The Biden administration on Thursday sought to assuage concerns about $6 billion in previously unfrozen Iranian funds that the U.S. said would be released as part of a prisoner exchange announced in September.
John Kirby, a White House spokesperson on national security issues, said Thursday that Iran has not accessed any of the $6 billion, amid questions over Iran’s culpability in the attack on Israel by Tehran-backed Hamas.
Multiple outlets including ABC News reported Thursday the U.S. and Qatar had reached an agreement to prevent Tehran from accessing the funds.
Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo reportedly offered the update in a closed-door meeting with House Democratic lawmakers earlier in the day.
“I’m not going to speculate one way or another here about future transactions. … What I can tell you is none of it has been accessed, and we are watching every dime,” Kirby told reporters during a White House briefing.
The funds, transferred from South Korea to Qatar as part of last month’s prisoner exchange deal, have been subject to intense debate amid the attack on Israel by Hamas, a militant group that Iran has long backed.
The Biden administration says there’s no evidence Iran was involved in the attack, though it said Iran is complicit due to years of supporting Hamas.
The White House has defended the unfrozen funds by pointing out they can only be used for humanitarian purposes, while critics say that still frees up $6 billion that Iran already has for other purposes.
