Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday blamed Trump for Joe Biden’s $6 billion gift to Iran.
The Hamas attack against Israel comes just weeks after Biden released $6 billion in funding to Iran.
The Biden administration has issued a waiver for banks to transfer $6 billion in frozen Iranian oil funds without fear of U.S. sanctions — a key step in securing the release of five American citizens detained in Iran, people familiar with the matter said. As a part of the arrangement, the administration will release five Iranian citizens detained in the United States.Over the weekend Joe Biden’s NSC spox went into damage control after Hamas surprise ambushed Israel in a horrific terror attack.
National Security Spox Adrienne Watson said the $6 billion in funds given to Iran have “absolutely nothing to do with” Saturday’s terror attacks and anyone who challenges this narrative is spreading disinformation.
“I can’t comment on 2024 because of the Hatch Act. But I can clarify the facts: Not a single cent from these funds has been spent, and when it is spent, it can only be spent on things like food and medicine for the Iranian people,” NSC Spox Adrienne Watson said.
“These funds have absolutely nothing to do with the horrific attacks today and this is not the time to spread disinformation,” she said.
It’s also all Trump’s fault.
Blinken on Thursday blamed Trump and claimed the $6 billion Biden gave to Iran is in Qatar.
This is a lie. The account was set up under Barack Obama.
“It was set up by Section 1245 of the FY2012 NDAA that mandated its creation and set the parameters of its usage,” former State Department advisor on Iran Gabriel Noronha said on Thursday.
“Obama is the one who signed that bill into law – we had to follow
it, and did so in a way that minimized Iran’s revenue,” he said.
The account wasn’t even set up under Trump! It was set up by Section 1245 of the FY2012 NDAA that mandated its creation and set the parameters of its usage.
— Gabriel Noronha (@GLNoronha) October 12, 2023
Obama is the one who signed that bill into law - we had to follow it, and did so in a way that minimized Iran’s revenue.
Blinken trashed Trump and claimed the $6 billion gift to Iran is still in Qatar.
Even if the actual dollars haven’t hit Iran yet, they know the money is coming. This frees up Iran’s other money to be used to fund terrorism.
WATCH:
Secretary of State Antony Blinken blames President Trump for Biden's $6 billion gift to Iran — even as Biden has allowed Iranian oil exports to skyrocket by refusing to enforce Trump-era sanctions.
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) October 12, 2023
Blinken won't say if the U.S. will re-freeze the funds. pic.twitter.com/EnoabB0PhZ
Biden’s State Department spox tried to blame Trump for the $6 billion in funds gifted to Iran, but the Associated Press’s Matt Lee blew up the narrative.
AP’s Matt Lee scolded State Department spox Matt Miller on the money Joe Biden unfroze for Iran.
WATCH:
WATCH: Matt Lee tries to explain in elementary terms to State Department Spokesman Matt Miller that money Biden unfroze for Iran is fungible. Miller tries to shift blame to Trump. Fireworks ensue: pic.twitter.com/D7MjGZSEZS
— Dylan Housman (@Dylan_Housman) October 10, 2023
According to a new report by Semafor, the US and Qatar have agreed not to release the $6 billion to Iran….YET.
According to Semafor:
(Article by Cristina Laila republished from TheGatewayPundit)The United States and Qatar have reached an understanding not to allow Iran to access the $6 billion funds reserved for humanitarian assistance.
U.S. Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo told Democrats behind closed doors on Thursday that the U.S. and Qatar had reached a “quiet understanding” not to move the money, which is being held in a Qatari bank, a person familiar with his comments told Semafor. The news comes as U.S. officials probe whether Iran was directly involved in the Hamas attack on Israel over the weekend.
Adeyemo told the lawmakers the funds would not be moving anytime soon, the person said.