In practical terms, the Administration paid $1.7 billion in ransom for those sailors caught by the Iranians.

Free Beacon    The Obama administration has spent three years engaged in secret talks with Iran that resulted in the payment of nearly $2 billion in taxpayer funds to the Islamic Republic, with more payouts likely to come in the future, according to a recent letter issued by the State Department and obtained exclusively by the Washington Free Beacon.

Note: least we forget,  back in 2009/2010 and the Muslim Brotherhood's takeover of Egypt,  Obama paid $5 million for the release of 16 Americans.  It was called "bail money,"  but it was a ransom,  nonetheless.  Read the Fox report, here.

The administration’s disclosure came in response to an inquiry launched in January by Rep. Mike Pompeo (R., Kan.), who was seeking further information about the Obama administration’s payment of $1.7 billion in taxpayer funds to Iran, which many viewed as a “ransom payment” for Iran’s release that month of several U.S. hostages.

The administration’s official response to Pompeo was sent earlier this week, just days after a Free Beacon report detailing a months-long State Department effort to stall the lawmaker’s inquiry.