AUGUST 15, 2023: U.S. TO PROVIDE IRAN ACCESS TO $16 BILLION IN FROZEN FUNDS

Foundation for Defense of Democracies ^ | AUGUST 15, 2023 | Unknown

[jacknhoo]

The United States moved toward giving Iran access to at least $16 billion in the last few weeks, including $6 billion held in South Korea as part of a prisoner exchange deal and $10 billion held in Iraq to pay off Baghdad’s debts for its purchases of Iranian natural gas. Moreover, the Biden administration has remained silent regarding reports that the administration’s understanding with Iran would include up to an additional $7 billion in special drawing rights (SDR) from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and potentially other cash as well. Washington has also failed to comment on Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian’s visit last week to Japan, where he reportedly requested access to $3 billion in frozen funds.

Expert Analysis “Congress should be worried about the money we don’t see as much as or more than the money we already see. The Treasury Department needs to come clean on the status of funds for Iran from the IMF, and the State Department needs to comment on whether it is negotiating the release of additional funds currently frozen in Japan.” — Richard Goldberg, FDD Senior Advisor

“Iran is making a play for its frozen funds to be released through an escalatory test of wills in the region and with hostage diplomacy against the country that created the lock-up provisions and sanctions architecture in the first place. Congress should see the moves to unlock these monies as an attempt to avoid oversight and deliver Tehran unearned sanctions relief.” — Behnam Ben Taleblu, FDD Senior Fellow

How Did the Funds End Up in Escrow? The funds released from South Korean banks as part of the prisoner exchange agreement were payments owed by South Korea to Iran for purchases of oil. South Korea and a handful of other nations, including China, India, Italy, Greece, Japan, Taiwan, and Turkey, were granted waivers in 2018 to continue buying Iranian oil after the Trump administration left the 2015 nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. The Trump administration canceled these exemptions in 2019 and diverted payments for already delivered oil into escrow accounts.

Japan is the only country with a publicly reported amount — approximately $3 billion — of unreleased Iranian funds. Still, it is likely that other states that had been granted exemptions also hold undisclosed amounts.

What Are IMF SDRs? Unlike Iran’s escrowed funds, which are debts owed to Iran, SDRs from the IMF are units of account that a holder can trade for an infusion of liquid cash into its economy equal to the value of the SDRs. Allowing Iran to trade in its SDRs at the IMF could mean an infusion of $7 billion into Iran’s economy. The United States blocked a $5 billion IMF emergency loan to Iran in 2020, and U.S. law mandates that the IMF’s American executive director oppose allocating any funds to a state sponsor of terror.

[Alas Babylon!]

All I can say is:

FJB! The dead’s blood is on your hands!

[Alas Babylon!]

Yes they are.

But giving billions to Iran is just as wrong as Ukraine.

[grobdriver]

Bookmark for reference.

[kelly4c]

Bkmk

[Red6]

It’s all a convoluted mess at this point.

A hundred twists and turns to the point where we’re giving money to the Taliban, unfreezing Iran assets, can’t tell you where missiles and money are going once handed to some countries. We pay for idiotic enviro crap while people are literally starving to death 500 miles from there, we pay money to teach about the use of a condom to sub Saharan men... Yes, it needs to stop.

[Reverend Wright]

I think the isolationist ideas of Buchanan and Paul are getting more of a hearing on FR than they used to.

[EEGator]

Our government seems to represent a small percentage of our country.
Today is nothing like the country I grew up in.

[mass55th]

Biden released 6 billion dollars in a prisoner swap with Iran on 9/11. He was too busy doing that to attend the 9/11 Memorial in NY City. Went to Alaska instead.

[EEGator]

I agree with more, but still a minority by quite a bit.

There also has been the issue of everything here becoming a false dichotomy.

It you don’t help Ukraine you’re a Communist.
If you don’t support Israel, you’re a Nazi.
If you don’t A you’re B.

[Chgogal]

When do Impeachment Proceedings begin?

[cowboyusa]

No, we should not give aid to anyone.

[cowboyusa]

I don’t think that I is a zeeper.

[ifinnegan]

“ No, we should not give aid to anyone.”

Yes but it has nothing to do with this thread or topic or the current attack on Israel.

It was a comment made to deflect from the situation.

It’s a fine topic of discussion but is used as disruption here.

[matt04]

Stolen elections have consequences. I’ve noticed many leftist friends I keep around on Facebook have been absolutely silent about politics in any form for months now. Before then, it was always orange man bad inviting will be good for maybe the first 6 to 10 months of his presidency, then it slowly died off.

[cowboyusa]

You can be against aid for anyone and believe we should not be involved and still be 100 percent Pro Israel. But, Hamas killed and kidnapped Americans. That involves us.

[SunkenCiv]

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[EEGator]

Dual citizens that live in Israel.

This is between Israel and Hamas.
Israel doesn’t need our help.

[Colo9250]

Valerie Jarrett has a office in the White House.

[cowboyusa]

If they were born here, than they are American Citizens.

[cowboyusa]

Trump was Prace through Strenth.