The Hill: White House: $1.7B Iran payment not 'ransom'
The White House is denying that the $1.7 billion sent to Iran to settle an outstanding claim this weekend was in any way tied to the release of five American prisoners.
GOP critics of the payment are “wrong” to indicate that the payment amounts to "ransom," White House press secretary Josh Earnest said on Tuesday, following a whirlwind weekend that saw a number of milestone developments in the Obama administration’s engagement with Iran.
In addition to the implementation of the international nuclear accord and a prisoner swap to secure the release of five Americans, the Obama administration also sent Iran $1.7 billion that it had been owed for decades.
Roughly $400 million had been sitting in “an escrow account” since the Iranian revolution in 1979, Earnest said on Tuesday.
On Sunday, the U.S. paid that money back, as well as $1.3 billion in interest.
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Update: White House defends $1.7B payment to Iran, denies it was ‘ransom’ for prisoners (Washington Times)
WNU Editor: The White House can deny all that they want that this $1.7 billion has nothing to do with the release of five American prisoners .... but the optics and the timing says otherwise.