the first time the Americans were able to interact without being monitored by Iranian authorities.

As the sun rose on Tuesday morning, the plane gracefully landed at Fort Belvoir. Stepping onto the familiar soil of the United States, the Americans were greeted by the warm embrace of their loved ones, who proudly held tiny American flags they had brought along. After tightly embracing his daughters, Shargi uttered in disbelief, "We're finally home."