Never forget: Iran government has been holding the US hostage for 40+ years

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The $1.7 billion in cash payments made by the Obama administration to Iran in January 2016 was not a direct payment "to not build nukes," but rather a settlement for a decades-old, failed arms deal from 1979.

Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation +1 The money was derived from two main sources: $400 Million (Principal): This was money the Shah of Iran deposited in a U.S. Foreign Military Sales trust fund in 1979 for military equipment that was never delivered after the Iranian Revolution. $1.3 Billion (Interest): This amount represented interest on that frozen principal, which was settled through the U.S.-Iran Claims Tribunal at The Hague to avoid a potentially larger, more costly penalty.

+3 Key Facts About the Payment The Funding Source: The funds were paid out of the Treasury Department’s Judgment Fund, which is a permanent, indefinite appropriation designed to pay court judgments and settlements against the U.S. government.

The Method: The funds were delivered in foreign currency (Swiss francs, euros, and others) via unmarked cargo planes. The administration stated this was necessary because international sanctions at the time prevented the U.S. from using the traditional banking system to transfer dollars to Iran.

Timing Controversy: The first $400 million installment was delivered on January 17, 2016, the same day that four American citizens were released from Iranian custody, leading to intense debate over whether it constituted a "ransom" payment. The administration maintained that the settlement and the prisoner release were separate, but that they used the leverage of the settlement to ensure the Americans' release.

Unfrozen Assets: In addition to the $1.7 billion settlement, the lifting of sanctions as part of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) allowed Iran to access roughly $100 billion in frozen assets held in foreign banks, according to the Council on Foreign Relations. +6

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What did Obama think Iran would do with the money? Hague or no Hague, he should have told them to pound sand.

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Do you even have a point, or are you just trying to be contrarian by any means possible?

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