U.S. Acknowledges Cash Payment to Iran Was ‘Leverage’ in Prisoner Release
The Obama administration said for the first time on Thursday that its $400 million cash payment to Iran in January was used as “leverage” to gain the release of American prisoners, fueling criticism that the exchange amounted to the U.S. paying ransom.
State Department spokesman John Kirby confirmed that the U.S. refused to allow Iran to take possession of the cash until a plane carrying the freed Americans had taken off from Tehran.
“If you’re asking me was there a connection in that regard, at the endgame, I’m not going to deny that,” Mr. Kirby said at a State Department news briefing.
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