The Biden Administration recently announced that, in an attempt to get back 5 American prisoners held by the Iranian regime, it would be unfreezing about $6 billion in frozen oil revenue for the Iranians to spend on humanitarian goods.
News on that came from National Security Council Spokesperson Adrienne Watson. According to Watson, Secretary Blinken last week managed “to ensure Iranian funds could move from one restricted account to another and remain restricted to humanitarian trade.”Watson added, “As we have said from the outset, what is being pursued here is an arrangement wherein we secure the release of 5 wrongfully held Americans. This remains a sensitive and ongoing process.”
Continuing, Watson said, “While this is a step in the process, no individuals have been or will be released into U.S. custody this week. We have kept Congress extensively informed from the outset of this process – long before today – and we will continue to do so, including with additional already scheduled briefings this week.” The Biden Administration clarified that Iran would not have free reign over the money, saying, “No funds are going to Iran directly. These funds will be moved to restricted accounts in Qatar, and the United States will have oversight as to how and when these funds are used.”
Well, that claim was discredited on Tuesday’s broadcast of “NBC Nightly News,” during which Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said that the money will be used on whatever the Iranian government wants it to be used, not what the US says is permissible. In his view,
NBC host Lester Holt asked, “You believe this money was wrongfully taken from Iran, but what is your expectation of its use? We’re told that it’s for humanitarian purposes, food and medicine. Do you believe you have the right to use that money in any way that you see fit?”
Responding to Holt’s question about the funds through an interpreter, President Raisi said, “This money belongs to the Islamic Republic of Iran, and naturally, we will decide, the Islamic Republic of Iran will decide to spend it wherever we need it.”
Holt then got to the point, which was asking if the money will be used, whatever Raisi’s legal view of its ownership, for more activities than just buying humanitarian goods. He asked, “So, if I hear you clearly, that it will be used for more than humanitarian purposes in your view?”
"*" indicates required fields
President Raisi then gave a clever answer that dodged the question, saying that “humanitarian” meant whatever the people of Iran need, so it will be spent on whatever their government thinks they need. In his words: “Humanitarian means whatever the Iranian people [need]. So, this money will be budgeted for those needs, and the needs of the Iranian people will be decided and determined by the Iranian government.”
Watch that interview here:
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video