Iran's parliamentary speaker has a blunt message for Washington: Don't count on Tehran to be a customer for American corn and soy. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf on Thursday publicly dismissed claims by President Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent that Iran's unfrozen assets, unlocked under a temporary peace deal, would largely flow to US farmers, CNBC reports.
- "America falsely claims our unfrozen assets will buy their agriculture. Interesting. The only crop we're harvesting is what you planted: decades of mistrust," Ghalibaf said on X. "It's organic, abundant, and homegrown. But apparently the US only exports GMO soybeans, broken promises and trash talks."
His remarks follow days of messaging from Trump, who said the released funds would be used strictly for food and medicine purchases from American suppliers, and from Bessent, who told CNBC a "very large percentage" would go toward US goods. "No money has been given to Iran, or released from their money to them, by the US," Trump said in a Truth Social post Wednesday morning. "We will be releasing some of their money, that is totally controlled by us, to our Farmers and Ranchers, for the purchase of Corn, Wheat, Soybeans, and more. Food is desperately needed in Iran, and we will be purchasing it for them exclusively from the United States."
On Monday, Vice President JD Vance said Jared Kushner had come up with a "very interesting solution" to ensure billions in unfrozen Iranian funds were not misused, AFP reports. He said the US and Qatar, where some of the funds are held, would have "approval over the process." Ali Bahreini, Iran's ambassador to the United Nations office in Geneva, rejected Vance's remarks, saying, "Iran is the only country who will decide what to do with its assets, which are going to be defrozen." The pushback from Tehran comes as Trump faces criticism from some Republicans over his handling of the war with Iran and the 60-day memorandum of understanding that has paused the fighting for peace talks.
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