Barack Obama Defends Iran Payment, Says Was Not 'Some Nefarious Deal'

Washington: President Barack Obama on Thursday strongly pushed back against criticism that the administration's payment of $400 million in cash to Iran amounted to ransom in exchange for the release of American prisoners.

"We announced these payments in January, many months ago. It wasn't a secret. This wasn't some nefarious deal," Obama said at a press conference at the Pentagon.

He said the United States does not pay ransom for hostages and that the money was not linked to the prisoners' release.

"The reason that we had to give cash is precisely because we are so strict in maintaining sanctions and we do not have a banking relationship with Iran," Obama said. "It is not at all clear to me why it is that cash as opposed to a check or a wire transfer has made this into a news story."