{"id":2098937,"date":"2023-11-14T18:31:02","date_gmt":"2023-11-14T23:31:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-unlocks-fresh-payments-to-iran-totaling-billions\/"},"modified":"2023-11-14T18:34:13","modified_gmt":"2023-11-14T23:34:13","slug":"biden-unlocks-fresh-payments-to-iran-totaling-billions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-unlocks-fresh-payments-to-iran-totaling-billions\/","title":{"rendered":"Biden Unlocks Fresh Payments to Iran Totaling Billions"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/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%2Fbiden-unlocks-fresh-payments-to-iran-totaling-billions%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=2098937&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--><h2>The Biden Administration Approves Sanctions Waiver Allowing Iran Access to $10 Billion in Frozen \u2064Assets<\/h2>\n<blockquote>\n<p>The Biden administration \u200bon\u200c Tuesday reapproved a sanctions waiver that will allow \u2063Iran to\u2063 access upward of $10 billion in frozen assets,\u200b the \u2062State Department confirmed to the <em>Washington Free\u200c Beacon<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The sanctions waiver, which was set to expire \u200btoday after first being authorized for a period \u2062of 120 days in \u2063July, allows\u200d Iraq to pay Iran for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-unlocks-fresh-payments-to-iran-totaling-billions\/\" title=\"Biden Unlocks Fresh Payments to Iran Totaling Billions\">multibillion-dollar electricity purchases<\/a>. This is the first time the Biden administration\u2064 has renewed the waiver since\u2063 the\u2063 Iran-backed terror group Hamas \u2063launched an \u200cunprecedented attack on Israel \u2062that was reported to have been planned with Tehran&#8217;s support.<\/p>\n<p>Renewal of the waiver &#8220;allows Iraq to use its own funds to render\u200c payment for Iranian electricity imports into restricted Iranian accounts \u2063in Iraq,&#8221; a State Department\u200b official \u200ctold the \u200c <em>Free Beacon<\/em>, \u2062speaking only on background. &#8220;These restricted funds can only be used for humanitarian and other non-sanctionable transactions.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>While Iran can only use the funds related to \u200bthe sanctions\u2062 waiver for the\u200d purchase of humanitarian goods, critics of\u200b the administration&#8217;s policy\u200b argue that by freeing \u200cup this\u2063 cash, Iran can allocate\u200b other financial resources \u200dto its \u2064global \u200dterrorism operation, which has been in overdrive since Hamas&#8217;s October 7\u2063 attack on Israel. Analysts place the amount of cash accessible by Iran at upward of $10 billion,\u200c as the <em>Free Beacon<\/em> first <a href=\"https:\/\/freebeacon.com\/national-security\/biden-mulls-approval-of-fresh-10-billion-payment-to-iran\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">reported<\/a> on Monday.<\/p>\n<p>In deciding to renew the waiver for an additional\u2064 120 days, the State Department official said, &#8220;Unfortunately, Iraq will not wean \u2064itself off of Iranian \u2064gas imports overnight.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The \u200dadministration maintains that allowing these\u200d funds to be accessed by \u2063Iran limits its leverage of the \u200dIraqi \u200bgovernment, which has grown increasingly close to Tehran&#8217;s hardline regime \u200cin recent\u200c years.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It is in the U.S. interest \u200dthat this money leave Iraq and be spent down \u2063from Iran&#8217;s accounts held \u200doverseas,&#8221; the State \u200dDepartment official went on. &#8220;Money used for non-sanctionable, allowable transactions\u2014like \u2062humanitarian trade\u2014is not available\u200d to\u2062 Iran for \u2062other \u2063purposes, and it deprives Iran\u2063 of leverage against the Iraqi government.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Critics,\u200d however, see the sanctions waiver \u200das proof that the administration \u200bis\u200c maintaining Tehran&#8217;s financial channels, even\u200d after it \u200dprovided Hamas with the\u2064 resources necessary to slaughter more than 1,200 Israeli\u2062 and take hostage many\u2064 others, including Americans.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The White House \u2064just responded to October 7th with\u200b a $10 billion reward,&#8221; Richard Goldberg, a senior adviser at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and sanctions expert who served on the\u200c White House National Security Council, told the <em>Free Beacon<\/em>. &#8220;Congress needs to act quickly to cut off Iran&#8217;s access to every penny.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;For that reason,&#8221; Goldberg said, &#8220;this waiver continues to be necessary, to provide space and time\u2064 for the government of Iraq to implement [Iraqi prime minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani&#8217;s] energy reform agenda.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The State Department also confirmed that like \u2063July&#8217;s version of the waiver, Iraq will be able to transfer Iranian funds to third-party countries, including Oman\u2064 and several in Europe.<\/p>\n<p>While the Trump administration\u2063 during its \u2064time\u2064 in office \u200cgranted \u200ba sanctions waiver to Iraq for these electricity payments, it gave the authorization only on the condition that the\u2062 payments were kept in an escrow account in Baghdad. The Biden administration&#8217;s version allows the money to move outside the country, making\u2062 it easier for\u2062 Tehran \u2062to access \u2062the \u200bfunds, according to Goldberg.<\/p>\n<p>The\u2064 State Department maintains that Iraq&#8217;s ongoing \u2064payments\u200c to Iran effectively reduce &#8220;Iranian leverage over Iraq.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> \u2063How does the \u2064renewal of the sanctions waiver\u2062 for \u200cIran&#8217;s\u2063 access to frozen assets affect the Biden administration&#8217;s efforts to address Iran&#8217;s destabilizing activities in \u200dthe region?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Asingly\u200d dependent on Iranian energy imports. Critics argue that this waiver sends a\u2064 mixed\u2062 message to Iran, \u200das it comes right after the country&#8217;s support for\u200d Hamas in its attack on Israel.<\/p>\n<p>The Biden\u200b administration&#8217;s approach to Iran has been a subject of criticism and concern since it \u200ctook office. While the administration has expressed a\u2063 desire \u2064to return\u2063 to the nuclear deal with Iran, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan \u200dof Action (JCPOA), critics \u2062argue \u200bthat Iran&#8217;s destabilizing activities in the region should be taken into account. They point to Iran&#8217;s \u2062support for terrorist groups\u2062 like Hamas \u200band its continued pursuit \u2062of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/iran-crows-as-west-allows-un-missile-export-ban-to-lapse\/\" title=\"Iran celebrates as the Western countries allow the UN missile export ban to expire.\">ballistic missile \u200ctechnology<\/a> as evidence of its\u200c dangerous intentions.<\/p>\n<p>The renewal of the sanctions waiver, allowing Iran access to frozen assets, raises questions about\u2064 whether the Biden\u2063 administration is effectively addressing these\u200b concerns. Critics argue that by providing Iran with \u200daccess to substantial funds,\u2064 the administration \u2063is inadvertently supporting\u200c Iran&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gop-opposition-to-top-defense-pick-grows\/\" title=\"GOP Opposition to Top Defense Pick Grows\">global terrorism operation<\/a>.\u2062 With the additional financial resources, Iran could funnel funds into <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-hands-iran-6-billion-5-americans-freed\/\" title=\"Biden gives Iran B, frees 5 Americans.\">supporting terrorist activities<\/a> and further destabilizing the\u200b region.<\/p>\n<p>Proponents of \u200dthe waiver argue\u2064 that \u2062it is necessary to maintain stability in Iraq. \u200bWith Iraq heavily reliant on Iranian energy\u200b imports, cutting off these imports abruptly could have severe consequences for\u200d the country&#8217;s infrastructure and economy. By \u2064allowing Iraq to\u200c pay for electricity purchases from Iran, the waiver ensures that essential services are \u2062provided to the\u2064 Iraqi people while also mitigating the\u200d risk of Iraq&#8217;s dependence on Iranian influence.<\/p>\n<p>However, critics argue\u2062 that there should be stricter conditions attached to the waiver to prevent Iran\u2063 from using the funds\u2063 for nefarious purposes. They suggest that the funds should be closely monitored and restricted only to truly\u2064 humanitarian transactions. They \u2062also call\u200d for increased scrutiny and accountability in assessing Iran&#8217;s compliance with its obligations \u200cregarding \u200dterrorism and \u2064regional destabilization.<\/p>\n<p>This decision to renew the sanctions waiver \u2062comes at a critical time \u2063for US-Iran relations. The \u200dBiden\u2064 administration has signaled its willingness to reengage with Iran and revive the JCPOA. However, the recent attack by\u2063 Hamas, allegedly orchestrated with Iranian support, has raised concerns about \u2063the viability of such an agreement. \u2063Critics argue \u200cthat \u200dproviding Iran with access to frozen funds sends the wrong \u200bmessage\u2062 and undermines the administration&#8217;s credibility in addressing Iran&#8217;s\u2064 destabilizing activities.<\/p>\n<p>The Biden \u200dadministration has taken a step that\u2062 is likely to \u2062be met with both support and criticism. While proponents argue \u2064that the waiver is necessary for stability \u200cin Iraq, opponents raise \u200bconcerns about \u200bthe unintended consequences of providing Iran with \u2064access to substantial funds. The \u200bfuture of US-Iran \u2062relations and \u200dthe fate of the JCPOA remain\u2064 uncertain, and the decision to renew the sanctions waiver only adds to \u200cthe complexity\u2064 of this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/state-department-backs-iranian-protesters-as-biden-admin-emboldens-hardline-regime\/\" title=\"State Department Backs Iranian Protesters as Biden Admin Emboldens Hardline Regime\">delicate balancing act<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Biden administration on Tuesday reapproved a sanctions waiver that will allow Iran to access upward of $10 billion in frozen assets, the State Department confirmed to the Washington Free Beacon. The sanctions waiver, which was set to expire today after first being authorized for a period of 120 days in July, allows Iraq to<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":117,"featured_media":2098938,"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":[544],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2098937","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-free-beacon"],"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\/2098937","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=2098937"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2098937\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2098938"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2098937"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2098937"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2098937"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}