WASHINGTON: The US will attempt to redirect Iranian assets to Gulf states for rebuilding and repairs of damage caused by Iran, a source familiar with the matter said, after Tehran launched a wave of strikes against Kuwait and Bahrain. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has directed a team to assess costs for damage inflicted on Gulf allies by Iran, the source said on Saturday, adding the US will consider using Iranian assets for repairs of any future destruction as well.
The disclosure came a day after Mohsen Rezaei, an adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, told CNN that a peace deal to end the three-month-old war hinged on the release of $24 billion in Iranian assets frozen by the United States. The source did not specify what kind of assets the Treasury was examining. The language used to describe the new measures did not appear limited to frozen assets.
US President Donald Trump said in an interview broadcast Sunday that he will not unfreeze Iranian assets before reaching an agreement with Tehran. Asked whether he would be willing, as part of a potential agreement, to unfreeze Iranian assets or lift certain sanctions against Iran, Trump replied: “No.” “(That) comes after. If they behave, if they do a good job, we start talking,” he said in the interview with NBC, recorded Friday. — Agencies
