Rotten to the Very End: 3 Days After Election, Biden Handed Iran $10 Billion
With the end President Joe Biden’s term fast approaching, the 46th president seems determined to enshrine his legacy as one of the worst executives ever.
A recent foreign policy mistake involves Iran — specifically empowering Iran to further fund terrorism, the Washington Free Beacon reported Tuesday.
According to the Beacon, the administration waived sanctions on Iran three days after the presidential election, which allowed them to access upwards of $10 billion in funds that were previously frozen by the United States.
This is money in electricity import payments that the U.S. had been keeping the Iranians from accessing.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken claimed, “It is in the national security interest of the United States” to make such a move.
The Beacon mentioned, this isn’t the first time waivers have been used for Iranian money — and perhaps the most egregious case came one month after Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct 7, 2023.
During President-elect Donald Trump’s first term, the same waiver passed, but “it narrowly tailored the waiver to restrict Iranian access to the cash.”
Biden changed the waiver in 2023 to allow Iran to convert its funds from Iraqi dinars to Euros, which would enable the country to spend its money in a larger market.
The current administration said the money is only permitted for humanitarian items, like medicine and other necessities, and gave the excuse that the conditions of the waiver would create “a stable, sovereign, and secure Iraq,” as the goal is to reduce “Iran’s malign influence in the region,” according to Department deputy spokesman Vedant Patel.
The timing of Biden’s decision cannot be overlooked.
Trump’s inevitable return caused the president to embolden the epicenter of terrorism and instability in the Middle East.
If we were to ask ourselves what benefit this move would have for national security or diplomatic relations in the region, we are asking the wrong questions.
This administration did not make either a priority in this decision as the impetus is hamstringing Trump at the expense of the American people.
This is another attempt to “Trump Proof” the federal government before the incoming president makes his return.
Touting his foreign policy success, Trump often spoke in the months before election day of Iran’s lack of funds under his administration, noting its financial resurgence under his successor.
Going by the numbers, Trump is correct.
In 2018, Iran held over $122 billion in reserves, which tumbled to just shy of $15 billion in 2019, a number that has steadily increased under Biden.
The State Department can drone on about Iraq’s status after its November waiver, but what is the best argument for funding Iran?
This administration is intent on giving Trump as many problems as they can before his inauguration.
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