Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) slammed President Joe Biden‘s recent hostage deal with Iran, alleging the released funds will not be used to aid the country’s poor, The Hill reported.
Blackburn expressed her criticism in a radio interview. “We see Iran now emboldened because Joe Biden has released $6 billion to them,” Blackburn said. She added the funds would likely be used for uranium enrichment and nuclear proliferation.
The deal involved the release of five American hostages in exchange for the transfer of $6 billion of Iranian funds frozen in South Korea. Both Republicans and some Democrats have expressed concerns about the potential for encouraging further hostage-taking by other nations.
Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) echoed these concerns, saying, “If we’re paying a billion dollars per kidnapped individual, then you’re going to see more kidnappings. That’s why you don’t negotiate with terrorists; that’s why you don’t negotiate with kidnappers.”
Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) also warned of the repercussions of the deal and advised Americans against traveling to certain places in the world where they are likely to become hostages.
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