U.S. says payment to Iran used as leverage for prisoners' releaseWASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department said on Thursday it released $400 million in cash to Iran under a tribunal settlement only once it was assured that American prisoners had been freed and had boarded a plane. “The payment of the $400 million was not done until after the prisoners were released,” State Department spokesman John Kirby told reporters. “We took advantage of that to make sure we had the maximum leverage possible to get our people out and get them out safely,” Kirby added. It was the first time the administration has said publicly that it used the payment as leverage to ensure the prisoners were released by Iran. Three of the five prisoners, including Jason Rezaian, the Washington Posts’s Tehran bureau chief; Saeed Abedini, a pastor from Idaho and Amir Hekmati, a former U.S. Marine from Flint, Michigan, as well as some family members, were part of a prisoner exchange that followed the lifting of most international sanctions against Iran following a nuclear deal in 2015. One more prisoner, Nosratollah Khosravi-Roodsari, chose to remain in Iran, while a fifth prisoner, American student Matthew Trevithick, was released separately.    Both U.S. President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry have denied that the payment was ransom for the release of the prisoners or tied to the Iran nuclear deal. The White House announced on Jan. 17 it was releasing $400 million in funds frozen since 1981, plus $1.3 billion in interest owed to Iran, as part of a settlement of a long-standing Iranian claim at the Iran-U.S. Claims Tribunal in The Hague. The funds were part of a trust fund Iran used before its 1979 Islamic Revolution to buy U.S. military equipment that was tied up for decades in litigation at the tribunal. The payment was made by the United States in cash due to international sanctions against Iran. The administration has maintained that negotiations over the funds and the prisoners were conducted on separate tracks and were in no way linked. Representative Jason Chaffetz, chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, has asked Kerry to appear at a future committee hearing to discuss the payment. politicsNews
says payment iran used leverage prisoners releasewashington reuters the state department said thursday released million cash iran tribunal settlement assured american prisoners freed boarded plane the payment million done prisoners released state department spokesman john kirby told reporters we took advantage make sure maximum leverage possible get people get safely kirby added it first time administration said publicly used payment leverage ensure prisoners released iran three five prisoners including jason remain washington posts tehran bureau chief seed abiding pastor idaho amir hekmati former marine flint michigan well family members part prisoner exchange followed lifting international sanctions iran following nuclear deal one prisoner nosratollah chose remain iran fifth prisoner american student matthew trevithick released separately both president barack obama secretary state john kerry denied payment ransom release prisoners tied iran nuclear deal the white house announced releasing million funds frozen since plus billion interest owed iran part settlement iranian claim claims tribunal the vague the funds part trust fund iran used islamic revolution buy military equipment tied decades litigation tribunal the payment made united states cash due international sanctions iran the administration maintained negotiations funds prisoners conducted separate tracks way linked representative jason chaffetz chairman house representatives committee oversight government reform asked kerry appear future committee hearing discuss payment politicsnews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: U.S. says payment to Iran used as leverage for prisoners' releaseWASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department said on Thursday it released $400 million in cash to Iran under a tribunal settlement only once it was assured that American prisoners had been freed and had boarded a plane. “The payment of the $400 million was not done until after the prisoners were released,” State Department spokesman John Kirby told reporters. “We took advantage of that to make sure we had the maximum leverage possible to get our people out and get them out safely,” Kirby added. It was the first time the administration has said publicly that it used the payment as leverage to ensure the prisoners were released by Iran. Three of the five prisoners, including Jason Rezaian, the Washington Posts’s Tehran bureau chief; Saeed Abedini, a pastor from Idaho and Amir Hekmati, a former U.S. Marine from Flint, Michigan, as well as some family members, were part of a prisoner exchange that followed the lifting of most international sanctions against Iran following a nuclear deal in 2015. One more prisoner, Nosratollah Khosravi-Roodsari, chose to remain in Iran, while a fifth prisoner, American student Matthew Trevithick, was released separately.    Both U.S. President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry have denied that the payment was ransom for the release of the prisoners or tied to the Iran nuclear deal. The White House announced on Jan. 17 it was releasing $400 million in funds frozen since 1981, plus $1.3 billion in interest owed to Iran, as part of a settlement of a long-standing Iranian claim at the Iran-U.S. Claims Tribunal in The Hague. The funds were part of a trust fund Iran used before its 1979 Islamic Revolution to buy U.S. military equipment that was tied up for decades in litigation at the tribunal. The payment was made by the United States in cash due to international sanctions against Iran. The administration has maintained that negotiations over the funds and the prisoners were conducted on separate tracks and were in no way linked. Representative Jason Chaffetz, chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, has asked Kerry to appear at a future committee hearing to discuss the payment. politicsNews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: says payment iran used leverage prisoners releasewashington reuters the state department said thursday released million cash iran tribunal settlement assured american prisoners freed boarded plane the payment million done prisoners released state department spokesman john kirby told reporters we took advantage make sure maximum leverage possible get people get safely kirby added it first time administration said publicly used payment leverage ensure prisoners released iran three five prisoners including jason remain washington posts tehran bureau chief seed abiding pastor idaho amir hekmati former marine flint michigan well family members part prisoner exchange followed lifting international sanctions iran following nuclear deal one prisoner nosratollah chose remain iran fifth prisoner american student matthew trevithick released separately both president barack obama secretary state john kerry denied payment ransom release prisoners tied iran nuclear deal the white house announced releasing million funds frozen since plus billion interest owed iran part settlement iranian claim claims tribunal the vague the funds part trust fund iran used islamic revolution buy military equipment tied decades litigation tribunal the payment made united states cash due international sanctions iran the administration maintained negotiations funds prisoners conducted separate tracks way linked representative jason chaffetz chairman house representatives committee oversight government reform asked kerry appear future committee hearing discuss payment politicsnews