Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at a prisoner swap between Iran and the United States, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to Russia, and Georgian coup accusations against Ukrainian officials.
Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at a prisoner swap between Iran and the United States, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to Russia, and Georgian coup accusations against Ukrainian officials.
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A Life for a Life
In a major diplomatic breakthrough, U.S. and Iranian officials finalized a prisoner swap after years of tense negotiations. On Monday, Tehran released five detained Americans accused of espionage in exchange for five Iranian prisoners. While the deal checks off a key goal for the Biden administration’s hostage diplomacy team, it does little to thaw relations between the two historically opposed countries.
All five of the American prisoners were flown out of Tehran on Monday by a Qatari airline. Doha mediated the hostage exchange. Three of the American detainees were held for more than five years, with one individual in captivity since 2015. Washington continues to allege the espionage charges were without cause. “Today, five innocent Americans who were imprisoned in Iran are finally coming home,” U.S. President Joe Biden said.
Only two of the Iranian prisoners have opted to return to Tehran. Two individuals will remain in the United States, and one will travel to a different country. As part of the deal, Washington agreed to unfreeze nearly $6 billion in Iranian oil revenue that has been frozen in a South Korean bank since 2018 due to U.S. sanctions. On Monday, the funds were transferred to Qatar, which will oversee their administration. Under the agreement, Tehran can only use the money for humanitarian needs. However, “humanitarian means whatever the Iranian people needs,” Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said, “and the needs of the Iranian people will be decided and determined by the Iranian government.”
Republicans on Capitol Hill have criticized the asset transfer, saying it amounts to a “ransom” payment. However, the Biden administration has been quick to defend its decision, saying the detained Americans could have been held indefinitely had Washington not agreed to Monday’s terms. “We are focused daily on a policy for the Middle East that combines deterrence with diplomacy to reduce risk of Iran’s aggression,” a senior Biden administration official said. “But it goes without saying that when we have an opportunity to bring American citizens home, we do seek to seize it, and that’s what we’re doing here.”
Alongside the release of the prisoners, the United States announced new sanctions against Iran on Friday that target its Ministry of Intelligence and former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The restrictions further Biden’s efforts to counter Iranian threats, including an executive order in March that extended a 28-year sanctions package. The new measures coincide with the one-year anniversary of 21-year-old Mahsa Amini’s death at the hands of Iran’s morality police.
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The World This Week
Tuesday, Sept. 19: The United Nations General Assembly kicks off a 10-day annual summit.
Biden holds the first-ever C5+1 presidential summit with leaders from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
Defense ministers gather at Ramstein Air Base in Germany to discuss the war in Ukraine.
Wednesday, Sept. 20: Top foreign officials from Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa convene a BRICS meeting in New York City.
The U.N. Security Council opens debate on Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Thursday, Sept. 21: Central banks in Turkey, Indonesia, and South Africa announce interest rate changes.
Friday, Sept. 22: Japan’s central bank announces interest rate changes.
Friday, Sept. 22, to Saturday, Sept. 23: Pope Francis visits France.
Monday, Sept. 25: Trial begins over whether Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai violated Hong Kong’s national security law.
The Delhi High Court hears a defamation case against the BBC over its documentary on then-Indian Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s handling of the 2002 riots in Gujarat.
What We’re Following
China’s big diplomacy week. While world leaders descend on New York City this week for the United Nations General Assembly, China’s top foreign diplomat has other plans. Foreign Minister Wang Yi arrived in Russia on Monday for four days of security talks. Wang is expected to discuss Russian President Vladimir Putin’s upcoming trip to Beijing, Moscow’s war in Ukraine, NATO expansion, and growing Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific.
The visit comes just days after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un wrapped up a historic weeklong trip to Russia and a weekend meeting in Malta between Wang and U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to the United States in November.
Meanwhile, Beijing launched a record 103 warplanes and nine ships near Taiwanese territory on Monday ahead of a U.S. delegation’s visit to the island later this week. Of these aircraft, 40 planes crossed the median line in the Taiwan Strait, marking the second such provocation in less than a week. China does not recognize Taiwan’s sovereignty and has criticized joint military exercises between Washington and Taipei.
Crying coup. In a briefing on Monday, Georgia’s national security agency accused Ukraine of backing a coup attempt against the country’s pro-Russian government. According to a senior official in Georgia’s State Security Service, Georgian opposition leaders and top Ukrainian advisors planned to “overthrow the state” ahead of a Brussels verdict on whether Georgia can join the European Union.
The Georgian officials did not provide any evidence to support their allegations. Former Georgian Defense Minister David Kezerashvili called the coup allegations “absurd” and said they will only “deepen the rift” between Georgia and Ukraine.
The Sahel’s Article 5. Facing threats of regional military intervention, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger signed a mutual defense pact on Saturday. Named the Alliance of Sahel States, the trilateral bloc dictates that an attack on one member is deemed an attack on the others. It also requires member states to assist one another in preventing and resolving armed conflict.
The move follows Mali and Burkina Faso’s adamant support of Niger’s ruling junta, which took control in a coup on July 26. Both West African nations are also run by military regimes. The pact will directly counter warnings by the Economic Community of West African States to dissolve Niger’s junta and restore ousted President Mohamed Bazoum to power.
Odds and Ends
In the wee hours of Saturday morning, a 25-year-old took to London’s quiet streets to break into Buckingham Palace’s royal stables. Local officials arrested the man after he was spotted climbing over an exterior wall to enter the Royal Mews. If he was hoping to see King Charles III, though, he was sorely disappointed. While Buckingham Palace undergoes renovations, the monarch is living down the road at Clarence House, and he was actually in Scotland at the time of the incident. And if the man simply wanted to see the historic royal carriages on display, he could have just paid £15 for a ticket to one of the several guided tours the Mews offers daily.