UPDATE: During the daily briefing at the White House Thursday afternoon, spokesperson John Kirby would not confirm the freezing of the funds.
REPORTER: "What is the status of the $6 billion that Iran was set to have access to?"
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) October 12, 2023
JOHN KIRBY: "Still sitting in the Qatari bank...I have no updates to provide today." pic.twitter.com/nD5cK8yc5o
Source confirms to @EdwardLawrence that Deputy Treasury Sec told House Dems there is a “quiet agreement with Qatar not to move any of the $6 billion in unfrozen money to Iran for an indefinite period”
— Jacqui Heinrich (@JacquiHeinrich) October 12, 2023
This mirrors what Senators were told in Tuesday briefing, as I reported then
***Original post***
The recent unfreezing of $6 billion in Iranian funds in exchange for the release of five American hostages has been refrozen after Iranian backed Hamas launched a brutal attack on Israel last weekend. The move comes after Qatar, where the funds are currently stored, and the U.S. came to an agreement.
"U.S. officials and the Qatari government have agreed to stop Iran from accessing a $6 billion account for humanitarian assistance in light of Hamas’s attack on Israel, Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo told House Democrats on Thursday, according to two people who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the private remarks," the Washington Post reports.
Members of Congress, Democrats and Republicans, have urged President Biden to refreeze the funds.
The Biden administration has repeatedly claimed the $6 billion was allocated for humanitarian aid and has spent the past five days on defense in an attempt to explain how money isn't fungible (it is).
The White House's effort yesterday to spin this, "But this recent $6 billion blah blah," is even more vomit inducing with this admission today, which has always been true. https://t.co/PiAyRzw3iL
— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) October 8, 2023
Iran's leaders have said they will spend the money as they see fit, rejecting constraints it can't be used to fund terrorism.
Just this week, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan refused to say whether the White House was considering a refreeze of the funds.
Hamas is a terrorist organization funded by Iran.
— Rep. Elise Stefanik (@RepStefanik) October 10, 2023
Joe Biden should have NEVER given $6 billion to Iran.
The fact that the Biden Admin is not even considering freezing these funds following Hamas' heinous terrorist attacks in Israel is disgraceful.
Not one more cent should go… pic.twitter.com/h2ODLXBS89