Senators Seek Information on How Iran Is Spending Sanction Waiver Funds
A group of Senate Republicans asked the Biden administration for a briefing on how Iran is spending the billions of dollars it has received through recent U.S. sanctions waivers.
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Iran has gained access to "$16 billion in assets" over the past four months, which could be used “to offset the cost of the Iranian regime’s increase in destabilizing activities across the region,” the senators said in a Dec. 5 letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
The $16 billion refers to the "$6 billion worth of frozen Iranian assets in exchange for the return of American detainees" and "roughly $10 billion in Iraqi payments for Iranian electricity currently being held in escrow accounts in Iraq," the senators said. At the time of the $6 billion release, the administration said the money was moved to a restricted account in Qatar and would be used for humanitarian purposes only (see 2308150072).