Many politicians in Washington D.C., along with international affairs analysts and others, say Iran was behind the gruesome Hamas atrocities committed against Israeli civilians Saturday.
Congressional Republicans were reportedly very unhappy with a briefing by the Biden administration Wednesday with Axios reporting that officials from the Defense and State Departments and the office of the Director of National Intelligence said they had no direct evidence of Iranian involvement in planning the attack.
One Republican called the administration’s view of Iran’s role in the conflict “unfathomable” and “unbelievable.”
“It’s clear as day that Iran made this possible, helped [Hamas], but yet the administration is in denial,” Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) told reporters. “I heard that in there: they’re ‘not sure’ of Iran’s role. B.S.”
Lawmakers also got “very vague” answers when pressing the administration on its efforts to evacuate Americans from Israel.
Iranian leaders have denied their involvement in helping Hamas carry out its attack on Israel, but they also commended the terrorist group in public statements.
We should make clear: when we talk about Hamas, we are talking about Iran. They are interchangeable.
— Mike Pompeo (@mikepompeo) October 12, 2023
“God willing, the cancer of the usurper Zionist regime will be eradicated at the hands of the Palestinian people and the Resistance forces throughout the region. #AlAqsaStorm,” Ayatollah Khamenei wrote on X, previously known as Twitter.
National Security Council Spokesman John Kirby said the administration’s assessment of Iran’s involvement could change in the days ahead.
In an interview with CBN’s David Brody on “Real America’s Voice,” former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made clear he believes Iran is clearly involved.
“Make no mistake, this isn’t just Hamas,” he said. “I think the Biden administration just wants to pawn this off as, ‘Oh, this is a bunch of knuckleheads in the Gaza strip.’ Not true!”
“This is the Iranian regime,” Pompeo continued. “[They] directed, funded, green-lighted, you pick your verb, (but) you make no mistake this is the Iranian regime seeking to wipe Israel off the face of the earth, killing Jews in ways that hasn’t happened in decades.”
The former U.S. Secretary of State is also calling on the Biden administration to do more to hold Iran accountable for the deaths of the 25 Americans writing on X, “This requires a response. Letting Iran get away with this will only invite more attacks.”
At least 25 Americans were murdered by Iran’s proxies.
This requires a response.
Letting Iran get away with this will only invite more attacks.
— Mike Pompeo (@mikepompeo) October 12, 2023
Pompeo adds that the Biden administration must acknowledge that “their policies have failed.”
“The Biden administration’s Iran policy has set the conditions for this,” he explained.
As CBN News reported, just last month, the administration issued a blanket waiver to allow the transfer of $6 billion in frozen Iranian oil funds without fear of U.S. sanctions.
Under the agreement, access to the funds would be transferred from South Korea to a bank in Qatar, in exchange for the release of five Americans freed in the prisoner swap with Tehran.
But since the Hamas war crimes, the U.S. and Qatari governments have agreed to stop Iran from accessing the $6 billion, the deputy secretary of the Treasury Department told lawmakers Thursday.
However, lawmakers on both sides are pushing the administration to take it one step further and renege on its deal with Iran.
But as Iran’s mission to the United Nations said in a statement: “The senators in question and the U.S. government are all acutely aware that they can NOT renege on the agreement. The money rightfully belongs to the people of Iran, earmarked for the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to facilitate the acquisition of all essential and non-sanctioned requisites for the Iranians.”
Hamas’ assault began in Israel on Saturday and continues into day seven. So far, more than 1,300 Israelis have been killed, thousands are wounded, 160+ others have been kidnapped, and babies have been beheaded.
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