In an exclusive interview with NBC News’ Lester Holt in Tehran aired on Tuesday (Sep 12, 2023), Iranian President, Raisi suggested that the Americans held in Iran would go home soon, saying that the US-Iran prisoner exchange deal would be completed in “due time” and that the American detainees were in “very healthy” condition.
*** NBC News' Lester Holt
Well, thank you for agreeing to this interview. A lot to talk about. I want to begin with the five Americans. Can you give me an update on their conditions and when they’ll be released?
*** Iranian President:
In the name of Allah, the most compassionate, the most merciful, all peace belongs to God. And oh, Allah, please send peace to our prophet, the master of the worlds. In line with a humanitarian action, we have been intending to swap prisoners. We believe that those who are today, I mean, the Iranians who are imprisoned in the U.S. today, they are not imprisoned fairly. And they should be released as soon as possible. So we take actions in order to free them. And accordingly, an agreement regarding the swap of prisoners with the U.S. prisoners who are imprisoned in Iran, and of course the Iranians who are imprisoned in the U.S. So in a humanitarian action between Iran and the U.S. is being done. We can say that it should be done in due time. The arrangements have been done, and the final action of swapping the prisoners should be finalized in the due time.
*** NBC News' Lester Holt :
But back to the question of their conditions. Are they healthy? Are they well?
*** Iranian President:
Yes. They are very healthy. And according to our latest information, they are in full health. When it comes to conditions in Iran for prisoners, if you compare it with the conditions in the United States in the prisons, so the conditions here are much appropriate. According to our reports in the U.S., prisoners are not in good conditions. But in Iran, we provide them with good conditions. And according to our latest information, these American prisoners are in good health.
*** NBC News' Lester Holt :
That said, the United States says these Americans are being held unjustly. That they had committed no crimes. That they were imprisoned in a notorious prison known for its poor conditions. How do you respond to that?
*** Iranian President:
Our studies show that, of course, they have some files here. They are in the court. Investigations are being done about these persons. And some of them have been sentenced. And, of course, these sentences have been approved at the highest judicial levels. And whatever the Americans claim, that these persons are imprisoned unjustly, of course these claims are rejected. And, of course, their claims have been verified by the court.
*** NBC News' Lester Holt :
I want to ask you about the deal. $6 billion that Iran has, its own money for humanitarian purposes. There are many in the United States, members of Congress, who have raised concerns that this is a ransom. That this is appeasement of Iran. That it will only encourage Iran to take Americans and other circumstances and falsely accuse them. What’s your response to that?
*** Iranian President:
Just from the beginning, we have been intending to release the Iranian frozen assets which have been unjustly frozen by the United States to free them. We believe that this American action was very unjust just from the beginning. It has imposed further pressure on the Iranian people. And we believe that we believe that sanctions are some instruments, including military instruments. And freezing the Iranian assets and stopping them and blocking them from the access of the Iranian government is an unfair action against the Iranian people. And it’s an economic war. So just from the beginning, we have been intending to free our frozen assets. And as soon as possible, these assets are sent to the Iranian accounts. This isn’t right. This unjust action should be compensated.
The issue of prisoners, I told you, that they have been sentenced. Sometimes we are doing investigations. The judges are not verified yet, so the cases are under investigation. But these persons have been sentenced. These sentences are definite and final. So the U.S. should stop its hostile actions against the Iranian people and Iranian country. So the Iranian frozen assets should be, and should have been, released much earlier.
*** NBC News' Lester Holt :
We are sitting here, Mr. President, at nearly the one-year anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini, a young woman who was arrested by the morality police for allegedly improperly wearing her head covering. The response, the government response to the protesters was swift and it was brutal in the eyes of many. Humanitarian groups say at least 500 people were killed, perhaps many young people. Thousands, tens of thousands, were arrested. That there were people executed or put on death row. Journalists who were rounded up. What message did that send to the rest of the world how Iran handled those protests?
*** Iranian President:
It was an incident. And of course the same incidents happen in different U.S. cities. For men, for women, for the Indians, for colored skins. The same incidents happen every day in the U.S. and in the European cities. This was an incident. The Islamic Republic of Iran responded swiftly and followed the issue. In order to probe into the incident, I personally myself had a meeting with the family of Mahsa Amini.
I contacted the family and I promised them to follow this issue. We started our probes, our investigation, judicial investigations. We, in detail, provided people with the info medical information. And all judicial actions and information were provided to people. And her family were provided with the information. But I would like to mention the fact that there were some countries, as some European countries and the U.S., were making use of this incident as a project against the Islamic Republic of Iran.
It was a hybrid war and a cognitive war. It was a political war. It was an economic war, a media war, and a psychological war against the Islamic Republic of Iran. They tried to they did not care about Madam Amini. Neither human rights, nor the nuclear talks and nuclear issues that you pointed out. They are hostile with the system of the Islamic Republic of Iran. They believe that with the death of Madam Amini, there were some conditions to show that hostility with the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Accordingly, those who leave.. who left the negotiation table in JCPOA was not Iran. It was the U.S., there were the European countries. And of course they pin their hopes on protests. They say that Iran was like other countries. In order to destabilize country through tensions. Look at our region or different countries. This is an American approach. They destabilize the country under the pretext of human rights. Are they concerned about human rights in the U.S.?
As a media, you saw the U.S. people who are listening to our words, they should investigate the incidents in the U.S., in the U.K., which are happening in France today. What is the treatment of the those governments, the French government with these incidents? What is happening on their streets? And what the Islamic Republic of Iran took in this regard, those who carried out terrors in the country, destruction in the country, who are forces of foreigners in the country, it was a totally different story from the protesters.
Fortunately, the Iranian people foiled the tensions in the country. There was protesters. Like any place in the world, there were some demands. We tolerated them. And even our Supreme Leader issued amnesty for those persons because we believe there was some ignorance. They had been beguiled.
Of course this is not happening in the U.S. But the Islamic Republic of Iran did it out of its generosity. But those who carried out terror, who have killed individuals, who have attacked police and security forces, who had made some destruction in the country, of course we did not have mercy upon them. It was a totally different story. They were very limited. They have been brought to justice. Only the Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to listen to the protesters’ voice. So in our statements, in our position, you can see everybody in the country is free to make their statements. Again, freedom of speech.
We have the freedom of writing and press in the country. So the Islamic Republic of Iran last year managed this issue very well. That despite the fact that the U.S. has some, and the European countries, despite all international the rules and regulations and law, they very openly supported the protesters.
The Americans openly extended their supports to those who were trying to destabilize the country. What was a permit for the U.S.? This is a question which should be asked by the U.S. nation from the U.S. administration. How can you support those who are try to destabilize Iran? These persons carried out terror in the country. The U.S. people as should ask the U.S. administration why they supported ISIS. ISIS is beheading individuals. They are destroying homes. These are questions that the U.S. people should ask from the U.S. government.
Why U.S. occupied Afghanistan for more than 20 years. And out of these 20 years of presence in Afghanistan, only 35,000 disabled children were created in the country. So intellectuals in the world should ask the dominant system in the world that the U.S. president did wrong in Afghanistan or in different parts of the world. What kind of security has been established? You have created only destability, tension, disorder. The U.S. and some European countries believe that Iran was very similar to other countries. And would have been successful here. They forgot that the revolution, the Islamic revolution in Iran, was strong (UNINTEL) which would be very resistant against these kind of movements.
*** NBC News' Lester Holt :
I have other topics, but I want to ask one more question on this. If on Saturday, the anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s death, if there are protests to commemorate that date, would the security forces crack down in the same way?
*** Iranian President:
So, do you know that are there going to be any protests in the country?
*** NBC News' Lester Holt :
I don’t know. There are reports that the government has taken actions to quiet activists ahead of that date. Can you comment on that?
*** Iranian President:
You should be assured that the Islamic Republic of Iran has always been ready to listen to words of protesters. On any issue, we are all ears. And those who intend to abuse Madam Amini’s name, under this pretext are agent of foreigners who want to create this instability in the country, we know what would happen to them. And they know that endangering the security of people and security of society will create a big cost.
*** NBC News' Lester Holt :
Let me turn to the issue of the war in Ukraine, and Russia, and drones. Can you be as clear as you can about what Iran’s military relationship is with Russia right now, especially as it pertains to drones, Iranian drones?
*** Iranian President:
We have connections with different countries: economic relations, trade relations. With Russia, we have trade and economic relations. We have defensive relations and defense cooperation. The claim which is made about Iran and delivery of military equipment, what like has been flowing from the U.S. to Ukraine, like the weakened uranium which is sent to Ukraine, the Islamic Republic of Iran, on different occasions, has stated that we, before the start of the Russia-Ukraine War, we had defense cooperation in different defense sectors with Russia, in different trade and economic economic sectors. We had and we have no role in Russia-Ukraine War.
We are against war, and we have always said that we stand ready to mediate in this regard to stop the war between Russia and Ukraine. We believe that those who are who sending weapons to Ukraine, they don’t want to see the end of the war.
When one time, Mr. Putin visited Iran, I asked him about his ideas about war. He told me that the U.S. was not interested in ending the war. Then Mr. Putin told me that the U.S., by expanding the NATO to where it is, they start the war, and they are benefiting from the Ukraine War today.
Certainly and definitely, we are against war. And on different occasions, if there are any documents or proofs regarding the role of Iran and Iranian delivery of weaponaries to Ukraine, they should provide us. And even in Oman, we had a meeting. And, of course, we agreed that the other side would provide us with the documents regarding Iran’s role in delivery of the weaponaries. We have been waiting, but we had received no documents.
*** NBC News' Lester Holt :
Ukraine claims it’s shot down perhaps two dozen Iranian-made drones. They have recovered wreckage and linked it to Iran. Do you reject that, what the U.S. calls I think, undeniable proof?
I have followed this issue. And I had some conversations with Eastern European country officials. I asked Ukraine if they have any documents they should provide us. I sent a message, so, to provide us with the documents. We had a meeting in a third country, in Oman. We had the meeting. They till now have failed in providing us any documents regarding Iran’s role in delivery of the weaponaries to the Ukrainian war by Iran.
*** NBC News' Lester Holt :
Do you think that President Putin has been weakened by the war in Ukraine?
*** Iranian President:
We should have a correct assessment of the war. This assessment requires of identifying the conditions correctly and to study the conditions of the U.S. and European countries in supporting Ukraine. So, we should have a comprehensive assessment in this regard.
I believe that Americans intend to to sell their weaponaries in this regard and, at the same time, to realize their own objectives. And, in fact, the European countries are the victims in this regard, because the European people are suffering the highest. In winter, they are suffering the coldness, in hard winters. And that they are receiving the highest suffering. So, I believe that it’s in favor of everyone to end this war as soon as possible.
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