Washington Confirms Payment of Interest on Suspended Arms Contract to Iran

A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department and the White House has confirmed that $1.3 billion in interest from a delayed arms contract prior to the revolution in Iran has been paid to Tehran. According to Josh Earnest, the White House spokesperson, this payment was made through central banks other than U.S. central banks. Mark Toner, a spokesperson for the State Department, also stated that he personally cannot confirm who exactly in the Iranian government received this money. Josh Earnest dedicated part of a press Q&A session on September 1 to the topic of Iran, specifically addressing the cash payment coinciding with the release of prisoners and related issues. Earnest also contradicted statements made by another U.S. State Department spokesperson, saying that the $400 million payment was not a 'pressure leverage' on Iran. This $400 million was the amount of the arms contract, which, according to reports, was sent in cash to Tehran via a plane at the time of the release of American prisoners following the nuclear agreement. Previously, John Kirby, a spokesperson for the State Department, had stated that this money was not paid until the prisoners were released: 'We used this opportunity as a maximum pressure leverage to free our citizens and get them [out of Iran].' The White House spokesperson also confirmed that the $1.3 billion in interest from the delayed contract was paid to Iran through unnamed central banks that are not American. According to ABC News, Earnest did not specify whether this money was also paid in cash or through another means. Earnest stated that the U.S. took advantage of the opportunity during negotiations with Iran to resolve some issues between the two sides: 'Our success in three separate negotiations (with Iran) benefited the American people and advanced our interests.' The White House spokesperson stated that the agreements reached with Iran were achieved 'without firing a shot.' In recent weeks, U.S. Republicans have repeatedly criticized the Obama administration for the payment to Iran, accusing the White House of 'paying ransom' for the release of prisoners. The U.S. government has denied these accusations. Barack Obama, the President of the United States, stated in mid-August 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, or else billions of dollars in damages would have to be paid to Iran in the future.