As hostilities between the US and Iran are continuing, US President Donald Trump warned that United States will use Iranian money under Washington's possession or control to pay for "any and all damages" done to ships and cargo. He made the remarks in a post on Truth Social and called it a "fair and equitable" step.
"Please let this statement serve to represent, until further notice, that from this point forth, any and all damages done to Ships, Cargo, or anything related thereto, will be paid for by Iranian Money that the United States has in its possession, and controls. These damages may be very substantial but, nevertheless, this is the fair and equitable thing to do. Thank you for your attention to this matter!" he wrote on social media.
Meanwhile, according to a report by Al Jazeera, Tehran has nearly $100bn in assets frozen by other countries and beyond its control.
Alongside, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi took a dig at officials in the US administration and said that the aggression being advocated by them will backfire.
Compromised individuals in the U.S. administration are burying their heads in the sand. They ignore the realities on the ground and seem focused only on 2028. The mindless aggression they advocate will only ensure that POTUS pays heavier price for deal he's trying to achieve.
He said on X, "Compromised individuals in the U.S. administration are burying their heads in the sand. They ignore the realities on the ground and seem focused only on 2028. The mindless aggression they advocate will only ensure that POTUS pays heavier price for deal he's trying to achieve."