The White House, however, has pushed back on claims that the U.S. paid a ransom for the release of the prisoners, saying the money was part of a longstanding financial dispute with Iran from before the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
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In a move that probably surprises no one, the State Department admitted that the US paid Iran $400 million cash once the four American hostages were released.
Thursday’s explanation was the first time the US had so clearly linked the two events, which critics have painted as a hostage-ransom arrangement.
“He denied it was for the hostages, but it was”, Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee said at an election rally in North Carolina.
“We don’t pay ransom”, Kirby said, also noting that, “there were opportunities we took advantage of, and as a result we got American citizens back home”.
The admittance by the State Department’s John Kirby “cements Hillary Clinton’s role in crafting disastrous policies that have led to a more unsafe world”, said Trump spokesman Jason Miller.
The U.S. Department of State admitted for the first time Thursday that a $400 million payment the government made to Iran earlier this year did have some correlation to Tehran’s release of three detained Americans on the same day. Both events occurred on January 17. This news story is related to Latest/143610-US-sought-leverage-with-400-mn-payment-to-Iran/ – breaking news, latest news, pakistan ne.
It was the first time the administration has said publicly that it used the payment as leverage to ensure the prisoners were released by Iran.
The detained Americans were released in January in exchange for Iranians detained in the United States for sanctions violations, and was at the time touted by the USA as a sign of warming relations resulting from the agreement on Iran’s nuclear agreement.
President Barack Obama’s administration said previously the payment was made to settle a decades-old arms deal and had no relationship to the detainees. The fourth American left on a commercial flight.
The money comes from an account used by the Iranian government to buy American military equipment in the days of the shah.
The payment, part of a $1.7 billion settlement of a decades-long legal dispute before an global tribunal in The Hague, was announced on January 17, a day after Tehran freed the four Americans and on the same weekend that United Nations sanctions against Iran were lifted.
USA sought ´leverage´ with $400 mn payment to Iran was posted in World of TheNews International – https://www.thenews.com.pk on August 19, 2016 and was last updated on August 19, 2016. USA officials have said they expected an imminent ruling on the claim and settled with Tehran instead.
The hostages released included Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian, former U.S. Marine Amir Hekmati and pastor Saeed Abedini. USA officials had pinned the delays on difficulties finding Rezaian’s wife and mother, and ensuring they could depart Iran with him.
Republican leaders in Congress have said they are planning to hold hearings on the cash transfer in September.
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