According to a report in an Iranian news agency, a top Iranian official stated that Republicans attempted to stall last month’s prisoner exchange until after the 2016 election, in a move resemblant of 1980.

Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani said a recent prisoner exchange between Iran and the US went ahead as planned despite calls by Republicans for a delay until US presidential elections. “In the course of the talks for exchanging prisoners, the Republican rivals of the current US administration who claim to be humanitarians and advocates of human rights sent a message telling us not to release these people (American prisoners) and continue this process (of talks) until the eve of US presidential elections,” Shamkhani said Thursday in an address to a rally held in the central city of Yazd to mark the 37th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution’s victory. “However” he said “we acted upon our independent resolve and moved the process forward.” Iran’s move to exchange prisoners was based on the country’s humanitarian approach and was made in accordance with ensuring the country’s interests and securing the release of Iranian citizens in the US, he added.

- Source [Tasnim News Agency]

This has since been reported by several U.S. news outlets, including TPM.



The prisoner exchange in question involved the release of four Iranian-American prisoners [including a Washington Post reporter] accused by Iran of spying and disrupting national security, in exchange for the release of seven Iranian citizens [6 of whom are also U.S. citizens] accused or convicted by the U.S. of violating sanctions on Iran.

For reference, this is not the first time Iranian officials have claimed that Republicans attempted to stall a prisoner release. Most notable is the claimed October Surprise in 1980, which there’s little scholarly consensus on, involving the claim that Reagan’s 1980 campaign had bribed/persuaded Iran to delay releasing hostages until after the election [in this case, they were released on the day of Reagan’s inauguration.] Proponents of that claim have involved several notable state officials, including former Iranian president Abolhassan Banisadr.

This claim by Iran could also put statements by certain Republican presidential candidates in a new light. In January after the prisoner swap, Marco Rubio stated that “When I become president of the United States, our adversaries around the world will know that America is no longer under the command of someone weak like Barack Obama. And it will be like Ronald Reagan where as soon as he took office, the hostages were released from Iran.”

With that said, it’s also extremely true that the allegations by Iran don’t occur in a vacuum — Iran has every reason in the world to try and hurt the Republican party politically [after all, they’re the proponents of taking a hardline stance with regard to Iran.] The accusation may fade away over time if it doesn’t receive more attention, but it could also have the potential to dramatically shape the 2016 election.