Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo on Thursday morning told a group of House Dems the $6 billion in funds – conditionally unfrozen as ransom last month for five American prisoners – that still remain under his department’s control in a Qatari bank account are not “going anywhere anytime soon,” Punchbowl’s Andrew Desiderio reports while adding it “amid bipartisan backlash after Hamas attacks on Israel.” Desiderio did not elaborate further but it could mean the Treasury is going to announce a refreeze of the cash – available only for purchases of food and medical supplies from approved third parties, which haven’t actually happened yet – the MAGA circlejerkers have been insisting is “fungible” in that it freed up other funds for Tehran to support Hamas and Hezbollah.
UPDATE 10/12/2023 11:57 AM EDT: The Washington Post reports that the US and Qatar have agreed to block Iran from access to the $6 billion in cash which, again, remains untouched.