Biden with overlay of Iran map

Andrea Austria / Media Matters

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Right-wing media falsely claim the Biden administration helped Iran fund Hamas’ recent attack on Israel

In August, the Biden administration authorized the transfer of $6 billion in Iranian assets to Qatar in return for American prisoners. But even conservative reporters admit there’s no evidence Iran touched those funds or diverted them to Hamas.

Written by Ethan Collier & Gideon Taaffe

Published

Updated

(Update 10/12/23): The U.S. agreed with Qatar to hold the $6 billion in Iranian assets amid scrutiny of Iran’s ties to Hamas from the U.S. and Israel.

After Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel over the weekend, some in right-wing media have argued that the U.S. helped finance the attack by unfreezing previously sanctioned Iranian funds as part of an agreement to free five American prisoners in Iran — which they argue allowed the country to divert funds to Hamas. While there is no officially confirmed evidence that Iran helped plan or fund Hamas’ attack, or that Iran has even accessed any of the $6 billion the U.S. recently unfroze, much less diverted any of those funds to Hamas, right-wing media have repeatedly hammered this unsubstantiated talking point.

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  • The U.S. unfroze $6 billion in Iranian assets, but there’s no evidence any of those funds have been used to finance terrorism

    • In August 2023, the U.S. unfroze $6 billion in Iranian funds in exchange for five American prisoners. So far, none of those funds have been accessed. As part of the deal to free American prisoners held by Iran, the Biden administration agreed to allow the transfer of $6 billion in Iranian funds from a restricted account in South Korea to Qatar under the condition the funds would only be used for “non-sanctionable trade” and humanitarian purposes. According to Fox News correspondent Jennifer Griffin, Iran has not accessed any of those unfrozen funds. “None of the money has been spent yet,” Griffin posted on X (formerly Twitter). “It remains in a Qatari bank under US Treasury watch.” [CNN, 8/10/23; Reuters, 9/18/23; Twitter/X, 10/7/23]
    • In the past, Iran has aided Hamas with both military aid and training. [Wilson Center, 5/21/21] 
    • But there is no evidence that the country helped plan or funded the October 7 attack. Maj. Nir Dinar, a spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces, said “We have no evidence or proof” that Iran was behind the attack. For his part, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said, “In this specific instance, we have not yet seen evidence that Iran directed or was behind this particular attack, but there is certainly a long relationship.” On Fox News, U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby pushed back against claims that the unfrozen assets could have helped underwrite the attack. “Not a single dinar of those funds has gone into Iran,” Kirby said. [Politico, 10/9/23]

  • Right-wing media claim that the $6 billion has been used by Iran to fund Hamas’ attack on Israel

    • Fox News spent the weekend pushing the idea that the $6 billion has been used to additionally fund Hamas in the lead-up to the surprise attack even though the network’s own correspondent debunked it. Many on Fox News directly linked the unfrozen funds to Hamas’ attack and claimed the Biden administration was to blame for the timing of the attack. [Media Matters, 10/8/23]
    • Daily Wire host Michael Knowles suggested that the Biden administration helped Iran fund “the largest terror attack” in Israel’s history. Knowles claimed that President Biden “approved the unfreezing of $6 billion in Iranian oil revenues, and then Iran funded the largest terror attack perhaps ever in the state of Israel.” [Daily Wire, The Michael Knowles Show, 10/10/23]
    • Conservative radio host Mark Levin claimed that Biden “re-armed the Islamo-Nazi regime in Iran.” “This is what happens when you appease and sell out to the enemy,” Levin said. “Joe Biden rearmed the Islamo-Nazi regime in Iran. Joe Biden re-armed the Hamas, Hezbollah, Nazi terrorist groups. Joe Biden re-armed the Palestinian terrorists in every way possible.” [Westwood One, The Mark Levin Show, 10/9/23]
    • Newsmax host Chris Plante baselessly asserted that the US “indirectly, or fairly directly” helped Iran fund Hamas' attack. [Newsmax, The Right Squad, 10/9/23]
    • Far-right Islamaphobe Laura Loomer suggested that President Biden had endangered Americans in Israel when he “pulled the trigger on unfreezing $6 billion to Iran.” “By the time they do decide to go in and rescue Americans, it will probably be too late. Probably should have thought about that before Biden pulled the trigger on unfreezing $6 billion to Iran,” Loomer wrote. [Twitter/X, 10/10/23]
    • Right-wing influencer Catturd: “You can’t send 6 billion dollars to Iran and pretend to stand with Israel. Impossible.” [Twitter/X, 10/7/23]
    • Co-founder of The Federalist Ben Domenech cited unfreezing Iranian funds as one of the Biden administration’s policies that has led to “death around the world.” “You can't have $6 billion injected into an Iranian regime that funds terror around the world and not have consequences because of the confidence they have that they'll be able to pay for everything they need going forward,” Domenech argued. “There’s a direct connection between what this administration is doing and death around the world and chaos that people see all over the world. And for some reason, only the White House remains in denial about its responsibility.” [Fox Broadcasting Co., Fox News Sunday, 10/8/23]
    • Fox News Sunday anchor Shannon Bream asked deputy national security advisor Jon Finer if giving Iran $6 billion in budgetary “breathing room” would allow the country to spend other parts of its budget “in nefarious ways.” “Those criticisms are not well founded,” Finer responded. “Not a single dollar of that money has yet been spent.” [Fox Broadcasting Co., Fox News Sunday, 10/8/23]
    • Former Fox News host Lou Dobbs argued that the “Biden Billions” freed up Iran to fund “terrorist support,” “the purchase of lethal weapons,” and “the development or purchase of nuclear weapons.” Dobbs also dismissed the idea that the U.S. could monitor how Iran might use the unfrozen funds: “As to how it's spent, exactly which Biden official is assigned the job of telling Iran ‘no’?” He asked. [Twitter/X, 10/9/23]
    • Former spokesman for Israel’s mission to the UN Daniel Flesch argued that Iran has been “bolstered” and “emboldened” from “getting money for hostage exchanges.” “It's clear Iran feels bolstered by a lot of the policies from this administration over the last number of months, getting money for hostage exchanges and other measures have been taken.” [Fox News, Fox & Friends Weekend, 10/8/23]
    • Fox & Friends Weekend co-host Pete Hegeth suggested that “signals have been sent” to Iran by the Biden and Obama administrations that it can fund terrorism.“You see our administration working very hard to say ‘Oh the $6 billion, it’s not in their bank account yet.’ There may be technicalities about that. As you pointed out, it’s all fungible. But you also have the Obama administration giving away cash to the Iranians, multiple times. And then you got the easing of sanctions and lightening of the restrictions against Iran under the Biden administration,” Hegseth said. “They want to fight over the particulars of $6 billion and whether it's in a Qatari bank account or not, or whether they can use it for humanitarian aid — the signals have been sent.” [Fox News, Fox & Friends Weekend, 10/8/23]
    • Fox's Sean Hannity: $6 billion for “humanitarian programs” helps Iran use other resources “to foment terror.” Hannity questioned why the United States “is not withdrawing the $6 billion” in unfrozen funds, proclaiming: “It’s fungible money. That’s money that they don’t have to spend on their own programs. That’s money that we know will be used to foment terror.” [Fox News, Hannity, 10/10/23]