The Biden Administration, as part of a deal meant to get 5 American hostages released from Iran, “unfroze” $6 billion in money held as part of its sanctions and embargo campaign against the theocratic country. Now, with Iranian-backed Hamas attacking Israel as Iran-allied Hezbollah looks poised to get involved, Republicans are calling for the money to be refrozen.
Leading the charge was Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn, who took to X (formerly Twitter) to demand that the Biden Administration acknowledge the threat posed to the region by Iran and start taking that threat more seriously be refreezing the funds.
She wrote, “The Biden administration is refusing to acknowledge Iran’s role in the unprovoked terrorist attacks on Israel. But Hamas and Hezbollah members say not only did Iran help plan for months, they gave the official green light in Beirut last week.”
Continuing, she added that America shouldn’t be giving the Iranians anything, much less billions, writing, “The United States should not be sending a single penny to Iran — let alone $6 billion.I am immediately calling on Biden to reverse course and cancel the ransom agreement.”
The United States should not be sending a single penny to Iran — let alone $6 billion.
I am immediately calling on Biden to reverse course and cancel the ransom agreement.
— Sen. Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) October 9, 2023
Senator Blackburn wasn’t the only one. Senate candidate Dave McCormick wrote, “The Biden Administration insists “not a penny” of the $6 billion they promised to Iran has yet to be received by Iran. Given the Hamas attack on Israel, I call on President Biden to block release of the money, and as Senator, I would immediately introduce legislation to put a hold on these funds. Don’t give Iran a penny.”
The Biden Administration insists “not a penny” of the $6 billion they promised to Iran has yet to be received by Iran. Given the Hamas attack on Israel, I call on President Biden to block release of the money, and as Senator, I would immediately introduce legislation to put a…
— Dave McCormick (@DaveMcCormickPA) October 8, 2023
Similarly, former President Donald Trump said, “This war happened for three reasons: the allowing by the Biden administration of Iran to sell massive amounts of oil and making $60 billion dollars; the United States giving Iran $6 billion dollars ransom; and our country’s perceived weakness with an incompetent and corrupt leader, Joe Biden, who’s laughed at all over the world.”
“Joe Biden betrayed Israel. As president, I will once again stand strongly with the state of Israel,” Trump added. He continued, “We will cut off the money to Palestinian terrorists on day one. And we will re-impose the travel ban on terror-afflicted countries so that the bloodshed and killing we saw this week will never reach American soil.”
Trump then reminded Americans of his strong record of promoting peace in the region, saying, “Less than 4 years ago, we had peace in the Middle East with the historic Abraham Accords—today we have all-out war on Israel. What a difference a President makes.”
The White House, for its part, insists that the Iran money did not make its way to Hamas. National Security Council Coordinator John Kirby told Fox News Channel’s Bret Baier, “I don’t have any policy decisions with respect to that to speak to today, Bret, that I think it’s important for people to remember that not a single dinar of that of those funds has gone into Iran. Not one… not any. Nothing’s been allocated out of that fund, and we’re going to watch it.”
He added, “As for the fungibility, again, that money was never going to be tapped by the Iranian regime. They were never going to see it themselves. It was always going to go to vendors that we approved to go to buy humanitarian assistance and medical and food… directly to the Iranian people. The regime was never going to see that or feel that, and they haven’t asked for it.”
Featured image credit: By Team Marsha – https://www.flickr.com/photos/marshaforsenate/43153232094/, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=85091886
"*" indicates required fields