Major Questions Linger After The White House and Qatar Freeze $6 Billion to Iran

The Biden administration has agreed with Qatar to freeze the $6 billion that was given to Iran as part of a controversial prisoner exchange. The White House had spent weeks defending their decision, insisting the money could not be used for terrorism and was non-fungible.

Apparently, the avalanche of criticism won the day given this sudden reversal. CBS News and The Washington Post have confirmed the story.

It will be good news for those who have pointed out Iran’s history of supporting terrorists and how even a small infusion of money would enable them to use their own funds to achieve this goal. Hamas’ recent attack on Israel was not financed by Hamas. Iran has expressed its support for the recent massacres but has denied any direct involvement.

This news raises a major question. Would the administration have retracted if they didn’t have intelligence that Iran had helped plan and fund the Hamas attack? I am skeptical, given the steadfastness with which they have defended the release of the $6 billion. It is possible, and even probable, that there has been a change behind the scenes.

Qatar’s involvement in the conflict is even more telling. Qatar, a country that is ostensibly a friend (or at the very least friendly), has worked with Iran for decades to undermine U.S. interests. If the Qataris agree to freeze this money, it is unlikely that they are just making a sudden decision.

Every cent saved from Iran’s “supreme ruler” and terrorism is a cent less spent against Israel and other countries. The administration should be credited for this, even though the money was never released in the first place. At the next White House Press Conference, we’ll see how they spin this.