The Biden administration is under fire for allowing billions of dollars to flow to Iran under a controversial sanctions waiver – even after Iran-backed rebels launched deadly airstrikes against US forces and that the Muslim country has just directly attacked Israel, the faithful ally of the United States.
Last month, the White House extended the waiver, a move that unlocked up to $10 billion more in frozen funds by allowing Iraq to pay the Iranian government for electricity services, according to the criticism and Washington Free Beacon.
The Biden administration had already renewed the waiver program, established in 2018, in November.
The extended waiver was then set to expire again in March, but the administration reapproved it once again just six weeks later. three American soldiers were killed and dozens more injured in a drone attack by Iran-backed militants in Jordan in late January.
Last weekend, Iran launched 300 drones and missiles in Israel in retaliation for an airstrike in Damascus earlier this month.
The State Department has long insisted that such waivers were “necessary” as Iraq “weaned itself off Iranian energy imports” and expanded its domestic oil and gas production. The White House says the thawed funds can only be used for humanitarian purposes.
“No Iranian money held in restricted accounts abroad has gone to Iran, and we have not released any money to Iran. Any idea to the contrary is false and misleading. ” the State Department told The Post in a statement on Sunday.
“This money is held in restricted offshore accounts, under strict supervision and in close coordination between the Treasury and State Departments.”
Asked if plans were underway to increase pressure on Iran through additional sanctions after Saturday’s missile strike, the State Department responded: “We are in ongoing dialogue with our allies and partners, including at the G7, on ways to increase pressure on Iran, but we cannot preview or detail the measures envisaged.
In a statement to the Post, the White House confirmed President Biden’s record on Iran, citing the U.S. military’s efforts to thwart last night’s attack, as well as the imposition of “more than 500 sanctions against Iran” since he took office.
“The waiver…which allows Iraq to import Iranian energy as it strives to become energy independent, continues a practice that was started by the Trump administration and has been renewed 21 times since 2018,” the White House said.
“Precisely, no money from this electricity waiver is going to Iran. U.S. sanctions remain in place and continue to prevent Iran’s money – whether from its oil sales under previous administrations or its electricity sales to Iraq – from flowing to Iran.”
“Under these waivers, no money has been allowed to enter Iran,” a State Department official insisted to the Beacon. “These funds, which are held abroad in third countries, can only be used for transactions for the purchase of food products, agricultural products, medicines, medical devices and other non-sanctionable transactions.
“The money goes directly to the trusted provider or financial institution in another country. The money never reaches Iran.
But some Republican lawmakers say a lack of transparency and accountability has led to the funds being used to finance state-sanctioned terrorist operations in the rogue country.
Earlier this month, a group of 13 Republican senators led by Tim Scott (R-S.C.), a member of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee. wrote a sharp letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, calling for an end to these sanctions waivers.
The senators called it “unfathomable” that the Biden administration believes that the funding potentially available to Iran serves U.S. national security interests.
“If we are serious about restoring deterrence in the region, these funds should be placed further from Iran’s reach, not closer,” the scathing letter said.
On April 9, the committee questioned Deputy Treasury Secretary Adewale Adeyemo on the “fungible nature” of the funds, which are apparently intended exclusively for humanitarian purposes.
Even Adeyemo said it was likely the funds were used to finance “violent activities” before a penny reached Iranians in need.
“What we have seen time and time again from the Iranian regime is that it (Iran) is failing to feed its people and has prioritized the IRGC (IRGC). Islamic revolution). Any dollar they have will be spent on their violent activities before taking care of their people,” Adeyemo testified.
“This is part of the reason why almost no humanitarian money has been used for humanitarian purposes, because they don’t care about getting medicine and food for their people. »
Following the Islamic Republic’s missile and drone attack on Israel on Saturday, several signatories to the letter on Sunday accused the Biden administration of emboldening the regime through its sanctions policy.
“President Biden’s hollow, wavering doctrine of appeasement has not only emboldened Iran, it has also enriched the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism,” Sen. Katie Britt (R-Alabama) told the Post in a press release.
“Doing nothing is not a foreign policy; and it is certainly not a deterrent,” the senator said, referring to the Biden issued a one-word warning before Iran launched its attack.
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) told the Post that the Biden administration has overseen an influx of money into Iran’s coffers.
“Four years ago, Iran was weak and the ayatollahs were almost broke. Now, thanks to Joe Biden’s sanctions relief and his weak Iran policy, they have enough money to fire 300 drones and missiles into Israel, an unprecedented attack on our ally,” Cotton said.
Speaking on “Fox News Sunday,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby pushed back on questions about whether the administration had been tough enough on Iran.
“Look at the sanctions we have in place against Iran, look at the resources we are investing in the region. It’s hard to look at what President Biden has done and say we’ve been soft on Iran,” Kirby said.
He pointed to the fact that former President Trump’s Iran administration is now “considerably closer to a potential nuclear weapons capability than it was before Mr. Trump’s election.” Trump.”
On Saturday evening, Iran launched 170 drones, 120 ballistic missiles and 30 cruise missiles in a large-scale air attack on the Jewish state.
With the help of Israel’s allies and its advanced “David’s Sling” missile defense system, approximately 99% of the munitions were intercepted and never hit the ground in Israel.