Republican Senator Accuses Obama Administration of 'Ransom' Payments to Iran

Following the publication of a Wall Street Journal report regarding the simultaneous action of the U.S. in sending $400 million in cash to Iran and the release of American citizens who had been imprisoned in Iran, Republican Senator Mark Kirk accused the Barack Obama administration of 'paying ransom' to Iran. The Washington-based Politico published Senator Kirk's statement on Wednesday, August 4, stating, 'We were right in January 2016 when we said that the government's action in sending $1.7 billion to Iran was a ransom payment.' The statement further emphasizes, 'Paying ransom to kidnappers puts Americans at greater risk.' The Wall Street Journal recently reported, citing American and European officials, that $400 million of the $1.7 billion that the U.S. is supposed to pay Iran due to the non-implementation of a pre-revolutionary arms contract was sent in cash on an anonymous cargo plane to Tehran at the same time as the release of American citizens. This report, however, is accompanied by statements from a senior U.S. official emphasizing that there is no connection between the payment and the release of American citizens in Iran. Nevertheless, congressional Republicans have called for an investigation into this matter. In his statement, Mark Kirk also severely criticized the Obama administration, asserting that the White House's 'appeasement' policies have led Iran to take more American citizens 'hostage,' including Siamak Namazi, his father Baquer Namazi, and Reza Shahini. Siamak Namazi, a former director of strategic planning at Crescent Petroleum, and Baquer Namazi, a former UNICEF representative in several African countries, were arrested in Iran last autumn and winter. Reza Shahini, another American citizen who traveled to Iran to visit his sick mother, was arrested this July. Meanwhile, Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, has attempted to link his Democratic rival to the issue of the $400 million payment to Iran. Mr. Trump tweeted on Wednesday, 'Our incompetent [former] Secretary of State was the one who initiated negotiations to give $400 million in cash to Iran. A scandal!' In this context, Iran released four dual-national Iranian prisoners. Jaberi Ansari stated that the release of the prisoners was not related to the release of Iran's assets. Shamkhani noted that Republicans wanted the prisoners to remain detained until the U.S. elections.