South Lake Today

Washington, D.C. — Florida Congressman Daniel Webster, along with U.S. Representative Mike Gallagher and nearly 100 House colleagues, has sent a bipartisan letter to President Biden urging him to take specific actions to prevent Iran from accessing billions of dollars to further subsidize Hamas terrorist attacks against Israel. The letter expresses concern over the Iranian regime's continued support for terrorist groups and their threats against the Israeli people.

The letter states, "Your administration recently released $6 billion in frozen funds to Iran in return for American hostages. Our concern is that the Iranian regime will use all available financial tools to further fuel this war against Israel, fund other terrorist proxies in the region, and accelerate Iran's nuclear build-up. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi put it plainly that the funds would be used 'wherever we need it'."

The members of Congress highlight recent reports of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' involvement in planning and giving the "final go-ahead" for Hamas's terrorist war on Israel. They argue that if left unaddressed, the Iranian regime's support for terrorist groups and attempts to wipe Israel off the map will only grow more brazen and destabilizing for the region.

The letter also references Secretary Blinken's statement that the administration has not seen evidence that Iran directed or was behind the recent attack. However, senior Hamas and Hezbollah officials claim that IRGC officers have been working with Hamas since August to prepare for invasions of Israel. This, combined with years of Iran providing weapons and training, enabled Hamas to launch thousands of rockets at Israeli civilian targets and invade communities, resulting in the deaths and injuries of hundreds of innocent people.

To prevent Iran from accessing funds to further subsidize terrorism, the members of Congress request immediate action from President Biden. This includes freezing the $6 billion provided in exchange for hostages, as well as the $10 billion in released funds based in Iraq. They also call for the enforcement of sanctions on Iranian oil exports to China, which have been unenforced for months, and preventing Iran from accessing any further Special Drawing Rights from the International Monetary Fund.

In conclusion, the members of Congress express their support for Israel's security and their willingness to work with President Biden to back it up with strong, bipartisan legislative and executive action. They emphasize the importance of denying the Iranian regime access to funds that can be used to export chaos.

The full text of the letter can be found [here](link to the letter).

Sincerely,

[Signatories of the letter]

For additional details, please follow this link: https://webster.house.gov/press-releases?ID=F2CD31BB-0506-4E2D-A4F2-94BE2F4A9A9D