The Five’ panelists discuss new fears of war with Iran-backed Hezbollah as Israel prepares to launch a ground assault into the Gaza Strip. Calls from Capitol Hill lawmakers to freeze the $6 billion in Iranian funds reached through controversial negotiations increased this week. Nearly 20 GOP senators are calling on the Biden administration to freeze the funds that were released to a Qatar account in exchange for five American prisoners last month.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., led a group of GOP senators on Tuesday, urging the administration to “limit Iran’s ability to provide support to Hamas.” She blamed President Biden for sending Palestine over $730 million in aid since taking office through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees. “And yesterday, we learned Hamas stole aid from that group,” Blackburn said. “I’ll be introducing legislation to halt all funding for them until Iran is expelled from the UN and investigated for violations.”
In a move to increase pressure on the Biden administration, Senators Tom Cotton, R-Ark.; John Kennedy, R-La.; and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., have introduced legislation to also freeze the assets. The bill aims to reinstate any statutory sanctions imposed on Iran that were waived, suspended, reduced or otherwise relieved pursuant to an agreement between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran.
“We have reams, reams of evidence that the regime that chants ‘death to America’ and ‘death to Israel’ puts its money where its mouth is,” McConnell said on the floor Tuesday morning.
Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., is also seeking to block the $6 billion in a bill he introduced Tuesday, which revokes the waiver granted by the Biden administration to release the frozen Iranian funds. In September, the Biden administration announced an agreement with Iran in which Iran would release five American citizens in return for the Biden administration issuing a waiver for international banks to transfer $6 billion in frozen Iranian money from South Korea to Qatar without fear of U.S. sanctions. Marshall’s bill seeks to revoke the waiver.
“Hamas is just the puppet, doing the dirty work of the puppet master — Iran,” Marshall said in a statement.
Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., and ranking member of the Senate Banking Committee, also unveiled his legislation on Tuesday. Scott is seeking unanimous consent on his bill, which would handicap the Treasury and State departments to relax U.S. sanctions on Iranian assets.
The U.S. has a “quiet agreement” with Qatar to block Iran from accessing the $6 billion in humanitarian aid amid Hamas’ terror attacks on Israel, sources familiar with the move told. Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo met with House Democrats on Thursday and informed them that the U.S. has a quiet agreement with Qatar not to move any of the $6 billion in unfrozen money to Iran for an indefinite period.
In the House, China Committee Chairman Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., led a bipartisan group of nearly 100 House lawmakers last Wednesday to urge President Biden to refreeze the $6 billion as well.
As tensions continue to rise in the region, concerns over a potential war with Iran-backed Hezbollah are growing. Israel’s preparation for a ground assault into the Gaza Strip has raised alarm bells among lawmakers on Capitol Hill. The calls to freeze the $6 billion in Iranian funds are seen as a way to limit Iran’s ability to support Hamas and ensure the security of Israel.
At least 1,400 people have been killed in Israel and thousands wounded since Hamas launched a surprise attack on the nation on Oct. 7. The situation remains tense, and lawmakers are urging the Biden administration to take swift action to address the escalating conflict.
