Biden’s Iran Deal Is Even Worse Than It Looked

The administration didn’t just arrange a ‘prisoner swap’ — it allowed Tehran’s agents to remain in the U.S.

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President Joe Biden delivers remarks at Prince George’s Community College in Largo, Md., September 14, 2023.

Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

The more one looks at President Biden’s decision to waive sanctions on Iran — in essence, to pay a ransom to the mullahs in exchange for the release of American hostages — the more peculiar it appears, and the less the administration’s explanations make sense.

I’ve already had plenty to say about Biden’s provision of $6 billion to the regime in Tehran (see, e.g., here, here, and here). Regardless of what administration officials say about the restrictions in effect to prevent Iran from diverting the loot to nefarious activities, the stubborn fact remains that Biden chose to make $6 billion available, via Qatar, to the world’s leading state sponsor of anti-American terrorism. Again, it doesn’t matter if Iran has direct access to these funds; if it can direct its ally Qatar to disburse it for its legitimate government activities, then the regime can redirect to terrorism funds that were previously allocated to those legitimate activities. That’s such common sense that Iran’s own president touted it, as Noah Rothman relates.

Andrew C. McCarthy

About the Author

Andrew C. McCarthy

Andrew C. McCarthy is a senior fellow at National Review Institute, an NR contributing editor, and author of Ball of Collusion: The Plot to Rig an Election and Destroy a Presidency.

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