A group of Republican senators, led by U.S. Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), have raised concerns to Biden administration officials about the latest Iran sanctions waiver.
The sanctions waiver would grant Iran access to up to $10 billion in previously frozen funds by allowing Iraq to pay Iran for electricity. The Republicans say the waiver makes sanctioned Iranian funds more accessible to the Iranian regime and disregards congressional intent.
“We have two primary concerns with the decision to renew the waiver. First, the waiver makes restricted Iranian funds more accessible to the Ayatollah’s regime, at a time when Iranian-backed aggression in the region is at a peak. Second, the administration appears to be disregarding congressional intent that any payments made to Iran remain severely restricted,” the senators wrote in a letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Secretary of State Antony Blinken. “To our first point, since Hamas’ brutal attack against Israel on October 7, 2023, Iranian proxies have sustained a violent campaign in the Red Sea and across the Middle East. This campaign not only threatens to disrupt critical supply chains and drive up the cost of goods, but it also relentlessly targets U.S. servicemembers—to deadly effect.”
It is unfathomable that this is the context in which the administration determined that it was within the national security interest of the United States to waive sanctions on restricted Iranian funds, making them more accessible to the regime. If we want to actually restore deterrence in the region, those funds should be placed further out of Iran’s reach, not closer
Along with Scott, the letter was signed by Sens. Mike Crapo (R-ID), Katie Britt (R-AL), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), John Cornyn (R-TX), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Todd Young (R-IN), Rick Scott (R-FL), Ted Budd (R-NC), and Pete Ricketts (R-NB).
“It is unfathomable that this is the context in which the administration determined that it was within the national security interest of the United States to waive sanctions on restricted Iranian funds, making them more accessible to the regime. If we want to actually restore deterrence in the region, those funds should be placed further out of Iran’s reach, not closer,” the senators added.
The senators are seeking a briefing from the administration on its Iran strategy, and answers to a series of detailed questions regarding the administration’s actions.
“The United States should be restricting Iran’s access to currency abroad. Instead, your administration is expanding it, all while continuing to share limited information on a strategy to restore deterrence in the Middle East with Congress or the American people,” they wrote.