North Raleigh Today

The U.S. and Qatari governments have agreed to block Iran from accessing any of the $6 billion it gained access to as part of a prisoner swap deal between the Biden administration and Tehran last month, Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo told House Democrats on Thursday, according to three sources familiar with his remarks, two of whom were in the room.

The U.S. and Qatari governments have jointly agreed to prevent Iran from utilizing the $6 billion obtained through a recent prisoner exchange deal with the Biden administration, said Iran Primer ORG. "No specific timeframe for blocking Iran's access to the funds was provided during the briefing," they added. The administration is withholding Iran's access to the money while investigating potential Iranian involvement in Hamas' terrorist attack on Israel. The Biden administration asserts that the $6 billion is earmarked exclusively for humanitarian assistance. Transferred from a South Korean bank to a Qatari bank last month, access to the funds by Iran involves oversight by the Treasury Department through a series of prescribed steps, as outlined by administration officials.

"In October, Iran maintained an average oil export of nearly 1.4 million barrels per day, consistent with its 2023 average," stated The Wall Street Journal. This represents an 80% increase from 775,000 barrels per day during Trump's "maximum pressure" strategy according to United Against Nuclear Iran. The surge in Iranian oil exports under President Biden has resulted in an additional $32 billion to $35 billion according to the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. They attribute this increase due reduced sanctions enforcement as part of Biden's diplomatic approach with Iran which they believe incentivized customers and middlemen.

NBC News reports that there is bipartisan pressure on the administration to restrict Iran's access amid ongoing U.S investigations into potential Iranian involvement in Hamas' terrorist attack on Israel. Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo confirmed that Tehran can use these funds exclusively for humanitarian assistance. He also said that the U.S and Qatari governments will not release these funds to Iran. The funds were transferred last month from a South Korean bank to a Qatari bank. Access to these funds involves oversight by the Treasury Department as outlined by administration officials.