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.

"We do not pay ransom for hostages," Obama said on Aug. 5, asserting that the money was the first installment of a $1.7 billion settlement and noting that his administration disclosed the deal in January and the media reported on it. "It wasn't a secret. We were completely open about it."

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