Bessent Slams US Media for 'Bestowing' Allies on Iran

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent sharply criticized US media for their coverage of the military conflict with Iran, calling them 'the best allies that the Iranians have'. Speaking at a press conference in Asheville, North Carolina, during the Group of 20 finance ministers' meeting, Bessent said that the media's skewed reporting was detrimental to the situation. He pointed out that Iran is currently facing dire economic conditions and lacks control over the Strait of Hormuz.

Bessent emphasized that the US has control over the strait and that the recent military strikes were aimed at taking out Iranian radar installations, which he described as 'patchwork of Tinker Toy, erector-set radar'. He also noted that 17 million barrels of crude oil were removed from the area as a result of the strikes.

The treasury secretary expressed frustration with the media's tendency to publish Iranian lies without fact-checking them. He specifically mentioned that there are no mines in the strait and that two ships did not hit mines, calling this 'Iranian agitprop'. Bessent warned that Iran is getting squeezed economically and predicted that it would lead to turmoil within the country, either through internal conflict or a willingness to negotiate a deal.

Bessent highlighted the severe economic struggles faced by Iran, including its currency, which has dropped from 800,000 to the dollar 16 months ago to 2,100,000 today. He suggested that this would eventually lead to a deal between Iran and the US.