The US government did not transfer $400 million to Iran in exchange for the release of four US citizens, US State Department spokesman John Kirby said Wednesday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)�� The Wall Street Jounral reported earlier in�the day that wooden pallets stacked with�euros, Swiss francs and other currencies were flown into�Iran on�an unmarked cargo plane, as�the US law forbids transacting US dollars with�Iran. At the same time, the United States was negotiating a prisoner exchange with�Iran, raising doubts among�Republicans that money had changed hands to�guarantee the release as�a ransom payment."The funds that were transferred to�Iran were related solely to�the settlement of�a long-standing claim at�the U.S.-Iran Claims Tribunal at�The Hague," Kirby said, as�quoted by�the Fox News.

In January, the United States transferred the first installment in�a $1.7 billion settlement the Obama administration reached with�Iran to�resolve a failed 1979 arms deal dating from�before the Iranian Revolution, which was negotiated in�the framework of�the Iran-US Tribunal. According to�the Wall Street Journal, the Obama administration actually secretly organized an airlift of $400 million worth of�cash to�Iran that coincided with�the January release of�four Americans detained in�Tehran.
"The negotiations over�the [arms deal] settlement�were completely separate from�the discussions about�returning our American citizens home. Not only were the two negotiations separate, they were conducted by�different teams on�each side," Kirby added.


The four US nationals who had been arrested and imprisoned in�Iran were released on�January 16. In return, the Obama administration agreed to�release seven Iranians either jailed or facing charges in�the United States.

The Iran-United States Claims Tribunal was established in�January 1981 to�resolve the hostage crisis, but�has continued its work since. To date, the Tribunal has finalized over�3,900 cases.

By Sputnik News