Senior Biden Treasury Official Admits $$ for Iran Goes Towards Violence, Not Humanitarian Needs

Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo inadvertently admitted to Congress on Tuesday that the $6 billion that the Biden administration unfroze for Iran last year in exchange for the return of five American prisoners likely went to fund violent activity.

During his testimony to the Senate Banking Committee, Adeyemo said:

Senator, you’re right that in a democracy, money is fungible. But what we’ve seen time and time from the Iranian regime is they failed to feed their people and they put the [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] first. Any dollar they have will go towards their violent activity before they deal with their people. That’s partially why almost none of the humanitarian money has been used for humanitarian purposes.

They don’t care about getting drugs and food for their people. But the difference is that the United States of America has made as a values proposition that we are always willing to provide humanitarian relief for people and that’s what we’ve said is the only purpose for this money. So while in our country, money is fungible in Iran, they’ve proven that any dollar they get that they have direct access to in the country will be used for the IRGC before it’s ever used for their people.

.@USTreasury Dep Sec Adeyemo admits that for Iran “any dollar they have will go towards their violent activity before they deal with their people.”

That’s exactly why we need to pass @SenatorTimScott’s Revoke Iranian Funding Act to stop Iran’s financing of terrorism. pic.twitter.com/yDQhR9l64S

— U.S. Senate Banking Committee GOP (@BankingGOP) April 9, 2024