Washington: President Donald Trump has said that the United States wants to use Iranian money that is in American control to pay for damage caused by recent attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz. He said this move will make Tehran responsible without costing taxpayers any money.
Trump talked to reporters while on Air Force One, travelling to Michigan. He said the government plans to take money that is already being held by the US and use it to pay for losses from shipping
“We are going to use Iran’s money to pay for the damage they did “, Trump said. “The Iranian money that we control will be used to pay for damages.”
This announcement happened as tensions in the Gulf have increased. There have been several attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz. This is one of the important oil routes in the world. US officials have connected Iran or groups supported by Iran to these attacks. They disrupted shipping. Made people worried about energy supplies around the world.
According to officials in the administration, the US Treasury is working on the details of this idea. They are looking at how much money’s frozen in Iran’s assets, how much damage was done to ships and when the plan will start.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has been pushing this idea since June. They are looking at the cost to fix ships that were damaged, the loss of cargo, and the effect on allies in the region. People who support this idea say using Iran’s money is a way to make sure Iran is responsible and not make American taxpayers pay more.
People who disagree say they are not sure if this is legal. They also say this move could make it harder for Washington to get what it wants in talks about Iran’s nuclear program and other issues in the region. The White House has not said more about how the plan will work. Officials have not explained the rules that would let the money be used in this way.
There have been no new fights recently. Trump has said before that the US would use strong military action if threats to ships in the Strait of Hormuz continue. This idea shows how unstable the relationship between the US and Iran is. Governments and global energy markets are watching closely as events affect one of the shipping routes, in the world.
