Iran Rejects US Claims of Economic Pressure Crush

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf has rejected US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's claims that Washington's economic measures would crush Iran's economy. In a response to Bessent on social media, Qalibaf called him a 'liar' and questioned his assertion that the US had brought 130 million barrels of oil onto the market over the past 14 days.

Qalibaf referred to this as the 'real 130s' and pointed out that Moody's figures showed more than $130 billion in war-related costs. He also claimed that a US trading firm, Jane Street, had lost over $130 million by betting on lower oil prices during a single rollover of futures contracts.

This exchange comes as tensions between Tehran and Washington remain high since the start of the conflict in late February. Despite signing a memorandum of understanding aimed at ending hostilities and paving the way for negotiations, implementation has faced difficulties with Tehran accusing Washington of failing to fulfill its commitments.