Republican presidential aspirant Nikki Haley tore into the Biden administration’s defense of the $6 billion Iranian assets it unfroze during a prisoner swap last month.
Republican presidential aspirant Nikki Haley on Sunday tore into Secretary of State Antony Blinken for denying any link between the Biden administration’s prisoner swap deal that unfroze $6 billion in Iranian assets and Hamas’ assault on Israel.
“I actually think it was irresponsible for Secretary Blinken to say that the $6 billion doesn’t weigh in here,” Haley told NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday.
“I mean let’s be honest with the American people and understand that Hamas knows and Iran knows they’re moving money around as we speak because they know $6 billion is going to be released.”
The $6 billion derived from Iranian oil revenue has been locked up in South Korean accounts due to international sanctions.
Blinken told CNN earlier on Sunday that “not a single dollar has been spent from that account,” which he stressed was being closely monitored by the US Treasury Department.
US officials agreed to allow Iran to tap into money for humanitarian purposes only during the prisoner exchange agreement finalized last month.
But GOP critics such as former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis have argued that money is fungible.
