Recently, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan indicated the White House is refusing to freeze the billions in Iranian funds previously frozen before the Hamas attack on Israel. The Biden administration unfroze approximately $6 billion in funds during a negotiation with Iran to release detained Americans.
Sullivan was asked if it would be reasonable to once again freeze the Iranian assets given Iran’s alleged ties to the Israeli attack. “You just laid out all the ways that Iran is complicit and facilitated it … is that reason enough to re-freeze the $6 billion that the U.S. helped unlock for them?” a reporter questioned Sullivan during a press conference. “We have not yet had a dollar of that $6 billion spent, and I will leave it at that,” Sullivan responded.
According to reports, Iranian officials played a significant role in facilitating the deadly attack on Israel. Former Western and Middle Eastern intelligence experts familiar with the matter claim Hamas utilized the assistance of Iranian allies who provided military training and substantial funding for weapons.
President Biden recently gave a speech addressing the crisis and the American citizens currently being held hostage by Hamas. “I’ve directed my team to share intelligence and deploy additional experts from across the United States government to consult with and advise Israeli counterparts on hostage recovery efforts,” Biden said. “Because as president, I have no higher priority than the safety of Americans being held hostage around the world.”
18 Senate Republicans wrote a letter addressed to President Biden, calling on his administration to re-freeze the Iranian assets given the geopolitical nature of the country and America’s commitment to Israel. “We write today to affirm our unwavering support for Israel, our greatest ally in the Middle East, and call on the U.S. Department of State to freeze the accounts in Qatar containing $6 billion in Iranian funds that were released from South Korean accounts in September,” the Republicans wrote.
The GOP Senators continued reaffirming their support for Israel in Middle Eastern foreign policy, requesting that significant sanctions be placed on Iran to hinder the ability for the nation to assist Hamas. “We must stand with Israel and restrict access to these Iranian funds,” they continued. “Iran should be placed under the most stringent sanctions admissible. Anything short of this is unacceptable and only aids in the ability of Iran and Hamas to fund these heinous acts.”
Former President Donald Trump has also weighed in on the violence between Israel and Hamas, claiming such events would have never occurred under his administration. Mr. Trump maintained that “the atrocities we are witnessing in Israel would never have happened if I was president” while further claiming “Joe Biden betrayed Israel.”
Trump pointed out the peace that existed in the Middle East just a few years ago with agreements such as the Abraham Accords. Trump stated, “Less than four years ago, we had peace in the Middle East with the historic Abraham Accords. Today we have an all-out war in Israel, and it’s going to spread very quickly. What a difference a president makes.”
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