FOX News Channel's James Rosen grills State Department spokesman John Kirby on a "direct connection" between Iran releasing U.S. prisoners and the Islamic republic receiving $400 million. Kirby eventually acknowledge the U.S. was not going to hand over the $400 million, "the leverage," to Iran until the American prisoners were released.



From Thursday's State Department press briefing:





JAMES ROSEN, FOX NEWS: How does the withholding of the cash give you the kind of leverage you were seeking?



RET. REAR ADMIRAL JOHN KIRBY, STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN: We felt that it would be imprudent not to consider that some leverage in trying to make sure our Americans got out.



ROSEN: So if it has leverage on the release of the Americans then there is a direct connection between these two events, you're now telling us, right?



KIRBY: I'm saying the events came together simultaneously. Obviously, when you're inside that 24-hour period and you already now have concerns about the end-game in terms of getting your Americans back it would have foolish, imprudent and irresponsible for us not to try to maintain maximum leverage. So, if you're asking me if there was a connection in that regard in the end-game, I'm not going to deny that.

REPORTER: In basic English you are saying you wouldn't give them the $400,000,000 in cash until the prisoners were released, correct?



RET. REAR ADMIRAL JOHN KIRBY, STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN: That's correct.

Kirby acknowledges the $400 million was given to Iran after the prisoners were released:Watch the entire briefing: