US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said canceling sanctions on Iranian oil is like giving Iran a carrot that can always be pulled back, adding Washington wants Tehran to experience life without sanctions. The remark, reported Thursday, comes amid the US-Iran sanctions relief framework.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent weighed in on the emerging US-Iran economic framework on Thursday, describing the lifting of sanctions on Iranian oil exports as a reversible incentive. "Canceling the sanctions on Iranian oil is like giving them a carrot — a carrot we can always pull back," Bessent said. "We want them to see what it feels like to be without sanctions." The statement follows a series of administration signals on the terms of financial relief for Tehran. As The Zioneer reported, Vice President J.D. Vance earlier this month outlined that sanctions relief would be conditioned on Iran's nuclear disarmament and halting proxy support, while the Wall Street Journal reported the deal includes immediate oil and banking relief. Bessent's carrot metaphor appears to emphasize the Trump administration's view that the relief is temporary and revocable — a posture consistent with his earlier warning, reported on June 11, that Iran would lose the 'zero-sum game' it is playing. The remark does not provide new operational details on the sanctions relief timeline or conditions.
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