North Charlotte Today

Senator Thom Tillis and his colleagues have expressed their concern in a recent letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen, and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin regarding the Biden administration's lack of a cohesive Iran strategy. The senators are demanding answers regarding the administration's decision to extend an Iran sanctions waiver, especially in light of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iranian-backed Hamas.

In their letter, the senators highlighted their previous concerns about the administration's decision to release $6 billion worth of frozen Iranian assets in exchange for the return of American detainees. They emphasized that this action sets a dangerous precedent of providing ransom payments to the world's greatest state sponsor of terrorism. The senators are alarmed by the administration's decision to double down on its appeasement strategy by granting Iran access to approximately $10 billion through the waiver.

The senators stressed the importance of understanding that money is fungible, meaning that the assets provided to Iran can be used to support the regime's destabilizing activities. They pointed out that, combined with the $6 billion release in August, the administration has now allowed Iran access to roughly $16 billion in assets over the past four months. This substantial funding can be used to offset the costs of Iran's increasing destabilizing activities in the region.

The senators argued that a strong signal of deterrence is needed to prevent further attacks against U.S. personnel and to prevent the war in Gaza from escalating into a protracted regional conflict. They expressed disappointment with the administration's military and economic responses to Iran and its proxies, stating that these responses have been disproportionate and disjointed.

To address their concerns, the senators have requested a classified assessment from the relevant departments. They want to understand the administration's plan to deter Iranian aggression and prevent the escalation of conflict in the Middle East. The assessment should include an estimation of how Iran has leveraged and could potentially leverage the tens of billions in assets it now has access to due to the administration's use of U.S. sanctions waivers. The senators have requested this assessment to be provided in a member or staff-level briefing no later than December 7, 2023.

The senators are taking this issue seriously and are demanding answers to ensure that the administration has a clear and effective strategy in dealing with Iran. The full letter can be accessed for further details.

###

Click this link to access more information: https://www.tillis.senate.gov/2023/12/tillis-colleagues-demand-answers-from-biden-on-latest-iran-sanctions-waiver