Title: Surge in Iran-Backed Hostage-Taking Raises Concerns for Westerners as Biden Pays Hefty Ransoms
Amid the Biden administration’s recent negotiations and payments to Iran, Westerners, especially Americans, are now facing an escalating risk of being abducted and held for ransom, according to a report published by the Gatestone Institute. The report highlights that Iran, alongside other hostile governments, is capitalizing on this opportunity to expand their hostage-taking operations.
The author of the report, Majid Rafizadeh, a political scientist and board member of the Harvard International Review, warns that the further appeasement of the Iranian regime by the Biden administration has exacerbated the situation. Recent abductions carried out by Iran’s regime, such as those of Topher Richwhite and Bridget Thackwray from New Zealand, Johan Floderus from Sweden, and Bernard Phelan from France in October 2022, serve as evidence of this growing threat.
Rafizadeh argues that the recent surge in hostage-taking should come as no surprise, particularly after Belgium’s recent deal with Iran regarding hostages. Despite Iran’s association with the International Convention against the Taking of Hostages, the regime has consistently violated its provisions, using foreign hostages for economic concessions and geopolitical advantages.
The turning point came when President Biden released Iranian nationals serving prison time in the United States and paid over $6 billion in exchange for five Iranian-Americans held captive in Iran. It is worth noting that the Iranians boasted that the sentences for these individuals were about to end anyway, raising concerns about the effectiveness of such a costly transaction.
The report suggests that this large-scale hostage-taking episode is likely to continue due to the Biden administration’s ongoing appeasement of the Iranian regime. Additionally, the regime has rapidly advanced its nuclear weapons program, with uranium enrichment reaching 84% and coming close to the 90% threshold needed for nuclear weapons. Secret negotiations between the Biden administration and the Iranian regime further jeopardize global security by potentially injecting an estimated $100 billion into Iran’s economy and allowing for the acceleration of their nuclear ambitions.
Senator Mitt Romney, a Republican from Utah, echoes concerns raised in the report, emphasizing that paying exorbitant ransoms encourages more kidnappings. Rommey argues against negotiating with terrorists or kidnappers, citing the infamous guns for hostages scandal during the Reagan era and expresses his dissatisfaction with the idea of paying billions of dollars for the release of hostages.
Notably, during Barack Obama’s presidency, a transfer of $1.7 billion was arranged to be sent to Iran’s rogue regime in exchange for the release of five Iranian-American prisoners. Similarly, in 2021, Iranian Vice President Mohsen Rezaee openly declared his intention to capture 1,000 Americans to demand $1 billion in ransom for each hostage, a claim that, fortunately, did not materialize during President Trump’s tenure.
The report concludes by suggesting that the vast sums paid in ransom will likely be utilized by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a designated terrorist organization, to capture more Americans, supply weapons to Russia, and suppress dissent within Iran.
The surge in Iran-backed hostage-taking and the subsequent threats to Westerners, particularly Americans, serves as a stark reminder of the risks associated with appeasing hostile governments. As concerns grow over Iran’s nuclear advancements and its exploitation of the hostage-taking business, it remains to be seen how the Biden administration will navigate these pressing issues and protect the interests of Western nationals abroad.
