In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks in Israel, Senate Republicans are urging the White House to pull back recently unfrozen Iranian funds.

Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), who’s running for president, has asked the Banking Committee to hold a hearing on the Biden administration’s release of $6 billion in funds to Iran.

Scott, the panel’s top Republican, said the Hamas-led attack “warrants the strongest response encompassing both military assistance and the most stringent economic sanctions.”

He also encouraged the panel’s chair, Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), to ask Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen for testimony as soon as possible.

Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) echoed Scott’s sentiments in a post on X, formerly Twitter, calling on the Biden administration to “freeze these funds immediately & permanently.”

Context: The Iranian oil funds were unfrozen as part of a U.S.-Iran prisoner swap, but Secretary of State Antony Blinken denied they contributed in any way to the Hamas attack.

“Not a single dollar from that account has actually been spent to date,” Blinken said on ABC’s “This Week.” “And in any event, it’s very carefully and closely regulated by the Treasury Department to make sure that it’s only used for food, for medicine, for medical equipment.”

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