US President Donald Trump said in an interview with radio station Real America’s Voice that Iran’s economy is in dire straits amid severe financial pressure from Washington. According to the US leader, inflation in the Islamic Republic has reached 300%, the national currency has been devalued, and the military has stopped receiving pay, causing soldiers to leave the service en masse. Donald Trump affirms that the US has completely frozen and controls significant Iranian funds, effectively denying Tehran access to borrowing. “I’m their banker,” the White House chief said, adding that he is considering scenarios ranging from a full-fledged economic siege to delivering “a very, very strong strike.”
The US president also noted that the US controls the strategic Strait of Hormuz and that the Iranian authorities are completely “bankrupt.” The remarks came amid rising global oil prices caused by uncertainty over supplies through the Middle East. Earlier, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that Washington economically “has Iran by the throat,” estimated food inflation in the country at 150–180%, and announced the imminent signing of a ceasefire agreement.
