U.S. National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications
John Kirby repeatedly defended President Joe Biden�s decision to relax
sanctions enforcement against the Islamic Republic of Iran, which has
helped the country earn tens of billions of dollars in oil revenue.

Kirby made the remarks during a Sunday interview with Shannon Bream on
Fox News after Iran launched 185 one-way suicide drones, 110 surface-
to-surface missiles, and 36 cruise missiles at Israel.

Bream asked, �Is it not fair to say though there have been moves by
this administration that have opened up cash and other opportunities
for them, which we know are fungible in ways that are not helping the
Iranian people, but are benefiting the elites and people there who
chant �Death to America� and �Death to Israel�?�

Kirby responded by claiming that it was former President Donald Trump
who enacted �the sanctions relief program� for Iran, even though Trump
was known for enacting crippling sanctions on Iran.

�It doesn�t go to the regime,� Kirby said. �And the idea that the
regime was somehow felt like they were freed up to support these
proxies because of that, it just doesn�t comport with the facts. They
had been supporting these proxies for many, many years.�

Bream noted that the Iranians themselves have said they would use the
money however they want.

John Kirby insists the billions of dollars Biden has unlocked
for Iran aren't going to the regime, denies the funds are
"fungible," and blames President Trump
pic.twitter.com/ihjIWzchGC

� RNC Research (@RNCResearch) April 14, 2024

�The conversations about unfreezing assets, about waivers on sanctions,
could this administration have been tougher on Iran?� Bream asked. �Did
it sense an opening?�

Kirby insisted it was �hard to look at what President Biden has done
with respect to Iran and say that he hasn�t been tough on Iran.�

�Just look at the sanctions that we put in place against Iran,� Kirby
claimed. �Look at the resources we put in this in the into the region.
It�s hard to take a look at what President Biden has done and say that
we�ve somehow gone soft on Iran. It was the previous administration
that decided to get us out of the Iran deal. And now Iran is so much
dramatically closer to potential nuclear weapon capability than they
were before Mr. Trump was elected.�

Iran moved closer to obtaining a nuclear weapon under Biden, not Trump,
according to Mark Dubowitz, CEO of the Foundation for Defense of
Democracies (FDD), a non-partisan institution focusing on national
security and foreign policy.

Massive increase in Iranian nuclear enrichment since President
Biden elected. Facts are stubborn things. So is Khamenei when
he faces minimal American pressure and massive sanctions
relief. pic.twitter.com/CNJ4VZCYFo

� Mark Dubowitz (@mdubowitz) April 1, 2024

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Let's go Brandon!