US and Qatar Block Iran from $6B Fund for Prisoner Swap

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Facts

  • According to a US official, the US and Qatar have come to an agreement that Iran will not be able to access the $6B in Iranian funds that were unblocked as part of a prisoner swap in September.1
  • In September, the US — via negotiations mediated by Qatar and represented by Switzerland — agreed to swap five Iranian citizens and transfer $6B from South Korea to be held by Qatar on Iran's behalf in exchange for five US citizens.2
  • The official's claim, having spoken on the condition of anonymity, comes as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken revealed on Thursday that, 'None of the funds that have now gone to Qatar have actually been spent or accessed in any way by Iran.'3
  • While Iran's mission to the UN has claimed that the US cannot renege on the deal, it's reported that the US has made the decision due to allegations of Iran's involvement in Hamas' recent attack on Israel.4
  • Though Blinken has emphasized the money was only going to be used for humanitarian reasons, Hamas' attack prompted Republicans to accuse the Biden administration of going soft on Iran. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said, 'You can say certain funds can’t be used, but you can use other funds that may be freed up as a result.'5
  • Meanwhile, White House national security spokesman John Kirby reaffirmed that the Iranian government was already 'never going to see a dime' of the funds, with the money only meant to be put towards the purchase of humanitarian goods.6

Sources: 1Associated Press, 2Reuters, 3NPR Online News, 4BBC News, 5The New York Times and 6CBS.

Narratives

  • Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by The Blade. Iran must be treated as a threat, which is why this is a sound policy by both Qatar and the US. Iran continues to not only fund Hamas but also Hezbollah in Lebanon, as well as various Russian mercenaries. Alongside the clear success of returning five US citizens, the US must remind Iran that its international and domestic behavior must align with international values.
  • Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Islamic Republic News Agency. Rumors concerning Iran's freed funds are baseless. The US does not hold the power to block the funds that rightfully belong to Tehran. The spreading of such a narrative merely discredits the legitimacy of any news outlet that decides to promote the story.

Predictions