Managers Americans et Qatari would have agreed to prevent theIran to access 6 billion dollars intended forhumanitarian aid. These Iranian funds had been blocked by Washington before being recently made available and transferred to accounts in Qatar, American media reported on Thursday.
“We have strict control of the funds, and we reserve the right to freeze them,” simply replied the American Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, questioned during a press conference in Tel-Aviv THURSDAY. “What I can tell you is that every penny of that money is still in a bank in Qatar. Not a single cent has been spent,” assured John Kirby, spokesperson for the National Security Council, at the White House.
Money ‘won’t go anywhere anytime soon’
The Washington Post specifies that it was the Deputy Secretary of the Treasury, Wally Adeyemo, who informed the Democrats of the House of Representatives of this agreement between the United States and Qatar. He reportedly told them that the money “won’t go anywhere anytime soon,” adds the daily, this time quoting the Punchbowl website. Questioned by AFP, the US Treasury Department did not comment.
At the beginning of September, Washington had, as part of an agreement concluded in August with Iran on an exchange of prisoners, released six billion dollars of Iranian funds frozen in South Korea. The sum was transferred to accounts held in Qatar. But American opposition voices said this had allowed Hamas, an ally of Tehranto finance his attack.
Joe Biden accused of financing Hamas attack
Iran has placed itself at the forefront of supporting the Hamas offensive, while rejecting accusations of its involvement. The White House said on Saturday that “not a cent” had been spent, stressing that this money could only be used for humanitarian expenses anyway.
Joe Biden’s Republican opponents consider his policy too lenient towards Iran. A Republican senator, Rick Scott, estimated that by authorizing this transfer of money, Joe Biden had “financed” the attack on Hamas.
For its part, Iran affirmed that the United States “cannot return” to the transfer agreement. “This money rightfully belongs to the Iranian people and is intended for the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to facilitate the acquisition of all essential elements for the well-being of the Iranian population,” said the spokesperson of the permanent mission of Iran at the United Nations, Ali Karimi Magham, late Thursday on the social network X (formerly Twitter).
2023-10-13 11:17:36
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