A fourth U.S. citizen was also released into house arrest, while a fifth was already under house arrest. As a first step in the deal, Washington waived sanctions to allow the transfer of $6 billion in Iranian funds from South Korea to Qatar. The transfer of Iran's funds has drawn criticism from U.S. Republicans who say President Joe Biden, a Democrat, is in effect paying a ransom for U.S. citizens. Ties between Washington and Tehran have been boiling since Donald Trump, a Republican, pulled the U.S. out of a nuclear deal between Iran and global powers when he was president in 2018. Reaching another nuclear deal has gained little traction since then, as Biden prepares for the 2024 U.S. election.

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Persons: Dado Ruvic, Nasser Kanaani, Morad Tahbaz, Mehrdad Moin, Ansari, Kambiz Attar, Kashani, Reza Sarhangpour, Amin Hassanzadeh, Afrasiabi, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Biden, Elwely Elwelly, Hyonshee, Edmund Blair, Stephen Coates, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: Iranian, REUTERS, Rights, Iran's Foreign Ministry, Reuters, Gulf . South Korea's Foreign, U.S, Republicans, Democrat, Republican, Thomson Locations: U.S, Rights DUBAI, Tehran, United States, Qatar, South Korea, Iran, Doha, Washington, Gulf . South, Emad Sharqi, British, Dubai, Seoul