Technically, it wasn’t “their” money. It was frozen assets of the secular Imperial State of Iran, some of which had been tendered to the U.S. for arms purchases. As the Imperial State of Iran no longer existed, there was no one to return the money to.
Previous administrations wisely declined to return the money to the Islamic government in Iran because (a) It wasn’t their money and (b) they would use it to kill Americans and in their attempt to destroy Isreal.
The thought was too return the money to the Iran should it ever cast off the Islamic government.
Then along came Mr. Genius.
And so it ends, not with a bang, but a whimper.
Actually, POTUS was referring to the cargo plane loads of massive pallets of cold, hard currency as well.