The Biden Administration has extended a sanctions waiver allowing Iraq to pay for Iranian electricity despite criticism.
The waiver, signed by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, enables payments through an escrow account, circumventing U.S. sanctions.
Critics argue that the funds indirectly support Iran’s disruptive activities through proxies attacking U.S. forces in the Middle East. (Trending: Jury Reaches Verdict In Paul Pelosi Hammer Case)
Tom Cotton: "President Biden’s failure to respond to attacks by Iran and its proxies has put American troops in danger. "
"We have to make Iran once again fear us before more Americans die." pic.twitter.com/KTRHm5Tmhl
— AnalyzingAmerica (@AnalyzAmerica) November 17, 2023
“It is absolutely outrageous the Biden Administration continues to find ways to send Iran money — especially from Iraq, where the same Iranian-backed militias who are targeting American forces increasingly run the show and are helping keep Iraq addicted to Iranian energy,” Rep. Mike Waltz, (R-FL) said.
“Involving these entities that are well known to us, that we do a lot of outreach and coordination with, make us feel even more comfortable that kind of above the letter of the law,” a senior State Department official stated.
“There is more oversight from a lot of different entities that don’t want these funds to be misused for a variety of different reasons.”
Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ Richard Goldberg said, “An initial report from Reuters [said] the U.S. has authorized Iran to make a $2.76 billion payment to pay off various debts out of its cash sitting in Iraq, or bulk of that was debt to Turkmenistan for gas, and then also some various international organizations dues, other things that were not itemized at the time.”
“Maybe there’s going to be a gas-for-oil swap if the U.S. allows,” he added.
“The Iraqis are claiming that they’ve achieved that … Then there’s reports where the Iranian side is saying, actually, the U.S. has authorized the Iranians to use any of the more than $10 billion that’s sitting in escrow in Baghdad.”
“Everybody is focused on the $6 billion and, ‘Is it frozen? What’s happening there?’ … But nobody was noticing the $10 billion over here.”
“They are today.”
The State Department defends the waiver, emphasizing oversight and the need to provide humanitarian aid.
“That’s true with respect to Russia. It’s true with respect to Iran,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller stated. “It’s true with respect to every country in the world. And it always has been. That is the policy of the United States.”
“When it comes to holding Iran accountable for its destabilizing activities, I would remind you that we have imposed more than 400 sanctions on Iran since the outset of this administration,” he added.
However, opponents call for cutting off Iran’s access to such funds, citing Iran’s support for groups hostile to the U.S. and its allies.
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