Lankford Demands Biden Admin Rescind $6 Billion from Iran after Iran-Backed Terrorists Attack Israel

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – Senator James Lankford (R-OK) joined Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and 18 Senate Republicans in calling on President Biden and the State Department to immediately rescind the waivers that allowed Iranian funds to be converted and moved to more accessible bank accounts, as well as work with Qatar to immediately freeze the accounts containing these funds.

Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC), Steve Daines (R-MT), Rick Scott (R-FL), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), John Thune (R-SD), Mike Lee (R-UT), John Cornyn (R-TX), 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) joined as co-signers.

“We write today to affirm our unwavering support for Israel, our greatest ally in the Middle East, and call on the US Department of State to freeze the accounts in Qatar containing $6 billion in Iranian funds that were released from South Korean accounts in September…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,” the Senators wrote in their letter.

Following the brutal attacks on Israel this weekend, Lankford immediately issued a statement of our ongoing and unwavering support for Israel and the Israelis’ right to defend themselves. As co-founder and co-chair of the Senate Abraham Accords Caucus, Lankford and his fellow co-chairs also issued a powerful joint statement of support for Israel.

You can read the full letter HERE or below:

Dear Mr. President:

We write today to affirm our unwavering support for Israel, our greatest ally in the Middle East, and call on the US Department of State to freeze the accounts in Qatar containing $6 billion in Iranian funds that were released from South Korean accounts in September.

Since Hamas began its attack on Israel on Saturday, more than 4,000 rockets have been fired from Gaza, countless Israelis have been injured, and more than 130 individuals have been kidnapped by Hamas terrorists. Hundreds of civilians have been brutally murdered in Israel, and recent reports confirm that several Americans were killed in the attacks.

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. Oversight over the use of this $6 billion is not enough, and the oversight mechanism is crippled by your reported decision to pull the longstanding Treasury attaché from Qatar.

The State Department should immediately rescind the waivers that allowed Iranian funds to be converted and moved to more accessible bank accounts, as well as work with US ally Qatar to immediately freeze the accounts containing these funds.

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.

Sincerely,

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