President Trump repeatedly claimed that the Obama administration gave Iran $150 billion. This fact-check reveals that the $150 billion figure is inaccurate. The funds were Iranian assets frozen due to sanctions, not U.S. taxpayer money. Various sources indicate the amount of easily accessible funds was significantly lower, ranging from $25 billion to $50 billion, with much of the remaining sum being illiquid or otherwise inaccessible.
In addition to the $150 billion claim, Trump refers to a separate $1.7 billion cash payment. This transaction, while having its own context and potential controversy, should not be conflated with the primary claim.
The fact-check assigns Trump's statement a “Four Pinocchios” rating, the highest level of falsity, highlighting two key issues: the inflated $150 billion figure and the false assertion that it was U.S. taxpayer money.
The article cites the Treasury Department, which stated that much of the frozen funds were illiquid, and Iranian estimates, which placed the accessible amount even lower. An economics professor's analysis also supports this conclusion.
Trump's claim is demonstrably false, both in the overstated figure and the false characterization of the funds as U.S. taxpayer money.