Trump Criticizes Clinton's Policies Towards Iran Again

Donald Trump, the Republican candidate in the U.S. elections, has once again criticized Hillary Clinton, the Democratic candidate, for her policies towards Iran during a recent speech in Florida. Mr. Trump, who is known for opposing the nuclear deal and the policies of Barack Obama's administration towards Iran, stated that Ms. Clinton was the initiator of negotiations that ultimately led to the nuclear agreement. According to the Republican candidate, these negotiations resulted in 'the payment of $1.7 billion in ransom for the release of American hostages.' Trump's reference is to the payment of a suspended military contract following the 1979 revolution and the interest accrued from its delay to Tehran, which coincided with the release of several Iranian-American prisoners in Iran. This payment and the release of the prisoners occurred during John Kerry's tenure as Secretary of State, but the Democratic candidate believes that the key to this issue was set a period before Mr. Kerry, when Hillary Clinton was Secretary of State in Obama's administration. Republicans have repeatedly criticized the payment made simultaneously with the release of prisoners, with some claiming it was 'paying ransom' to Tehran. The Obama administration has emphatically rejected these claims, stating that the payment was made to prevent increased penalties and damages resulting from it. However, U.S. officials have stated that they withheld the payment until the release of the dual-national prisoners. During his speech on October 25 (Iran time), Donald Trump also brought up the imprisonment and sentencing of two other Iranian-American citizens: Siamak and Baqer Namazi. This father and son, who were arrested in Iran in November and March of the previous year, have each been sentenced to 10 years in prison despite repeated requests from the U.S. for their release. Donald Trump claims that Iran is demanding 'billions in ransom' for the release of these two individuals. The Republican candidate did not provide details or evidence for his statements, and there was no reference to sources from which this information came in the text of his speech on his website. He also stated that all of this is a 'humiliation' for the U.S., rooted in the period of Ms. Clinton's tenure as Secretary of State. Hillary Clinton, the Democratic candidate, is a supporter of the nuclear agreement between Washington and five other world powers and Tehran. She has emphasized that she will not trust Iran and that Tehran will be held accountable for any violations, and if necessary, she will use force in this regard. Clinton is also among those who have supported increasing sanctions on Iran in the event of what she calls 'provocations' from Tehran. The Democratic candidate has not reacted to Trump's recent statements. In this context, an ABC poll shows that Clinton is leading Trump by 12 percent. Donald Trump stated that he will accept the election results if he wins and that he will sue all those who have made sexual allegations against him.