Iran Hits Back at US Treasury's Economic Outcast Claims

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf responded sharply to US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's claims about Washington's economic pressure campaign against Tehran. Bessent said that the United States had helped guide about 130 million barrels of oil through the region over the previous 14 days, and described Washington's effort as 'Operation Economic Outcast', which he claimed would severely damage Iran's economy.

Ghalibaf challenged Bessent's figures on X, pointing to what he called the 'real 130s' - a reference to US war costs of over $130 billion, according to Moody's estimate. He also alleged that Jane Street Capital had suffered losses of more than $130 million while shorting oil during a futures roll.

The exchange comes amid intensified US economic pressure on Tehran. Washington has been expanding sanctions targeting Iran and entities involved in its trade and energy networks. The issue of oil shipments has become particularly important because the Strait of Hormuz remains central to global energy markets.