Tim Scott wants to freeze $6 billion in Iranian assets following Hamas' attack on Israel

DES MOINES — U.S. Sen. Tim Scott is calling on Congress to freeze $6 billion in Iranian assets that were unlocked as part of a U.S. prisoner swap deal in September, saying the negotiated funds were “paying for attacks from Hamas on Israel.”

Politico reported Wednesday that Scott is working on a bill that would freeze those assets and require the U.S. Treasury Department to study other Iranian assets across the globe. That would allow Congress to step in and pass legislation limiting the country’s access to those funds.

U.S. officials are still investigating whether Iran played a direct role in aiding Hamas’ attack on Israel, which led Israel to declare war on the militant group and launch its own attacks in Gaza.

But Scott, campaigning in Des Moines Wednesday, told reporters there’s little doubt about Iran’s role.

“If there's a way for us to claw back those resources that would be fantastic,” he said. “But let's just be clear — crystal clear. Putting the credit on the balance sheets of Iran makes that money accessible, according to Hamas. The biggest backers that they thanked for this attack was Iran.”

He said the money “creates a market for American lives” by linking money with prisoner exchanges.

“Six billion only means that every single American abroad is in more of a dangerous position, not less,” he said. “So if we can get the money back, that will save lives, not cost lives.”

None of the money has been released, according to the Biden administration.

2024 Iowa Caucus Calendar: See where GOP presidential candidates are campaigning

Scott is kicking off a two-day swing through Iowa as he seeks the Republican presidential nomination in 2024.

His trip follows a week in which he has responded aggressively to the attacks on Israel, lobbing criticism at Democratic President Joe Biden as well as some of his Republican rivals.

Scott has said entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis project American weakness abroad, and he said Tuesday they are more in line with the “Joe Biden foreign policy wing of the party.”

“My perspective is a simple one,” Scott said. “We should be loyal to our allies, and we should also be lethal to our adversaries. Anything less than that lacks leadership.”

Ramaswamy said on X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter, that "now is the time to learn from our foreign policy disasters of the past."

"We spent $3 trillion & sacrificed thousands of innocent American lives in Iraq and Afghanistan. To what end?" he said. "The Taliban is still in charge in Afghanistan 20 years later & we have a hostile unstable regime in Iraq. We must support Israel diplomatically, share intelligence, and supply munitions where necessary, but we require a Commander-in-Chief who will make coolheaded decisions in the present to avoid broader regional war in the Middle East that doesn’t advance U.S. interests."

Campaigning in Iowa just after Hamas' attack, DeSantis said that "Israel has every right to defend itself and they should really do what it takes to root out Hamas once and for all."

More: GOP presidential candidates respond to attacks on Israel while campaigning in Iowa

Tim Scott: Pro-Palestine demonstrations are 'disgusting'

Scott called pro-Palestine demonstrations, like the one that occurred in downtown Des Moines Tuesday evening, “disgusting.”

“I can't understand how anyone would show up at a pro rally, when in fact what you're showing up to is a consequence of the beheading of babies,” he said. “How anyone explains that at all, I can't imagine. I can't imagine anything more disgusting, more inhuman than literally taking a child's head off. So showing up at a rally that supports that kind of unconscionable behavior — it's just disgusting.”

About 80 people from various Iowa activist organizations gathered to call for an end to U.S. aid to Israel and criticize U.S. leaders’ response to the war.

As of Wednesday, the American death toll rose to 22 and Israeli fatalities surpassed 1,200. Palestinian officials said more than 1,100 militants and citizens in Gaza have been killed with more than 5,000 wounded.

Several attendees said they desired a peaceful resolution to the decades-long conflict but doubted one was possible.

"Seeing all the violence, it breaks my heart, but I know it's a byproduct of 70-some-odd years of occupation and violence," said Kelly Banfield, a 22-year-old Grinnell University student who attended Tuesday evening's demonstration. "So ignoring that precedent and just saying Hamas is attacking people, it ignores all the context of what's been going on in the region for years."

Scott has been unequivocal. He said he hopes that “Hamas is wiped off the face of the earth.”

He said he believes the United States should give Israel whatever resources it needs. But if Congress moves to pair aid to Ukraine with aid for Israel in a package deal, he said he’d need to take a look.

“What we've heard is that you'll see a combination between Ukraine, border security, support for Israel, or perhaps another component or two,” he said. “I'd like to see that package come together. I'd like to see what's in it before I can say whether I'd vote for it or not.”

Brianne Pfannenstiel is the chief politics reporter for the Register. Reach her at bpfann@dmreg.com or 515-284-8244. Follow her on Twitter at @brianneDMR.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Tim Scott: Congress should freeze $6 billion in Iranian assets