State Department Still Won’t Say What Came First the Money or the Hostages

The State Department is still ducking questions over whether the $400 million payment to Iran arrived before the hostages were released, which many argue would be de facto proof that the payment constituted a ransom payment.

"Claims that our freed Americans were not allowed to depart Iran until plain full of cash landed anywhere, are false," spokesman Elizabeth Trudeau said Monday. "As U.S. officials have previously publicly discussed, there was a delay with in citizens being released that day that had nothing to do do with the Hague settlement. It was related to resolving some last minute issues."

On Friday, the State Department's Mark Toner likewise refused to say whether the payment was a precondition of the hostages' release.