Iran behind attack on cargo vessel near Oman in Strait of Hormuz

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf’s response comes after days of statements from President Donald Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent that an interim peace deal that would lead to the unfreezing of Iranian assets would be a boon for U.S. farmers.

The comment comes as Trump faces criticism from some Republican lawmakers over his stance on the war against Iran and the memorandum of understanding.

“America falsely claims that our unfrozen assets will buy their agriculture. Interesting,” Ghalibaf wrote. X.

“The only crop we harvest is what you planted: decades of distrust,” Ghalibaf wrote. “Organic, abundant and domestically produced. But it seems the US only exports GMO soybeans, broken promises and nonsense talk.”

When asked for comment, the White House said a US official said: “No frozen funds have left the channel and no frozen funds will leave the channel unless Iran meets the requirements set out in the Memorandum of Understanding.” [memorandum of understanding]”

“As the memorandum states, the United States must approve how the funds will be used,” the official said. “As Vice President J.D. Vance announced this week, if Iranian assets are released, they will be used to purchase American agricultural products to feed the Iranian people.”

Trump, a social media post “Money and/or Sanctions released by the U.S. Treasury will go into U.S. controlled escrow and will be used solely to purchase U.S. food and medical supplies, including Corn, Wheat, and Soybeans from our great American Farmers,” he wrote Tuesday.

Bessent reiterated that claim in an interview on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” on Wednesday, saying the Treasury Department would monitor the Iranian funds once they are released.

“A very large percentage of that will go to purchasing U.S. foodstuffs and pharmaceuticals,” Bessent said.

Iran has repeatedly denied these allegations.

Earlier this week, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said any agricultural purchases would be based on “prices and quality” and not on US-imposed conditions. Associated Press reported.

“It is interesting that the philosophy and goal of the war, which was the destruction of Iranian civilization and the collapse of Iran, turned into enriching American farmers,” Baghaei said.

The White House asked Congress on Wednesday to approve nearly $88 billion in additional spending on costs related to the war against Iran, as well as aid to U.S. farms and the response to the Ebola outbreak in Africa.

This request was immediately opposed by congressional Democrats.

Also on Wednesday, in a late-night vote, the Senate rejected a resolution aimed at giving Congress the authority to stop the war. The vote came a day after the Republican-controlled Senate approved a similar measure.

The reversal came after Trump held a closed-door meeting with Senate Republicans; two of them changed their earlier votes: Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who changed his vote from “yes” to “present” on the resolution, and Rand Paul of Kentucky, who changed his vote from “yes” to “present.”

Also on Thursday Wall StreetJournal He reported that Iran is trying to earn billions of dollars in exchange for safety, security and environmental services in the Strait of Hormuz.

The newspaper said Iran supported the idea by proposing that its Persian Gulf neighbors share revenue from such services.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump have publicly rejected the idea of ​​ships passing through the strait being subject to tolls or duties.

The Strait of Hormuz is the world’s most sensitive transit point for the transportation of oil. Before the USA and Israel started the war against Iran in late February, 20 percent of the oil consumed by the world passed through the strait.

According to the 60-day agreement that stopped the war, Iran will not be able to impose transit fees on ships in the strait during this period.