Is The U.S. Taxpayer Funding Iran's Military Expansion?

Members of the Iranian Armed Forces (file photo)

Eli Lake, Bloomberg: U.S. Taxpayers Are Funding Iran's Military Expansion

One of the unexpected results of President Barack Obama's new opening to Iran is that U.S. taxpayers are now funding both sides of the Middle East's arms race. The U.S. is deliberately subsidizing defense spending for allies like Egypt and Israel. Now the U.S. is inadvertently paying for some of Iran's military expenditures as well.

It all starts with $1.7 billion the U.S. Treasury transferred to Iran's Central Bank in January, during a delicate prisoner swap and the implementation of last summer's nuclear deal to resolve a long-standing dispute about Iran's arms purchases before the revolution of 1979.

For months it was unclear what Iran's government would do with this money. But last month the mystery was solved when Iran's Guardian Council approved the government's 2017 budget that instructed Iran's Central Bank to transfer the $1.7 billion to the military.

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WNU Editor: In the whole scheme of things $1.7 billion is just a drop in the bucket .... and it is Iran's money. As to the money being transferred to Iran's military .... with the Iranians even admitting it as well as admitting that they are increasing the defense budget by 90% this year  .... one should not be surprised. Iran is now embroiled in numerous wars (Iraq and Syria coupled with supporting the Houthis in Yemen), and it is in an arms race against Saudi Arabia and its allies .... money is in short supply, and what they have in the bank is going to the military.