The United States, in collaboration with Qatar, has decided to prevent Iran from utilizing the $6 billion it recently obtained through a prisoner exchange agreement with the Biden administration. This information was conveyed by Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo during a discussion with House Democrats, as recounted by three individuals acquainted with the conversation, including two who were present.
Adeyemo didn’t specify the duration for which the funds would be inaccessible to Iran, as shared by the attendees. This resolution was reached amidst escalating bipartisan demands to restrict Iran’s access to these assets. This scrutiny intensified as U.S. authorities probed possible direct Iranian complicity in Hamas’ assault on Israel. Despite these assets being released, the Biden administration maintained that Iran is permitted to allocate the funds solely for humanitarian causes.
The mentioned assets were relocated the previous month from a South Korean financial institution to one situated in Qatar. The procedure for Iran to retrieve these funds involves multiple stages, inclusive of supervision by the U.S. Treasury Department, as reiterated by officials from the administration.
While officials assured that Iran hadn’t withdrawn any portion of the funds and that the U.S. retains the authority to reinstate the freeze as needed, there was a mounting consensus urging the White House to assert more definitively that Iran would remain barred from accessing these resources.
