Donald Trump ripped at news on Wednesday that the United States transferred $400 million in cash funds to Iran last January alongside Tehran’s release of four American hostages and implementation of its landmark nuclear agreement with world powers.
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US officials characterized the payment as part of a $1.7 billion settlement with Iran over a longstanding dispute over a 1970s arms deal that only coincidentally occurred at the same time the prisoners were released.
The funds were part of a trust fund Iran used before its 1979 Islamic Revolution to buy USA military equipment that was tied up for decades in litigation at the tribunal.
Earnest was peppered with questions throughout Wednesday’s press briefing about the cash transfer first reported on by the Wall Street Journal.
Earnest denied a link between the airlift of cash and Iran’s release of American prisoners on the same day. “So this all came to a head at the same time because we are addressing and resolving longstanding concerns with Iranian behavior and the benefits are nearly too long to mention”.
Earnest said “the fact of the matter is that the USA doesn’t have a banking relationship with Iran” because of continued concerns about Iran’s “nefarious” behavior in the realm of terrorism and human rights, among other issues.
“The US has violated its obligations over the nuclear deal and is busy destroying Iran’s economic ties with other countries”, Khamenei said. The equipment was never provided, Earnest said, because the shah was overthrown.
In response to the report, a Department of Justice spokesman said in a statement: “The Department of Justice fully supported the ultimate outcome of the Administration’s resolution of several issues with Iran, including Hague settlement efforts, as well as the return of USA citizens detained in Iran”.
The restrictions bar USA companies as well as worldwide companies from undertaking business transactions with Iran’s government.
A senior State Department official also responded by saying that the payment had been fully an interagency decision and that any idea that the State Department had the power to overrule was false. But the agreement has been criticized by both republican and democratic politicians.
“Our incompetent Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, was the one who started talks to give 400 million dollars, in cash, to Iran”. While Trump said the JCPOA requires the U.S. come to Iran’s aid should the state be attacked, the agreement includes no such requirement.
White House officials said Wednesday the payment was not a ransom, but rather repayment of money owed to Iran for a canceled arms deal four decades ago.
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