White House defends Iran prisoner swap, denies ransom claims.
The White House Defends U.S.-Iran Prisoner Swap Deal
The White House on Wednesday defended a U.S.-Iran prisoner swap deal that has drawn criticism from Republicans, emphasizing that Iran receives no U.S. sanctions relief from the agreement.
The United States, in a move necessary to facilitate the previously announced prisoner exchange, waived sanctions on Monday to allow the transfer of $6 billion in Iranian funds from South Korea to Qatar, as revealed in a U.S. document seen by Reuters.
“This is not a payment of any kind. It’s not a ransom. These aren’t U.S. taxpayer dollars. We haven’t lifted a single one of our sanctions on Iran,”
John Kirby, the White House national security spokesperson, told reporters.
Republican lawmakers have criticized the White House for entering into this deal, arguing that it incentivizes Iran to take American hostages.
“I am always glad when Americans are released from captivity,”
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) said Monday. “However, this agreement will entice rogue regimes, like Iran, to take even more Americans hostage. The ayatollah and his henchmen are terrorists and truly represent a terrorist state.”
Source:
Reporting by Jeff Mason and Steve Holland; editing by Jonathan Oatis
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