OAN’s Brooke Mallory
6:15 PM – Monday, November 27, 2023
In the wake of increased attacks on United States soldiers by Iranian proxies, White House National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby said on Monday’s Fox News program “The Story” that the Biden Administration does not regret its previous hostage deal with Iran.
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“74 attacks is quite a bit. And whether or not it’s intended for the U.S.S. Mason, it’s not a pretty picture that we’re looking at… of attacks on U.S. military forces. Do you ever — do you think the White House has any regrets about the five-for-five hostage and prisoner release and the $6 billion that went to Iran in September, just a few weeks before all of this started?” asked host Martha MacCallum.
“No. We got five Americans back home with their families, where they belong. Those kinds of decisions are always tough for any commander-in-chief to make. The president’s always going to put a priority on getting Americans home,” Kirby responded.
MacCallum then chimed back in, asking, “You don’t think it gave Iran sort of a green light that these kind of things were not going to be pushed back on significantly?”
Kirby said in response, “This wasn’t the first time Iran has wrongfully detained Americans and held them. And we weren’t — aren’t the first administration to do negotiations to get our Americans home. And again, you and I have talked about the 6 billion…that money cannot be touched by the regime. It can only be used for vending, through approved contractors, [for] humanitarian assistance. The regime never touches that money, and none of it…has been touched.”
Back in October, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also claimed that the $6 billion in funds that were unfrozen in September during the U.S.-Iran prisoner swap have not yet been spent by Iran, according to Reuters.
Additionally, Blinken voiced that he had “not yet seen evidence that Iran directed or was behind this particular attack, but there’s certainly a long relationship.”
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