Former Vice President Mike Pence slammed a prisoner swap the Biden administration brokered with Iran as "the largest ransom payment in American history."

The administration on Thursday acknowledged the deal with Iran, in which five imprisoned Americans would be freed and released to the United States in exchange for the release of several jailed Iranians and Tehran gaining access to $6 billion in Iranian oil revenue, the New York Times reported.

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Pence, who is running for president in 2024, denounced the $6 billion concession. "While I welcome the release of American hostages, the American people should know that @POTUS Biden has authorized the largest ransom payment in American history to the Mullahs in Tehran," he posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Biden officials said the money would only be accessible for food, medicine, and other humanitarian purposes.

"Iran will now use this money to produce drones for Russia and fund terrorism against us and Israel. China and Russia, who are also holding Americans hostages, now know the price has just gone up," Pence continued. "Any rogue nation that takes innocent Americans hostage during my Administration will be met with American strength; they are forewarned that we will not pay ransoms."

The yet-to-be-released prisoners are Siamak Namazi, Emad Sharghi, Morad Tahbaz, and two other unnamed Americans. Sources said the two unnamed Americans include a scientist and a businessman. They were all jailed on unsubstantiated spying allegations and have been moved to house arrest.

"We have received confirmation that Iran has released from prison five Americans who were unjustly detained," Adrienne Watson, the National Security Council spokeswoman, told the New York Times. "We will continue to monitor their condition as closely as possible."

Once the prisoners are returned to America, "a handful of Iranian nationals" will reportedly be released by the Biden administration, and $6 billion of Iran’s assets in South Korea will be transferred into an account in the central bank of Qatar. The release of the prisoners has been long-awaited after more than two years of negotiations.

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Pence has consistently denounced the Iran regime's "brutality" and pressed Biden's administration not to renew the Iran nuclear deal.

Last month, the former vice president made a surprise appearance at an exiled Iran opposition group meeting in Paris. Pence told the People’s Mujahidin Organization meeting that the “Iranian regime has never been weaker than it is today.”