Comment: The payment of ransom is always very dangerous, which is why the US says they never pay.  Even with that danger, the payment is not the issue; if you read my comment, I said it "might be reasonable"; even of the lie of making payment.

But, now the government is lying about a lie when it is common knowledge that both lies are in fact lies.  It is like a child with cookie crumbs on his lips, saying he didn't take cookies out of the cookie jar.  It makes them look very foolish.

Interesting that you think property which "Iran was legally entitled to" can be legitimately withheld and used as ransom, and that the money was legitimately Iran's and simultaneously a ransom payment.