A former US secretary of state has attacked the \u201cblood money\u201d used to help secure the freedom of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, as the payment kicked off a trans-Atlantic row.<\/p>\n
Mike Pompeo also accused the UK of \u201cappeasement\u201d of Iran \u2013 warning the \u00a3393.8m would be used to fund terrorism, not be ringfenced for \u201chumanitarian purposes\u201d as London is claiming.<\/p>\n
The comments reflect anger over the fate of Morad Tahbaz, a US, British and Iranian citizen whom the US was also seeking to release, but who remains in Iran.<\/p>\n
Boris Johnson\u2019s spokesman was forced to deny the UK was \u201cratting\u201d on an agreement not to leave Mr Tahbaz behind, when Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anoosheh Ashoori were freed to fly out.<\/p>\n
Mr Pompeo, who was Donald Trump\u2019s secretary of state, posted his attack on Twitter, saying: \u201cThe UK priced taking & holding its citizens hostage at $530 million.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe prevented paying blood money \u2013 not rewarding hostage-takers. That cash will terrorize Israel, UK & US. Sadly, Iran, w\/Russia & China, is rolling the West.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Pompeo, a possible Republican candidate to run for president in 2024, added: \u201cAppeasement feels good until it fails \u2013 it always does.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Johnson\u2019s spokesman defended the \u00a3393.8m payment, for Chieftain tanks promised to Iran in the 1970s but not delivered, insisting the release of detainees was \u201cnot contingent\u201d on it.<\/p>\n
Asked if the UK had \u201cratting\u201d on its ally, he replied: \u201cNo. We worked closely with US counterparts whenever possible.\u201d<\/p>\n
The clash came as Downing Street also faced questions about how it could be sure that the \u00a3393.8m will fund humanitarian spending, amid scepticism.<\/p>\n
It is expected to be held by a bank as an independent third party, to be released for tightly-defined purposes only, but No 10 insisted no details could be given.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is difficult position because it is confidential, so I\u2019m unable to go into exactly how that money\u2019s been ringfenced for the purchase of humanitarian goods,\u201d the spokesman said.<\/p>\n
He added \u201cthere is rigorous oversight of this process\u201d, but was unable to say who was responsible for that oversight \u2013 saying the confidentiality was \u201cmutually agreed\u201d.<\/p>\n
On Mr Pompeo\u2019s criticism, the spokesman said: \u201cWe\u2019ve always acknowledged this was money that we owed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have said we would settle the IMS debt [a private company International Military Services] in parallel. We have done that. It is not contingent on the release of any detainees.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Tahbaz was released from prison on furlough, but the Iranian government refused to let him leave the country.<\/p>\n
James Cleverly, a Foreign Office minister, said: \u201cHe also has American nationality, which has in the eyes of the Iranians \u2013 not in ours \u2013 made his case more complicated. We will continue to work to secure his release.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A former US secretary of state has attacked the \u201cblood money\u201d used to help secure the freedom of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, as the payment kicked off a trans-Atlantic row. Mike Pompeo also accused the UK of \u201cappeasement\u201d of Iran \u2013 warning the \u00a3393.8m would be used to fund terrorism, not be ringfenced for \u201chumanitarian purposes\u201d as […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":652,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[173],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-651","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n