Another $1.3 billion in interest was transferred in two payments on January 22, 2016 and February 5, 2016, congressional officials briefed by the U.S. Departments of State, Justice and the Treasury said this week.
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On Tuesday, the Obama administration finally admitted something its critics had long suspected: The entire $1.7 billion tribute paid to Iran was tendered in cash – not just the initial $400 million infamously shipped to the Iranians in a cargo plane – at the same moment four American hostages were released.
“If this report is confirmed, Americans will face the reality that they live in a world where Iran’s terrorist proxies have access to $1.3 billion more in untraceable cash, on top of the $400 million cash payment the administration has already confirmed”, Cotton said in a statement.
Republicans said they were trying to get to the bottom of whether a $400 million cash payment from the U.S.to Iran for settlement of a longstanding dispute was actually a ransom payment for the release of five Americans held captive by the Iranian government.
Sen. James Lankford sent a letter to President Barack Obama on Thursday seeking more details about the $1.7 billion in cash payments made to Iran this year.
Audio clip: Listen to audio clip. -Demands transparency on any future settlements with Iran-to ensure they are not used to pay ransom.
The State Department said Wednesday that the cash nature of the payments was not immediately revealed to protect the privacy of the nations that assisted in the transactions.
She said after the hearing she was “absolutely” more anxious about his safety and that of Americans in uniform or overseas because of the appearance of these payments. Officials say this was to settle a decades-old arbitration claim, but GOP lawmakers maintain it was effectively “ransom” paid to secure the release of four Americans.
“We haven’t been as specific about the mechanism of the payment for the 1.3 billion in interest other than to say we had a similar arrangement with a central bank”, said Josh Earnest, the White House Press Secretary. The State Department also agreed to pay Iran’s government $1.3 billion in interest. Reporter: Well, they said they were paying Iran, but certainly nothing about plane-loads of cash, David.
“If the White House could only send cash to Iran from the start of the JPOA period through the Tribunal payment that could amount to a grant total of 33.6 billion”, he said.
The administration’s evolving explanation has brought attention to the full range of financial transfers made to Iran stretching back to 2014.
In his January 17 announcement, Obama cast the payment as a favorable settlement of Iran’s claim for its 1979 payment.
Dubowitz said a portion of the money was probably distributed in cash and other assets.
“This was not a prisoner-for-cash deal”, Backemeyer said.
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Although Washington has maintained that no ransom was paid to Iran, a few weeks back it acknowledged that the money was used as a leverage to ensure the release of the U.S. citizens.
