U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that any damage caused to Gulf states from Iranian attacks will be repaid from frozen Iranian accounts. The statement escalates the administration's economic deterrence posture, Bessent's latest warning follows recent Iranian threats against Gulf allies and the broader U.S. military campaign.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated on Wednesday that any damage inflicted on Gulf states by Iranian attacks will be repaid from frozen Iranian assets. The remark, attributed to him by Israeli media, sharpens the economic dimension of the Trump administration's pressure campaign against Tehran.
As The Zioneer reported earlier this week, Bessent had already warned that Iran is 'playing a zero-sum game it will lose,' and that costs imposed on U.S. allies — from missile strikes to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz — would be budgeted against Iranian state funds held abroad. The new statement positions the frozen accounts as a de facto escrow fund for regional security costs.
Iranian officials have pushed back. Deputy Foreign Minister Araqchi said last week that Iran's assets are 'neither war booty for Washington nor a payment fund for allies.' The precise legal mechanism the U.S. would use to disburse the funds remains unspecified; Bessent's statement did not provide a timeline or trigger threshold.
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
A single-sourced dispatch is never rated Confirmed or Strong. Its Signal strengthens only when a second, independent source corroborates it.
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