Yasmine Pahlavi (Reza’s wife) posted on her social media site:
Obama “said he didn’t interfere in Iran protests while president because he didn’t want the young unarmed youth dying in the streets to seem like stooges of the U.S. Oddly, he did not have the same reservations when he sent billions to the Regime. Sorry to question the democrat messiah, but I must.”
Reza Pahlavi during an international media conference, said that money needs to be supplied to laborers who are on strike, and a temporary gov’t should be set up now, for after the fall of the regime.
If Khamenei is truly dying of cancer, the IRGC will swoop in and take over in a military junta when he is incapcitated at the end. It’s thought that they will give some social freedoms in order to appease the public.
Back in 2022, your old Comment #7, which I am reading today for the first time said, “he [Obama] did not have the same reservations [when he did not interfere in Iran protests] when he sent billions to the Regime. Sorry to question the democrat messiah, but I must.”
I too was surprised then that the money was going, but I also realized there was probably some one or more valid reasons to do so. Today I decided to see how much AI knows, so here it is.
“AI Overview:
==The Obama administration did not send “new” U.S. taxpayer money to Iran in 2016. Instead, the payment consisted of old money—specifically, a $400 million principal that Iran had paid into a U.S.-managed trust fund for military equipment prior to the 1979 Iranian Revolution, plus $1.3 billion in interest.
*Here are the key details regarding the settlement:
—Failed 1979 Arms Deal: The money was part of a settlement to resolve a decades-old dispute at the Iran-U.S. Claims Tribunal in The Hague. Iran had paid for U.S. military equipment that was never delivered after the Shah was overthrown in 1979.
—The Total Amount ($1.7 Billion): The total settlement included the $400 million principal and $1.3 billion in interest (a “compromise” amount agreed upon rather than a higher interest payment a tribunal might have ordered).
—”Pallets of Cash”: The payment was made in cash (euros, Swiss francs, and other foreign currencies) and flown to Iran on an unmarked cargo plane. The Obama administration stated this was necessary because international sanctions still in place at the time prohibited Iran from using the formal global banking system.
—Prisoner Release Correlation: The initial $400 million cash delivery occurred on January 17, 2016, the same day Iran released four American prisoners and the same weekend the Iran Nuclear Deal was implemented.
—Leverage vs. Ransom: While the Obama administration denied the payment was a “ransom,” officials later admitted the delivery was intentionally delayed until the prisoners were safely released to ensure “maximum leverage”.’”
More from AI Deep Dive:
“==In 2016, the Obama administration transferred $1.7 billion to Iran, which was composed of old money belonging to Iran that had been frozen since 1979.
The payment was a settlement for a decades-old legal dispute over a failed arms deal between the U.S. and the Shah of Iran.
*Breakdown of the $1.7 Billion Payment:
—$400 Million (The Principal): This was the original amount Iran had paid into a U.S. trust fund for military equipment (specifically fighter jet parts) before the 1979 Revolution. The equipment was never delivered after the revolution, and the U.S. had held the funds since then.
—$1.3 Billion (The Interest): This portion represented the accumulated interest on that $400 million over the 37 years it was held by the U.S..
*Key Details of the Transfer:
—Form of Payment: The total amount was delivered in cash (specifically foreign currencies like euros and Swiss francs) because U.S. sanctions prohibited direct dollar transfers to Iranian banks.
—Source of Funds: The $1.3 billion in interest was paid from the U.S. Treasury’s Judgment Fund, a permanent account used to pay court judgments and settlements against the federal government.
—The “Ransom” Controversy: While the administration maintained the payment settled a long-standing claim at The Hague Tribunal, the timing of the first $400 million shipment coincided with the release of several American prisoners. U.S. officials later admitted the money was used as “leverage” to ensure the prisoners were allowed to leave.
—Broader Context: This $1.7 billion settlement was separate from the $50 billion to $150 billion in Iranian assets that were unfrozen globally as part of the Iran Nuclear Deal (JCPOA). Those funds were also Iran’s own money (mostly oil revenue) held in foreign banks, not new U.S. taxpayer money.”
Thus this whole issue was from the old Shah of Iran who died here during Cancer treatment, an unsettled debt that belonged to the country of Iran which was long withheld because of how the new rulers behaved in the start of their power (kidnap 44 US Embassy personnel for many months). So fortunately, no US taxes, yours or mine, were part of this business deal. ;-)