White House defends US-Iran prisoner swap deal
The Iranian and US flags are seen printed on paper in this illustration taken on Jan 27, 2022.
PHOTO: Reuters
PUBLISHED ONSeptember 14, 2023 1:11 AM
WASHINGTON - The White House on Wednesday (Sept 13) defended a US-Iran prisoner swap deal that has drawn criticism from Republicans, saying Iran gets no US sanctions relief from the deal.
The United States on Monday waived sanctions to allow the transfer of US$6 billion (S$8 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 it 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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