Top Republican House members expressed concerns on Sunday about the tentative agreement with Iran to free five imprisoned Iranian-Americans, fearing that it could lead to the Biden administration reviving the US nuclear deal with Tehran. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner highlighted that Congress has not yet been briefed on the specifics of the proposed prisoner deal, which would release $6 billion in Iranian assets from South Korea. Turner warned that the administration may be pursuing an informal deal without congressional oversight, stating, “We don’t want a secret deal with Iran.” Under the proposed agreement, Iran would release the American detainees in exchange for access to its $6 billion in assets and the freedom of an unknown number of Iranian nationals detained in the US. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul argued that the $6 billion is a significant increase from the $400 million in Iranian assets unfrozen under the previous Iran nuclear deal. He cautioned that the funds could further Iran’s “proxy war, terror operations, and their nuclear bomb aspirations” in the region. Both McCaul and Turner emphasized their desire to bring the American detainees home but raised concerns about potential repercussions. The Biden administration has stressed that the deal has not been finalized and that Americans have not been brought home yet. Democratic Representative Adam Smith defended the proposed agreement, stating that the money going from Korea to Iran is from oil sales and will be controlled by Qatar, not Iran. He questioned why there were not more objections during the Trump administration when money from other countries was being transferred to Iran. The sister of one of the Iranian detainees, Emad Sharghi, credited the Biden administration for the deal and expressed her hope that they would bring her brother home.
How does Democratic Representative Adam Smith defend the proposed agreement and address objections raised during the Trump administration’s transfers of money to Iran
Top Republican House members have raised concerns about the potential agreement with Iran to release five imprisoned Iranian-Americans, fearing that it could lead to the revival of the US nuclear deal with Tehran under the Biden administration. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner emphasized that Congress has not yet been briefed on the specifics of the proposed prisoner deal, which involves releasing $6 billion in Iranian assets from South Korea. Turner cautioned against the possibility of an informal deal without congressional oversight, stating, “We don’t want a secret deal with Iran.”
As per the proposed agreement, Iran would release the American detainees in exchange for access to its $6 billion in assets and the freedom of an unknown number of Iranian nationals held in the US. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul raised concerns over the significant increase in funds, stating that the $6 billion exceeds the $400 million in Iranian assets unfrozen under the previous Iran nuclear deal. He warned that these funds could potentially support Iran’s “proxy war, terror operations, and their nuclear bomb aspirations” in the region.
Both McCaul and Turner emphasized their desire to bring the American detainees back home but expressed concerns about the potential repercussions of the agreement. The Biden administration has stressed that the deal is still under negotiation and that the detainees have not yet been repatriated.
Democratic Representative Adam Smith defended the proposed agreement by highlighting that the money being transferred from Korea to Iran is from oil sales and will be under the control of Qatar, rather than Iran. He questioned why there were not similar objections during the Trump administration when money from other countries was being transferred to Iran.
In a positive response to the potential deal, the sister of one of the Iranian detainees, Emad Sharghi, credited the Biden administration for their efforts and expressed hope that her brother would soon be brought home.
It’s important for lawmakers to carefully consider the potential consequences of any nuclear deal, especially in light of the recent prisoner agreement.
I agree, this deal should not be rushed and all aspects need to be carefully evaluated to protect our national security.