U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent presented a new equation against Iran on Wednesday evening, saying that any damage to U.S. allies in the Gulf will be covered using funds taken from Iranian accounts, and any tolls paid to the Strait of Hormuz authority will be offset by funds taken from Iranian accounts. According to N12, Bessent added that any Iranian attack will deepen its economic consequences and that the Iranian regime will lose the zero-sum game it is playing.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has sharpened the economic deterrence posture against Iran, presenting what he called a new equation in which any damage Tehran inflicts on American allies in the Gulf will be paid for directly from frozen Iranian accounts. Speaking to N12, Bessent also said that any tolls paid to the authority governing the Strait of Hormuz would be offset by funds taken from Iranian accounts. He warned that every Iranian attack would deepen its own economic consequences, adding that 'the Iranian regime will lose the zero-sum game it is playing.'
The new statement escalates the administration's financial warfare language. As The Zioneer reported earlier today, Bessent had already warned that damage to Gulf states from Iranian attacks would be repaid from frozen funds, and this broader formulation adds the Strait of Hormuz tolls as an explicit offset. This comes as a wider U.S. military campaign against Iran continues, with the administration combining naval blockade enforcement and airstrikes with economic pressure. It remains uncertain how the mechanism would be implemented legally and operationally, but the deterrent message is clear: the administration aims to ensure Iran's attacks carry direct, immediate financial cost.
2 developments
- DevelopingUS Treasury Secretary Bessent warns Iran will lose the zero-sum game
- StrongIranian Foreign Ministry spokesman: toll collection in Strait of Hormuz continues, contradicting Trump
- ConfirmedHegseth warns US will hit Iran hard on American terms
- StrongIranian Foreign Ministry spokesman: vessels to pay 'navigation, insurance, environmental' fees in Hormuz
Source and signal
- Internal intake