Cornyn Calls on Biden to Freeze $6 Billion Iran Transfer

U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) yesterday joined a group of 19 Republican colleagues in calling on President Biden and the U.S. State Department to immediately rescind the waivers that allowed Iranian funds to be converted and moved to more accessible bank accounts and urged them to work with Qatar to immediately freeze the accounts containing these funds:

They wrote: “Iran is the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism, and Wall Street Journal reported that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps worked with Hamas to plan the ongoing attacks on Israel. These horrific attacks come on the heels of the State Department issuing sanctions waivers for Iranian funds held in South Korean accounts to be converted from won to euros and then transferred to bank accounts in Qatar.”

“To stand by and allow Iran access to these funds as Hamas infiltrates Israel and murders, rapes, and mutilates countless Israelis is unconscionable. Your administration claims these funds are only available for humanitarian use, but money is fungible, and there is a significant risk they could be used to further efforts by Iran or Hamas against Israel. Moreover, allowing $6 billion to flow into Iran’s economy, even if the purpose is for humanitarian aid, allows the Iranian regime to reallocate even more funds to supporting terrorism.”

“We must stand with Israel and restrict access to these Iranian funds. 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.”

The letter is signed by Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Steve Daines (R-MT), Rick Scott (R-FL), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), John Thune (R-SD), James Lankford (R-OK), Mike Lee (R-UT), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Katie Britt (R-AL), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Mike Braun (R-IN), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), Ted Budd (R-NC), Marco Rubio (R-FL), and Roger Marshall (R-KS).

Full text of the senators’ letter can be found here and below. Sen. Cornyn also joined a letter in August demanding answers from the Biden administration on the $6 billion payment to Iran, which was released in exchange for American prisoners.