THE Joe Biden confirmed the release of “innocents Americans” from Iranwhile announcing new sanctions to a former president and the country’s intelligence agency for illegally detaining citizens.

The statement of the American president:

Today, five innocent Americans imprisoned in Iran are finally returning home.

Siamak Namazi, Morad Tahbaz, Emad Sharghi and two civilians will soon be reunited with their loved ones—after years of anguish, uncertainty and suffering. I am grateful to our partners at home and abroad for their tireless efforts to help us achieve this result, including the governments of Qatar, Oman, Switzerland and South Korea.

I give special thanks to the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad, and the Sultan of Oman, Haitham bin Tariq, who both helped facilitate this agreement during many months of difficult and essential American diplomacy.

As we celebrate the return of these Americans, we also remember those who did not. I call on the Iranian regime to give a full account of what happened to Bob Levinson. The Levinson family deserves answers. Today, we are sanctioning former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence under the Levinson Act for their involvement in illegal detentions. And, we will continue to impose costs on Iran for its provocative actions in the region.

The president also urged Americans to avoid travel to the country, which has repeatedly imprisoned US citizens:

And as we welcome home our fellow citizens, I once again remind all Americans of the grave dangers of traveling to Iran. US passport holders should not travel there.

The US State Department has a long-standing travel warning stating: “Do not travel to Iran due to the risk of kidnapping and arbitrary arrest and detention of US citizens.” All Americans should heed these words and have no expectation that their release can be secured if they do not.