World
‘Not a ransom’: White House defends US-Iran prisoner swap deal
The White House on Wednesday defended a US-Iran prisoner swap deal that has drawn criticism from Republicans, saying Iran gets no US sanctions relief from the deal.
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The United States on Monday waived sanctions to allow the transfer of $6 billion in Iranian funds from South Korea to Qatar, a step needed to carry out a previously announced US-Iran prisoner swap, according to a US document seen by Reuters.
“This is not a payment of any kind. It’s not a ransom. These aren’t US taxpayer dollars. We haven’t lifted a single one of our sanctions on Iran,” John Kirby, the White House national security spokesperson, told reporters.
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