Republicans up pressure over Iran ‘ransom’ amid admission US paid $1.7B in cash

Amid new revelations that the U.S. actually forked over $1.7 billion to Iran in foreign hard currency around the time four American prisoners were released – far more than the $400 million initially reported – the Obama administration is facing renewed pressure from Congress to explain the payment that Republicans have called “ransom.”

With Congress back from the summer recess, already one committee has a hearing on the transaction scheduled for Thursday. Republicans introduced at least two pieces of legislation on Tuesday meant to crack down on such payments.

And the Donald Trump campaign is seizing on the latest revelations to hammer the administration and his Democratic opponent.

“President Obama’s secret $400 million ransom payment to Iran already set an incredibly dangerous precedent, and news that it was followed by two more plane loads of cash only makes this blunder even worse,” Trump spokesman Jason Miller said in a statement. “Hillary Clinton’s support for President Obama’s approach to Iran, including the deeply flawed nuclear deal she helped spearhead, reflects the same bad judgment that characterized her foreign policy decision-making as Secretary of State.”

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