&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "‘Nobel Prize in Practical Physics’: Iran’s Ghalibaf mocks US Treasury chief Bessent over economy claims")
Amid America's claim of destroying Iran's economic lifeline, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has mocked US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and has mockingly suggested that he should be given a Nobel Prize. This comes as Bessent has been claiming that Washington's economic pressure campaign against Tehran has led to collapse to Iran's economy and will eventually force Iranian leadership to bow to the American demands. In several posts on X, Ghalibaf said that American predictions about the collapse of Iran's economy have failed to materialise despite mounting sanctions.
Ghalibaf referred to several deadlines and warnings issued by the US, including claims that Iran would run out of options within two weeks, that its oil wells would explode within three days and that an economic turning point dubbed “Economic D-Day” would bring decisive consequences. He termed the predictions irrelevant and suggested that America is fooling the world. “Time's relative; turns out it could be irrelevant. Nobel in Practical Physics for Treasury?” Ghalibaf wrote on X.
Washington has launched Operation Economic Outcast against Iran with an aim to cripple Iranian economy. It was launched on August 24 at President Donald Trump's direction. It restricts Tehran's access to international financial networks and choke off revenue streams that the US government says help fund Iran's military operations and regional activities. On September 10, the Treasury Department announced sanctions targeting networks accused of supporting Iran-linked armed groups. On September 29, it sanctioned 10 individuals and entities across multiple jurisdictions over alleged procurement of weapons and components for Iran's Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics. The campaign subsequently expanded to financial networks and the oil trade. On October 1, the Treasury Department targeted the A7 Network, which it described as a shadow-banking network used by Iran to evade sanctions. On October 8, it announced measures against Iran's remaining shadow-fleet shipping network, including vessels and entities involved in transporting Iranian petroleum and petroleum products.
In remarks carried by Iranian state broadcaster IRIB, the Parliament speaker said Iran intended to combine military action with diplomacy to achieve its objectives and establish what he described as “sustainable deterrence”. Ghalibaf argued that military gains must be consolidated through political negotiations, adding that Tehran's objective was to exhaust its adversary until Washington agreed to Iran's demands. “We both fight and negotiate to achieve the goal,” he said,
