Pompeo: Biden’s $6B Iran Deal Could Fuel Terrorism, Hostage-Taking
-
sysAdmin
- . August 13, 2023
- . Update: August 14, 2023 2:10 pm
President Joe Biden’s decision to unfreeze $6 billion in Iranian funds as part of an agreement to secure the release of five US citizens who were detained has drawn harsh criticism from former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Pompeo has expressed worry that this deal could unintentionally encourage additional hostage-taking and possibly intensify terrorist activities. According to Pompeo, this $6 billion will end up in the hands of [Iranian President Ebrahim] Raisi, the butcher of Tehran who is under the ayatollah’s control, increasing the danger for everyone.
He described the action as sad and perilous.
The potential agreement calls for the unfreezing of funds held in South Korea and calls for their transfer to Iran following the safe return of the five American citizens to their respective homes. Recent media reports have highlighted Iran’s decision to transfer four of the five detainees from prisons to houses of detention while maintaining house arrest for the fifth. There is also a clause that allows the United States to release specific Iranian prisoners from American prisons, as stated by Iran’s mission to the UN.
In Israel’s strategy with the Palestinians, prisoner exchanges are common. For the release of IDF soldier Gilad Shalit from Gaza in 2011, Israel exchanged 1,027 Palestinian prisoners. Terrorists who had been released as part of the agreement killed more than six Israeli citizens. According to reports, if the US-Iranian agreement is successfully finalised, financial transactions would first involve routing the funds to Qatar before they arrived at their final destination in Iran.
I am aware of the claim that the money will be handled by a third country and used only for humanitarian causes, but Pompeo insisted that everyone has already laughed at this practical joke. You would have money to spend on other things if someone agreed to pay for your family’s food.
Keep Reading
Another $6 billion will be spent by the Iranian government
He noted that the Iranians will now have $6 billion to spend on something else, most likely on their program to enrich uranium in order to develop a nuclear weapon, terrorize its citizens, or carry out terrorist attacks across the globe.
According to Pompeo, if you are a soldier working for Hezbollah, you believe that your pay will increase.
According to estimates made by the US State Department last year, Iran spent more than $16 billion between 2012 and 2020 supporting the Assad government in Syria and its allies, including more than $700 million on Hezbollah alone in that year.
Over 150,000 missiles are thought to be in Hezbollah’s arsenal, which it could use against Israel in a conflict.
Reuters reports that businessmen Siamak Namazi, 51, Emad Shargi, 58, and environmentalist Morad Tahbaz, 67, have been freed from prison. The fourth US citizen’s identity has not yet been made public.
The former secretary of state expressed his joy for the Americans who were expected to return home and wished them a safe journey. He added that their return would almost certainly result in the kidnapping of additional Americans, and that we have now informed the Iranians that we are prepared to pay $1 billion for each hostage.
He continued, “That’s a huge incentive for the regime.”
