{"id":2063511,"date":"2023-10-11T13:57:01","date_gmt":"2023-10-11T17:57:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pressure-mounts-on-biden-admin-to-put-the-brakes-on-6-billion-payment-to-iran\/"},"modified":"2023-10-11T14:00:50","modified_gmt":"2023-10-11T18:00:50","slug":"pressure-mounts-on-biden-admin-to-put-the-brakes-on-6-billion-payment-to-iran","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pressure-mounts-on-biden-admin-to-put-the-brakes-on-6-billion-payment-to-iran\/","title":{"rendered":"Calls grow for Biden admin to halt $6B payment to Iran."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fpressure-mounts-on-biden-admin-to-put-the-brakes-on-6-billion-payment-to-iran%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2063511&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><blockquote>\n<h2>Ransom payment\u2064 under renewed\u2063 scrutiny\u200c following Hamas attack<\/h2>\n<figure><figcaption>Joe Biden, advisers; Iranian leader Khamenei (Win McNamee\/Getty Images and Majid\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div>\n<p>Congressional pressure\u200c is mounting \u200don\u200c the\u200c Biden \u200dadministration to put the \u2064brakes on its $6 billion payout to \u200dIran in\u2062 the \u2063wake\u2064 of\u2064 Hamas\u2019s unprecedented weekend\u200b attack \u200don Israel, an operation \u2064that\u200d was carried out with support from\u2063 Tehran.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Nearly two months after Hamas\u2019s banker, Iran, received billions of dollars, \u2062Hamas launched a massive, unprovoked\u200b war on Israel,&#8221; Rep. Bryan Steil (R., Wis.) <a href=\"https:\/\/steil.house.gov\/sites\/evo-subsites\/steil.house.gov\/files\/evo-media-document\/potus-iran-sanctions-enforcement_hamas-attack-on-israel.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">wrote<\/a> in a letter sent Wednesday to the \u200bWhite\u200c House and obtained by the <em>Washington Free Beacon<\/em>. \u2064&#8221;Arguing that these two events are unrelated strains credulity.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Steil\u200b is\u200c one of many lawmakers in both the House and\u2062 Senate \u200dwho are pressing the Biden administration to enact a \u200bwholesale \u200cshift in its policy towards\u2062 Iran, arguing that its support for\u200c Hamas\u2019s \u200cmost recent terrorism campaign shows it cannot\u200c be trusted to negotiate in good faith. While \u200dthe White House\u2063 is\u200d going to great lengths to claim\u2063 the $6 billion ransom \u2062payment is wholly separate from the Hamas strike,\u200d lawmakers and analysts disagree, saying that by freeing up more cash for Tehran\u200b the Biden administration helped the regime divert funds\u2064 to its terror proxies.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Now more than \u200dever we must\u2064 demonstrate our ironclad commitment to the U.S.-Israel relationship and our mutual stand against\u200d terrorism,&#8221; Steil wrote in \u200dhis letter to the White House. &#8220;Denying the Iranian regime funding means it has less money to spend on terror, \u200cmissiles, and proxies like \u2064Hamas.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Democrats have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/yale-law-journal-editor-apologizes-for-unwelcoming-culture\/\" title=\"Yale Law Journal Editor Apologizes For \u2018Unwelcoming Culture\u2019\">made similar calls<\/a> in recent days, with Sen. Joe Manchin\u200b (D., W.Va.) saying Biden &#8220;should absolutely freeze Iranian assets.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>While Biden has said he is considering his options as it relates to the $6\u2064 billion payout, the White House has not yet\u2062 signaled \u200cthat any action is currently on\u200c the table.<\/p>\n<p>The White House\u200c declined to \u2064comment on its plans for the $6 billion. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan also declined \u200dto comment \u200don it when pressed by reporters at a Tuesday press briefing, \u2062saying only, &#8220;Not a dollar of that money has been spent, and I will leave it\u200d at that.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The $6 billion in assets \u200dare currently being held in Qatar, with the White House \u200cclaiming they can only be accessed for \u200bfood\u2064 and medicine, though Iran has said \u200cit can\u2062 be \u200dspent on\u2062 whatever the government chooses. If Biden \u2063were to go back on the deal, \u2063he would have to issue fresh sanctions to freeze the funds in\u2064 place.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to the $6\u200d billion \u2062ransom, \u200cthe Biden administration\u2019s sanctions \u2062enforcement policies during the\u200c past several years have been put under a\u2063 microscope. Upon entering office in 2021, President Joe Biden\u2064 reopened diplomatic channels with Iran and began relaxing sanctions\u200c on the country\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/report-iranian-missile-strikes-israeli-ship\/\" title=\"Report: Iranian Missile Strikes Israeli Ship\">illicit oil trade<\/a> \u200cin a \u2063bid\u200d to cajole the regime into \u200dtalks.<\/p>\n<p>Iran has generated around $80 \u200bbillion in oil profits\u200d since the Biden administration took office, the\u2063 <a href=\"https:\/\/freebeacon.com\/national-security\/iran-has-made-80-billion-in-illicit-oil-sales-since-biden-took-office\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Free Beacon<\/em> reported<\/a> on \u200cTuesday, \u200dmoney \u200cthat has enabled Tehran \u200cto fund and arm groups like\u200d Hamas and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Both \u200dterror groups are currently warring with Israel and likely have the resources to do so thanks to\u200d their patrons in\u200d Iran.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The recent aggression\u2064 by\u2063 Hamas underscores the need\u2063 to\u2063 enforce\u2062 our financial sanctions\u200c and deny revenue to\u200d the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/why-joe-bidens-foreign-policy-reset-will-be-a-disaster\/\" title=\"Why Joe Biden\u2019s Foreign Policy \u2018Reset\u2019 Will Be A Disaster\">largest state sponsor<\/a> of terrorism, Iran,&#8221; Steil wrote. &#8220;[Y]our administration has continued to allow the Iranian\u2062 regime to evade \u200cU.S. sanctions by allowing them to move \u2062large amounts\u200c of\u2064 sanctioned crude oil to countries like China with no repercussions.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>If this\u2062 policy continues, the United States will &#8220;give Iran more revenue to fund the\u2062 regime\u2019s destabilizing activities.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Steil \u200cis requesting the White\u200d House provide him with a detailed list about any and all \u200dsanctions \u200bwaivers or licenses that have been granted in\u200d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pressure-mounts-on-biden-admin-to-put-the-brakes-on-6-billion-payment-to-iran\/\" title=\"Calls grow for Biden admin to halt B payment to Iran.\">recent months allowing financial transactions<\/a> with the Iranian government.<\/p>\n<p>In \u2062addition to unfreezing $6 billion in funds,\u2063 the administration has issued sanctions waivers allowing Iraq to pay Iran upwards of \u2064$10 billion\u2064 for electricity and other debts. This cash has served as another lifeline\u2064 for Tehran\u2063 and its Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, the \u200d<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/activist-group-accuses-new-york-times-reporter-of-pro-iran-bent\/\" title=\"Activist Group Accuses New York Times Reporter of Pro-Iran Bent\">paramilitary fighting force<\/a> \u200dthat provides logistical support to\u200b Hamas and Hezbollah.<\/p>\n<p>Steil also \u2063asked for a White House\u200b briefing on \u200bthe rationale\u2062 for granting these waivers and licenses granting Tehran access to cash.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Given\u2063 the urgency of\u2063 the situation I urge you to respond as soon as \u2063possible,&#8221; \u2062he wrote. &#8220;Innocent lives remain in grave danger as Hamas \u200cattacks\u2062 continue.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What\u200b specific actions are Republican lawmakers, like Representative Steil, calling for in response to \u200dIran&#8217;s support\u200d for terrorism?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  K reform. However, critics argue that this approach has only emboldened Iran and\u200c enabled its\u200d support\u200c for\u200d terrorist organizations like Hamas.<\/p>\n<p>The\u2063 recent attack\u2063 by Hamas on Israel has reignited the debate over the Biden administration&#8217;s stance on Iran. Lawmakers, \u2064including Representative \u2062Bryan Steil,\u200d are calling for\u200c a change in policy, arguing that the $6 billion payment to Iran has\u2063 directly contributed to Hamas&#8217;s aggression. They assert that by providing Tehran\u200b with more funds, the Biden administration has inadvertently supported\u200c Iran&#8217;s ability to finance and arm its terror\u2063 proxies.<\/p>\n<p>In a letter addressed to the \u2064White House,\u200b Representative Steil\u200b emphasizes the importance of demonstrating a\u2063 strong commitment to\u2063 the \u200dU.S.-Israel relationship and standing against \u200bterrorism.\u2063 He\u200d urges the administration\u2062 to deny the Iranian regime funding, as\u2064 this \u200bwill limit its ability to support terrorist activities.<\/p>\n<p>These concerns are not\u2063 limited to Republican lawmakers. Senator Joe Manchin, a Democrat, has also called for\u200b freezing Iranian assets. This bipartisan pressure highlights\u2062 the broad consensus \u200bthat Iran&#8217;s\u2064 support\u200b for terrorism should not be tolerated, regardless of party affiliation.<\/p>\n<p>While \u2062President\u200c Biden has expressed that \u200dhe is considering\u200b his options \u2062regarding the $6\u2063 billion payout, the White\u2062 House has not yet indicated\u200b any specific course of action. National Security Adviser Jake \u2062Sullivan\u2062 declined to comment on the matter, stating that \u2063none of the money has been spent. This leaves lawmakers and \u2063analysts questioning the intentions of the Biden administration \u2063and\u200d whether they will take decisive action to address \u2064the situation.<\/p>\n<p>The $6 billion in assets\u200d intended for Iran are currently held in Qatar,\u2063 with the White\u200d House asserting that they\u200d can only be used \u200cfor essential needs such as food and medicine. However, Iran has openly stated that it can spend the funds as it sees fit, raising concerns about the transparency and accountability of the Iranian government.<\/p>\n<p>In addition \u200cto the ransom\u200d payment, critics \u2063also scrutinize the Biden \u2062administration&#8217;s approach to enforcing sanctions against Iran. Since taking office, President Biden has sought \u200bto reopen diplomatic channels with Iran and ease sanctions on its\u200d illicit oil trade. \u200bThis strategy\u2062 aims to persuade Iran to engage in negotiations and implement reforms. However, opponents argue that it has instead provided Iran with economic relief, allowing the regime \u200cto pursue its destabilizing agenda without sufficient\u200c consequences.<\/p>\n<p>The renewed scrutiny of ransom payments to Iran and the Biden administration&#8217;s policies towards the country underscore the need for a comprehensive reevaluation of\u200c U.S. policy. Lawmakers and the public\u200d alike\u200c demand accountability, transparency, \u2062and a strong stance \u200cagainst\u2063 terrorism. The Biden\u2063 administration now faces the challenge of striking a delicate balance\u2064 between diplomacy and ensuring the security and interests\u200d of the United States and its allies.<\/p>\n<p>As the\u2062 pressure \u2062mounts on President Biden and his administration, it remains to be seen how they will respond to these \u2064calls for action. The stakes are high, and the repercussions of inaction could have far-reaching consequences\u200d for regional stability and the fight against terrorism.\u200c Now, \u2062more than ever, decisive and principled\u2062 leadership is essential to \u200baddress the concerns surrounding the Iranian regime and its support for unlawful and violent activities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>by the Palestinian militant group using Iranian-supplied weapons. Critics argue that providing such a large sum to Iran, a state sponsor of terrorism, would only further enable their destructive activities in the region. The Biden administration is now facing increased scrutiny and calls for a reevaluation of its approach to dealing with Iran.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":117,"featured_media":2063512,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2063511","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2063511","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/117"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2063511"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2063511\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2063512"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2063511"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2063511"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2063511"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}