After Hamas' terror attack on Israel, former President Donald Trump called on President Joe Biden to refreeze the $6 billion in Iranian assets that were unfrozen as part of a recent prisoner swap.
"CROOKED JOE BIDEN MUST TAKE BACK AND FREEZE THE 6 BILLION DOLLARS RIGHT NOW, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE. HOW COULD ANYONE BE SO INCOMPETENT AND STUPID? BIDEN CAUSED THIS WAR, AND IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE!!!" Trump posted Wednesday on Truth Social.
Biden's deal with Iran has come under harsh scrutiny, with many experts saying Iran played a part in funding Hamas and possibly in planning a weekend attack in Israel that resulted in the deaths of more than 1,200 people, including at least 14 Americans.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Hamas planned the devastating attacks on Israel with the assistance of Iranian security officials, who gave the green light for the assault at a meeting in Beirut more than a week ago.
The Biden administration last month sent five prisoners to Iran in exchange for five U.S. prisoners, as well as unfreezing of $6 billion in Iranian assets.
"The Iranian regime hates us. You don't give money to a regime that hates America," said former U.N. Ambassador and Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley.
House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., called for a probe into what he called a ransom payment.
"From the Biden administration's disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal to its $6 billion ransom payment to Iran, President Biden's policies have led to turmoil in the region," Comer said, the Washington Examiner reported. "Congress has a duty to hold the Biden administration accountable for its disastrous foreign policies and to conduct oversight of U.S. taxpayer dollars used for foreign aid."
Despite the criticism, the Biden administration stands by the deal with Iran.
"The United States does not regret bringing home American citizens who have been unjustly detained abroad," national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Tuesday. "As I said before, the president has no higher priority than to get Americans home."
Biden administration officials continue to insist that none of the unfrozen money has been spent.
"Not a single dollar from that account has actually been spent to date," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Sunday. "Iran has, unfortunately, always used and focused its funds on supporting terrorism, on supporting groups like Hamas, and it's done that when there have been sanctions."
Still, administration officials have not commented on whether they will consider refreezing the assets.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has said the money will be spent "wherever we need it."
White House officials deny Raisi's claim.
"It's not fungible. [Raisi is] just wrong. He's just flat-out wrong," National Security Council coordinator John Kirby said in September. "The way this deal is arranged is that the $6 billion, which is Iranian money, will go to a Qatari bank — Qatari National Bank.
"The Iranians can request withdrawals for it for humanitarian purposes, and the Qataris, and us, will have sufficient oversight into the request itself to validate the request and then to deliver funds appropriate to that request."
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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