The chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Sunday accused the Biden administration of being taken to the cleaners for a tentative deal with Iran to free five detained Americans in exchange for unfreezing $6 billion in assets and freeing an unknown number of Iranians imprisoned in the U.S.
“We’re talking about $6 billion dollars right? $6 billion. Under Obama, it was $400 million of cash and airplanes that went into Iran,” Rep. Michael McCaul, Texas Republican, said on “Fox News Sunday.” “Look, I want to get these Americans home more than anybody, and one of them is a critical asset, I agree with that. But we have to go in eyes wide open.”
Mr. McCaul suggested the $6 billion would “prop up” Iran’s “proxy war, terror operations and their nuclear bomb aspirations.”
The current agreement, although not yet finalized, would unlock $6 billion in Iranian money in South Korea. It would be transferred to Qatar before going to Tehran, Iran’s capital.
Mr. McCaul expressed doubts about the Biden administration providing transparency for where the money goes.
“Reagan said, ’Trust and verify,’ but I have to use the word naivete,” he said.
• Ramsey Touchberry can be reached at rtouchberry@washingtontimes.com.
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