‘I’m their banker’: Trump says US controls Tehran’s frozen assets, claims Iran’s economy in severe distress
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "‘I’m their banker’: Trump says US controls Tehran’s frozen assets, claims Iran’s economy in severe distress")
US President Donald Trump accused Tehran of being devious negotiators, dishonest. Photograph: (AFP)
US President Donald Trump said Iran is struggling to access borrowing and that the US had control over frozen Iranian assets. Trump further said that Iran’s economy was in severe distress, and was facing 300% inflation. He also claimed that Iranian troops were leaving.
US President Donald Trump has said that he could either keep up economic pressure on Iran and allow its economy to deteriorate further or launch a major military strike, as he accused Tehran of being “devious negotiators”.
Trump further said in an interview with Real America’s Voice that Iran’s economy is in severe distress and that he was “sort of negotiating” with Tehran.
Trump said the US could continue with its current approach and allow Iran’s economy to deteriorate further.
“Do what I’m doing now: just bop along and look how bad they’re doing,” he said, pointing to Iran’s economic difficulties.
He said Iran was struggling to access borrowing and that the US had control over frozen Iranian assets.
“We control their money, what they had, which is a lot,” Trump said in the phone interview. “We have total control of it. I’m their banker. I am their banker.”
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‘Situation in Iran not sustainable,’ says Trump
Trump claimed Iran’s economy was in severe distress, saying it was facing 300% inflation, a currency with “almost no value” and difficulties paying its soldiers. He also claimed Iranian troops were leaving, arguing that the situation was “not sustainable”.
“They’ve got 300% inflation. They have no value. Their currency has almost no value. They are not paying their soldiers. Their soldiers are leaving. So just keep that going. It’s not sustainable,” he said.
He outlined three possible approaches for ending the conflict: maintaining the current pressure and allowing Iran to fail economically, launching a severe military attack by hitting them “really, really hard”, or relying primarily on economic pressure.
Trump said economic pressure was already part of the US approach. Trump also accused Iranian officials of being “very devious negotiators”, claiming they would agree to something and then tell the media they had not done so.
‘They are very devious negotiators’
“You see, they are very devious negotiators because they’ll agree to something, then they’ll go out and tell the press that they did not do it. They’re very dishonest people,” the president said.
Asked how the conflict could finally end, Trump said his main objective was to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. “I’m in this thing for one primary reason: that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said, claiming that US military action had already prevented Tehran from acquiring one.
Trump’s comments came as the conflict, which began in late February, continued to produce mixed signals over the prospects of a diplomatic settlement.
Rejects concerns over US ammunition supplies
The president also rejected concerns over US ammunition supplies, saying the country was producing munitions at a rapid pace. “We’re fine with munitions,” Trump said, adding that the US was “building them like crazy”.
Trump blamed former President Joe Biden for the lower stockpile, claiming Biden had provided $300 billion worth of weapons to Ukraine.
Pakistan said on Tuesday that the US and Iran were close to “some sort” of agreement, while Qatar said talks on arrangements for the Strait of Hormuz had reached an advanced stage.
Trump has repeatedly switched stances between threatening a major escalation of the conflict and suggesting that a peace deal could be close.
