I trust you realized that my post was sarcasm.
There can be no question: it was ransom pure and simple.
Paying the Iranians has put a bounty on the head of every American abroad.
Most assuredly no sarcasm tag was needed.
I just tried to think it through, and if it wasn’t payment for the hostages, why payou PART of the 1.3 (1.7?) billion dollars? Why not pay it all, or pay none of it?