US and Qatar Reach ‘Quiet Agreement’ Not to Release $6 Billion From Iran Prisoner Deal

American and Qatari officials have reportedly agreed to keep Iran from accessing $6 billion in oil revenues unfrozen as part of a prisoner swap deal.

For Context: The funds became a key talking point of President Joe Biden’s critics, some of whom claimed the funds were used to pay for, or otherwise finance, Hamas’ deadly attacks on Israel. On Thursday, U.S. officials said the funds, previously held in South Korea, had not yet been accessed by Iran and could only be used for humanitarian purposes. 

Key Quote: Speaking to reporters, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said, “The [Iranian] regime was never going to see a dime of that money. And this account, although it's moved from South Korea to Qatar, was set up by the previous administration for this exact purpose.” 

How the Media Covered It: Multiple major news outlets reported the story based on anonymous “people familiar with the matter.” Some coverage differed in its portrayals of the impact the funds may or may not have had on the attacks; CBS News (Lean Left bias) noted that “to date, no evidence has been found to link the surprise attacks to Tehran,” framing the link as dubious. On the other hand, Fox News (Right bias) said, “The unfreezing of the money took place nearly a month before Hamas terrorists launched a massive, deadly attack on Israel over the weekend,” suggesting one event could have contributed to the other.