On Wednesday, Axios broke the shocking story that the Biden administration was mulling over the possibility of removing Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) from a terror blacklist if they made a public promise not to be naughty in the future. It was the latest development in President Biden’s attempt to salvage former President Obama’s nuclear deal at all costs (including sanity and dignity), and it was completely ignored by the flagship evening newscast from the broadcast networks.
Instead of covering this story, ABC’s World News Tonight, CBS Evening News, and NBC Nightly News touted the Federal Reserve raising interest rates. ABC also had a report on the weather.
Axios’s Barak Ravid reported that “The Biden administration is considering removing Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps from a terror blacklist in return for a public commitment from Iran to de-escalation in the region, three Israeli officials and two U.S. sources tell me.”
“The IRGC is not only Iran's most feared military branch but it's also a powerful political and economic player,” Ravid wrote. “The terror designation means that even if Biden lifts nuclear sanctions to return to compliance with the deal, criminal penalties could still be imposed on anyone doing business with individuals or businesses connected to the IRGC.”
Adding: “But removing the designation is a political hot potato for Biden. It would create an uproar from Republicans and likely several Democrats in the Senate.”
While the broadcast networks were ignoring the story because it’s likely to be yet another foreign policy blunder for the Biden administration, Fox News Channel’s Special Report is not beholden to the Democratic president like they are.
“The administration is considering removing Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps from the list of foreign terrorist organizations if the IRGC publicly offers to reduce aggression in the region,” reported senior national correspondent Rich Edson. He went on to note, “This weekend [the IRGC] fired a dozen missiles into northern Iraq. Some landed near a U.S. consulate building there.”
Now, that doesn’t sound like they’re committed to “de-escalation in the region.”
Edson disclosed that they pressed the State Department on “whether it's appropriate for the United States to consider removing a terrorist designation for the IRGC given attacks like this,” but they refused to answer:
EDSON: Spokesperson Ned Price refused to comment on specifics, though defended the administration's efforts to revive a nuclear agreement with Iran. One that would drop sanctions in exchange for temporary curbs on Iran's nuclear program.
[Cuts to video]
NED PRICE (State Dept. spokesman): Every challenge that we face and would face from Iran, whether that is its support for proxies, its support for terrorist groups, its ballistic missile program, all of those challenges would become all the more difficult to confront if Iran were in possession of a nuclear weapon.
“Officials say IRGC threats are also forcing the State Department to provide security for former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former Iran Envoy Brian Hook” because of threats against their lives, Edson concluded, in part.
This blackout of Biden possibly removing Iran from a blacklist was made possible because of lucrative sponsorships from TD Ameritrade on ABC, Claritin on CBS, and Ensure on NBC. Their contact information is linked.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
Fox News Channel’s Special Report
March 16, 2022
6:10:26 p.m. EasternBRET BAIER: Also breaking tonight, President Biden may be about to make a huge change to U.S. policy on Iran. Senior national correspondent Rich Edson is here to tell us what that is from the State Department, good evening, Rich.
RICH EDSON: Good evening, Bret. The administration is considering removing Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps from the list of foreign terrorist organizations if the IRGC publicly offers to reduce aggression in the region. That's according to sources briefed on the discussions. It was first reported in Axios.
Sources stress the administration has yet to make a final decision on this. The IRGC is Iran's paramilitary group. This weekend it fired a dozen missiles into northern Iraq. Some landed near a U.S. consulate building there.
We asked the State Department this afternoon whether it's appropriate for the United States to consider removing a terrorist designation for the IRGC given attacks like this. Spokesperson Ned Price refused to comment on specifics, though defended the administration's efforts to revive a nuclear agreement with Iran. One that would drop sanctions in exchange for temporary curbs on Iran's nuclear program.
[Cuts to video]
NED PRICE (State Dept. spokesman): Every challenge that we face and would face from Iran, whether that is its support for proxies, its support for terrorist groups, its ballistic missile program, all of those challenges would become all the more difficult to confront if Iran were in possession of a nuclear weapon.
[Cuts back to live]
EDSON: Officials say IRGC threats are also forcing the State Department to provide security for former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former Iran Envoy Brian Hook. About three years ago, the Trump administration designated the IRGC as a foreign terrorist organization. That's the first time a government entity made that list. A foreign terrorist designation automatically hits that entity with sanctions. Bret.
BAIER: Rich Edson at the State Department. Rich, thanks.
