The U.S. Did Not Send $400 Million to Iran Until Prisoners Were Released from Tehran

The American newspaper Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing government officials and informed sources, that the U.S. did not allow the transfer of $400 million to Iran until three Iranian-American prisoners were released from Tehran. According to American officials and informed sources, on January 17, the U.S. government did not permit an Iranian plane carrying $400 million to take off from Geneva until the Swiss Air flight carrying the three prisoners departed from Tehran. The Wall Street Journal reported on August 4 that the Obama administration sent an equivalent of $400 million in cash to Tehran simultaneously with the release of Iranian-American prisoners from Iranian jails. This money was delivered to Iran in the form of euros, Swiss francs, and other currencies. Iranian officials state that the $400 million payment from the U.S. is 'part of the account for military purchases from the previous regime,' which was paid to Iran based on a ruling by the International Court of Justice. Following Republican criticisms regarding the $400 million payment to Iran, President Barack Obama stated that following the ruling of the International Court of Justice regarding Iran's frozen assets, lawyers and legal advisors recommended that this money be paid; otherwise, billions of dollars in damages would need to be paid to Iran in the future. Obama asserted that the U.S. did not pay a ransom to Iran for the release of the hostages, and the issue of the $400 million payment was announced in January. However, the Wall Street Journal notes that American officials have not publicly stated when and how this money was transferred to Iran. Nevertheless, the newspaper cites American officials saying that an Iran Air plane loaded the money in euros, Swiss francs, and other currencies at Geneva Airport. An American official told the Wall Street Journal, 'Our priority was to bring the Americans home.' Other informed sources told the newspaper that when the plane carrying the three Iranian-American prisoners was allowed to take off from Tehran, then the Iranians were granted access to the $400 million. Meanwhile, the Tasnim news agency reported on June 12 of this year on how the exchange of Iranian-American prisoners and the payment of $400 million took place. Tasnim reported that the plane carrying $400 million and the plane carrying the prisoners took off simultaneously from Tehran and Geneva. Additionally, two days ago, the Weekly Standard reported, citing some sources, that the complete settlement of a $1.7 billion debt owed by the U.S. to Iran occurred a few weeks after the payment of $400 million to Tehran. Before the discussions intensified in the U.S. on this issue, Iranian television on February 15 of last year announced in a documentary titled 'The Rule of the Game' that Iran received $1.7 billion for the release of four Iranian-American citizens, which included the principal and interest of the $400 million from its assets that had been frozen in the U.S. 35 years ago. In this film, images were shown indicating that $400 million in cash was transferred to Iran, and the U.S. committed to paying part of the interest on this money while also pledging to pay the remaining interest. Jason Rezaian, Amir Mirzaei Hekmati, and Saeed Abedini, three Iranian-American prisoners, along with Yeganeh Salehi, Mary Rezaian, the wife and mother of Jason Rezaian, left Tehran on a Swiss Air flight. In this context, two American senators have called for the Obama administration to explain the details of the $400 million payment to Iran. Republican senators have demanded details about the cash payment to Iran. Shamkhani stated that the receipt of Iran's $400 million claim from the U.S. had nothing to do with nuclear negotiations. Obama stated that the payment of $400 million to Iran was previously disclosed and was not confidential. The Obama administration denied that the payment of '$400 million in ransom' to Iran was in exchange for the release of dual-national prisoners.