U.S. Says 'Will Continue' Take Step To Constrain Iran’s Destabilizing Actions, Despite Prisoner Exchange Deal

Washington D.C./13.09.23/Turan:  The United States on Tuesday pushed back after Iran said it would choose how it’ll use the $6 billion in frozen funds set to be released by Washington in a prisoner exchange agreement, TURAN's Washington correspondent reports.

“The money can only be used for humanitarian purposes,” State Department's Spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters, adding that Washington "will remain vigilant" in watching the spending of those funds and have the ability to freeze them again "if we need to."

Secretary of State Antony Blinken last weekend signed off on a blanket waiver that allows for $6 billion of frozen Iranian funds in South Korea to move to a bank in Qatar. In return, Tehran will release five American prisoners who have already been moved to house arrest, while the U.S, in its part, is also releasing five Iranian prisoners.

The Biden administration has stressed that the unfrozen funds would  only be used for humanitarian reasons and that Qatar will monitor the money. However, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi was quoted as saying Tuesday morning Iran will spend the released funds “wherever we need it."

When asked by TURAN if Raisi was lying, Miller said, "I’m not going to characterize his remarks that way, other than to say what I said before, which is the funds that are in those accounts in Qatar can only be spent with strict oversight by the Treasury Department and only for humanitarian purposes."

The spokesperson went on to add, "I don’t think you should take this action as anything other than the United States doing everything it can to bring home five wrongfully imprisoned Americans."

The U.S. 'will continue' to take steps to constrain Iran’s destabilizing actions in the region, Miller added when asked by TURAN about Iran's potentially using "extra cash" to further destabilize the region.  

"We have hundreds, if not thousands, of existing sanctions on the Iranian Government and on various entities inside Iran.  We will continue to impose sanctions when events warrant that," he added.

Alex Raufoglu