Central Louisiana News

U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and 18 Republican colleagues have written a letter to President Biden and the State Department, urging them to rescind the waivers that allowed Iranian funds to be converted and moved to more accessible bank accounts. They are also calling for the freezing of accounts containing these funds in collaboration with Qatar.

The senators highlight Iran's status as the world's largest state sponsor of terrorism and the recent collaboration between the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Hamas in planning attacks on Israel. They express concern that these funds, supposedly designated for humanitarian use, could be used to support further acts of terrorism against Israel. They argue that allowing $6 billion to flow into Iran's economy, even for humanitarian aid, would enable the regime to allocate more funds towards terrorism.

The senators emphasize the need for strict sanctions against Iran and the restriction of access to these Iranian funds. They believe that anything short of this would only aid Iran and Hamas in funding their heinous acts.

The letter is signed by Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC), Steve Daines (R-MT), Rick Scott (R-FL), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), John Thune (R-SD), James Lankford (R-OK), Mike Lee (R-UT), John Cornyn (R-TX), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Katie Britt (R-AL), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Mike Braun (R-IN), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), Ted Budd (R-NC), Marco Rubio (R-FL), and Roger Marshall (R-KS).

The senators conclude their letter by stating, "We must stand with Israel and restrict access to these Iranian funds. Iran should be placed under the most stringent sanctions admissible. Anything short of this is unacceptable and only aids in the ability of Iran and Hamas to fund these heinous acts."

The full letter can be read [here](link to full letter).

To find out more, go to this link: https://www.cassidy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cassidy-blackburn-18-republican-colleagues-call-on-biden-to-freeze-6-billion-iran-transfer