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Top U.S. officials have vowed to block $6 billion in Iranian funds held in Qatari accounts from being transferred to Tehran without Washington’s consent, as they try to defuse bipartisan political opposition to the funds following Hamas attacks on Israel.
As part of a prisoner swap deal with Tehran last month, the United States allowed frozen Iranian assets to be sent from South Korea to Qatar on the condition that the funds ultimately transferred to the country must be used for humanitarian aid.
But in the wake of attacks on Israel, moving funds to Qatar — a U.S. ally but also close to Iran and Hamas — has become a political vulnerability for the Biden administration. The sudden outbreak of war on Saturday led to widespread calls from Republicans and even some Democrats on Capitol Hill for the White House to refreeze the funds or prevent them from being sent to Iran under any circumstances.
On Thursday, senior U.S. officials sought to reassure Congress and the public that the funds were subject to strict safeguards that would prevent them from flowing into Iran without congressional and public approval.
“We always had the option, if we wanted, to look at the deal and call and ask if we thought the deal was valid,” John Kirby, the National Security Council’s strategic communications coordinator, said Thursday. “No one has touched the money. Everything is still there.”
“Funds in this account are overseen by the Treasury Department and may only be used for humanitarian supplies,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said. “We strictly monitor funds and reserve the right to freeze funds.”
Earlier in the day, Treasury Undersecretary Wally Adeyemo briefed lawmakers on Capitol Hill on the fate of the funds. Some U.S. media reported that Adeyemo told lawmakers that there was an informal understanding with Qatar that the funds would not be transferred to Iran, but the Treasury Department declined to confirm this. Qatar did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A person familiar with Adeyemo’s briefings said Florida Democrat Lois Frankel pressured Adeyemo to ensure that the money was permanently frozen, but he could not guarantee that. . Kirby also declined to say whether there was any agreement, even an informal one, with Qatar to ensure funds were not sent to Iran.
Brad Sherman, a Democratic representative from California, told the Financial Times that he wanted to see all documents related to the original agreement between Qatar and Iran for $6 billion in funding and believed that these The documents should be transferred back to South Korea immediately.
Sherman said he worries that even if Qatari authorities temporarily block the flow of funds to Iran, they will eventually resume the flow.
Democrats will face tough elections in 2024 congressional races, including Montana Sen. Jon Tester and Michigan Rep. Elissa Slotkin, They have been the most vocal in calling on President Joe Biden to block the funding.
Last month’s U.S. deal to unfreeze Iranian funds quickly became a political punching bag. “We need to freeze these assets and send a message to the world: We stand with Israel. No sunshine,” said South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, who is running in the Republican primary.
Rep. Mike Lawler, a Republican from New York, introduced a resolution in the lower house of Congress calling for the revocation of the funds that had been released.
“We must not turn a blind eye to the Iranian regime’s continued support of terrorism, and the government must immediately revoke the exemptions that allow the transfer of these illicit funds to Iran,” he said in a statement.
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