At the time of the arrangement, Iran was under a weapons embargo, so the United States could not simply sell them weapons. Further, the United States could not be seen in a pay-for-play where the United States was seeking to trade weapons for hostages.

While evidence does exist that then President Reagan was a supporter of the Contra cause, no evidence has ever been uncovered that proves that Reagan never anything about the arrangement of guns for hostages. Not so ironically, Reagan’s Vice-President, George H. W. Bush, became president and then pardoned those involved in the affair.