State Department confirms $400 million payment to Iran depended on release of prisoners
The State Department confirmed Thursday that a $400 million cash payment to Iran in January hinged upon the release of American prisoners. Donald Trump originally attacked President Obama and Hillary Clinton for secretly paying a "ransom" to release the prisoners, tweeting that the incident was a "scandal!" But Obama and other top officials denied Trump's suggestion, claiming the money sent to Iran was owed from a dispute in the 1970s; prior to the State Department's announcement Thursday, the prisoner release was originally alleged to be an entirely separate event.
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