Iran’s leaders, according to the nation’s state-run press, now expect “billions of dollars” in exchange for US hostages they’re holding in Tehran’s notorious Evin prison.

Proving, yet again, the problem with ransoming hostages.

Early this year, the Obama administration paid Iran $1.7 billion, including $400 million in cash loaded on a secret flight, to spring several Americans. The president’s men offered excuses for why it wasn’t really ransom — but the Iranians plainly didn’t believe it: They’ve since taken several others.

Now Iranian news sources say the Revolutionary Guard Corps is hungry for more: “We should wait and see, the US will offer . . . many billions” for American businessman Siamak Namazi and his father, Baquer.

Remarks by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani last month suggest the next ransom might be cloaked as payments making good on the sanctions-relief promised in Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran, but we’re sure Rouhani won’t be picky about what lies the American public gets told.

Iran’s hostage-taking habit is just one more mess the next president will have to clean up.