Former White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany outlined a timeline of financial transactions between the United States and Iran spanning multiple administrations, beginning with the 2015 nuclear agreement negotiated under President Barack Obama and continuing through later policy decisions involving Iranian funds.

McEnany began by describing how the financial relationship between Washington and Tehran evolved following the Obama administration’s nuclear agreement with Iran.

“Dollars. Now let's look back at how we got here, and to figure it out, we follow the money, starting with President Obama, back in 2015,” McEnany said.

The 2015 agreement, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, lifted certain international sanctions on Iran in exchange for restrictions on the country’s nuclear program. At the time, Obama explained that Iran would regain access to billions of dollars that had been frozen overseas.

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“It is true that if Iran lives up to its commitments, it will gain access to roughly $56 billion of its own money, revenue frozen overseas by other countries,” Obama said.

“Our best analysts expect the bulk of this revenue to go into spending that improves the economy and benefits the lives of the Iranian people,” he added.

Obama also addressed concerns that sanctions relief could strengthen Iran’s influence in the Middle East.

“There is no scenario where sanctions relief turns Iran into the region's dominant power,” Obama said.

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McEnany then referenced a financial transfer that occurred the following year, which became the subject of significant public debate.

“One year later, a $400 million cash transfer was flown out to Iran, and on the exact same day, Iran released four American hostages. CNN called it a possible quid pro quo,” McEnany said.

Coverage at the time included questions from journalists about whether the timing of the payment and the hostage release were connected. CNN anchor Jake Tapper discussed the controversy during a broadcast.

“Continued outrage and controversy over that $400 million cash transfer to Iran by the Obama administration on the same day, four American prisoners were released by Iran the White House denies that the money was a ransom payment,” Tapper said.

“Footage aired on Iranian television, however, purports to show the money arriving in Tehran, and that is raising renewed questions about whether this was a quid pro quo,” Tapper added.

McEnany said additional payments were later reported.

“$400 million was just the tip of the iceberg. One month later, the Wall Street Journal reported the Obama White House sent three different payments to Iran totaling $1.3 billion with a B,” McEnany said.

Following those reports, Obama administration officials publicly defended the nuclear agreement and the financial transfers connected to it. In an interview on CNN, Chris Cuomo questioned then–Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken about the payments.

“First 1.3 billion. Can you verify that number? Is that? How much has been transferred to date?” Cuomo asked.

Blinken responded by defending the nuclear agreement and its broader security objectives.

“Well, I haven't seen the report, but here's, here's what's going on. We achieved a nuclear deal with Iran to prevent it from getting a nuclear weapon. That's made us safer, made countries around the world safer,” Blinken said.

Cuomo also asked whether any payments were linked to the release of American prisoners.

“Was any of the money that's been sent to Iran a quid pro quo to get those Americans freed?” Cuomo asked.

Blinken rejected that suggestion.

“No,” Blinken said.

Cuomo pressed further.

“You're 100% sure,” Cuomo said.

“Absolutely,” Blinken replied.

Cuomo followed up with another question about reports of cash deliveries.

“So all these discussions about the planes and the money that's just spin,” Cuomo said.

Blinken again dismissed the claim.

“Absolutely,” he said.

McEnany then moved forward to developments that occurred during the Biden administration.

“Just spin. He says, Well, fast forward to 2023 the Biden White House cleared the way for the release of $6 billion in Frozen Iranian funds, saying it was for humanitarian purposes,” McEnany said.

At the time, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller described the funds as money already belonging to Iran but subject to restrictions.

“Even as we allowed them to have access to this humanitarian funding, which was already their money and was already an account to where they could act, they could spend it, but were just unable to do so for some kind of technical reasons, we have made clear that we will continue to hold them accountable,” Miller said.

McEnany noted that Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi offered his own perspective during an interview with NBC’s Lester Holt.

“But Iran's President had a different take,” McEnany said.

Holt asked Raisi about the use of the funds.

“Use that money in any way that you see fit,” Holt said.

Raisi responded by asserting Iran’s control over the funds.

“This money belongs to the Islamic Republic of Iran, and naturally, we will decide, the Islamic Republic of Iran will decide to spend it wherever we need it,” Raisi said.

McEnany concluded by pointing to more recent military developments involving Iran’s nuclear program.

“And in the years since, Iran continued to build up their nuclear program, until President Trump called in the military to obliterate it, today, where we are seeing absolute strength of the US military on full display. You're looking at that,” McEnany said.

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