US will use "Iranian money" in its "possession" to pay for damage to ships, cargo: Trump
Washington DC, July 24
Amid continued hostilities between the US and Iran, President Donald Trump on Thursday said that any damages done to ships and cargo will be paid by the Iranian money in possession and control of Washington.
He made the remarks in a post on Truth Social and called it a "fair and equitable" step.
"Please let this statement serve to represent, until further notice, that from this point forth, any and all damages done to Ships, Cargo, or anything related thereto, will be paid for by Iranian Money that the United States has in its possession, and controls. These damages may be very substantial but, nevertheless, this is the fair and equitable thing to do. Thank you for your attention to this matter!" he said on Truth Social.
Meanwhile, according to a report by Al Jazeera, Tehran has nearly $100bn in assets frozen by other countries and beyond its control.
As the standoff continues between the two warring adversaries, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on Thursday took a dig at officials in the US administration and said that the aggression being advocated by them will backfire.
He said on X, "Compromised individuals in the U.S. administration are burying their heads in the sand. They ignore the realities on the ground and seem focused only on 2028. The mindless aggression they advocate will only ensure that POTUS pays heavier price for deal he's trying to achieve."
The latest Truth Social post follows after Trump on Thursday reiterated his stance that Tehran cannot be allowed to have nuclear weapons and that Washington is doing "extremely well" as the conflict continues between the two adversaries.
The US President said, "We're doing very well against the Islamic Republic of Iran--we're doing extremely well. They would like to do something, but I say they're not ready yet. They need more of the same. They've got some evil intentions. We cannot let them have a nuclear weapon."
Trump said that Iran cannot be allowed to even consider acquiring nuclear weapons.
He added, "We cannot let them even think about having nuclear weapons and that is exactly what is happening. They will never have a nuclear weapon... This should've been done by other American Presidents or other countries. It didn't have to be us but if we don't do it nobody else will, but I will and nobody else has the capability to do it."
— ANI
Reader Comments
This whole situation is like a schoolyard fight that's getting out of hand. Trump is clearly trying to look strong but it's just creating more chaos. And that $100 billion frozen by Iran? That money belongs to the Iranian people, not his plaything. From India, we see this as another example of US unilateralism hurting ordinary citizens 😟
Look, I get that Iran has done some problematic things, but Trump's approach is just reckless. You can't just take someone's money because you don't like them. What's next? If India disagrees with US policy, will they freeze our assets too? This sets a dangerous precedent. Also that comment about "nobody else has the capability" - a bit arrogant, no? 😏
As an American living in India, I'm embarrassed. This is not how diplomacy works. Trump is treating international relations like a reality TV show. The Iranian foreign minister's response was actually quite clever - calling out the "compromised individuals" in the administration. And that line about being focused on 2028? Ouch! India's diplomatic restraint looks very mature compared to this chaos.
The irony is thick here - Trump says no one else has the capability to handle Iran, but his own approach is creating more problems than solutions. India has managed to maintain good relations with both US and Iran through balanced diplomacy. This "my way or highway" attitude doesn't work in today's multipolar world. We need cooperation, not confiscation 🙏
I'm actually worried as a foreigner in India watching
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