04/14/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/14/2024 17:35
Washington, D.C. - In response to Iran's attacks on Israel, Ranking Member Tim Scott (R-S.C.) called on the Biden administration to support Israel and reverse course on its appeasement of Iran. The Ranking Member has continued to push back on the Biden administration's disturbing pattern of sanctions non-enforcement and sanctions relief to Iran, which have made funds more accessible for the Iranian regime and its terror proxies to attack U.S. servicemembers and our allies.
"Let's be clear: President Biden's lax policies have enabled billion-dollar paydays for the Iranian regime. As I've repeatedly warned this administration, appeasing the world's foremost state sponsor of terrorism puts American servicemembers and our allies in harm's way. It's time we send a clear message: America will always stand by Israel and its right to defend itself against terrorism and respond appropriately to acts of war. To do that, the Biden administration must no longer appease the Iranian regime and utilize the full extent of our economic sanctions toolkit to block the flow of funds to Iran, as my Republican colleagues and I have continued to advise," said Ranking Member Scott.
BACKGROUND:
In November, following a wave of attacks on U.S. forces and the Biden administration's decision to extend an Iran sanctions waiver to allow Iraq to pay Iran for electricity, Ranking Member Scott led a group of 24 senators criticizing the administration's lack of a cohesive Iran strategy. The senators called on Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to provide a classified assessment of the administration's plan to deter Iranian aggression and prevent the escalation of conflict in the Middle East, noting the administration's military and economic responses to Iran and its proxies have been disjointed.
Earlier this month, in response the Biden administration's decision to release yet another Iran sanctions waiver potentially worth billions of dollars, Ranking Member Scott led 13 Republican senators in a letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Secretary of State Antony Blinken raising concerns that the waiver makes sanctioned Iranian funds, which could be used to fund terrorism, more accessible to the Iranian regime and disregards congressional intent calling for severe restrictions on payments to Iran.
On Thursday, after Treasury Deputy Secretary Wally Adeyemo admitted in testimony that any dollar Iran has access to funds terrorism, Ranking Member Scott sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen requesting an accounting of all international high-value Iranian assets around the world that are currently blocked by U.S. sanctions and to provide additional steps Treasury will take to actively account for current funds that have already been released to Iran.
Additionally, Ranking Member Scott has taken the following actions with regards to Iran:
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