WASHINGTON — Senator Mike Braun is calling on the Biden administration to immediately freeze the $6 billion freed up for Iran during their negotiated prisoner swap in September.
The five Americans held in Iran have been released and are back in the United States.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Sunday that the $6 billion in funds are held in the Qatari central bank in Doha, and have not been disbursed to Iran.
The Biden administration has maintained that the funds are only be used for humanitarian aid, and will only be disbursed by Qatar to vetted vendors of food and medical supplies.
A Wall Street Journal article citing high-level sources in Hamas and Hezbollah reported Sunday that Iran was responsible both for the planning of the Hamas attack on Israel and giving the final go-ahead last week.
Senator Braun released the following statement on his call to block Iran from receiving these funds which will free up further resources to continue funding terrorism against the allies of the United States:
“Iran knew they had $6 billion coming their way, and that windfall freed up resources to plan and execute the heinous terrorist attack from Hamas against our greatest ally in the region, Israel.
“The U.S. should freeze these funds immediately and permanently.
“I don’t care what deal President Biden struck with Iran in his foolish attempt to reconcile with a country that chants ‘Death to America’ in its parliament, but our message should be unambiguous: If you slaughter our ally’s civilians, you are our enemy, and you’re not getting a damn cent out of us.”
– Senator Mike Braun
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