US President Donald Trump stated in a recent interview with NBC News' 'Meet the Press' that he would not unfreeze Iranian assets or lift any sanctions before a peace deal is reached. He mentioned that such steps would be considered only after an agreement is finalized. 'Comes after,' he said. 'Yeah. If they behave, if they do a good job, we start talking. Yeah.'
US Plans to Redirect Iranian Assets for Gulf Allies
Trump also clarified that he is not demanding Lebanon's inclusion in a short-term deal with Tehran. Meanwhile, the United States intends to redirect Iranian assets to Gulf states for reconstruction and repairs of damage caused by Iran, according to a source familiar with the matter. This follows a wave of strikes against Kuwait and Bahrain by Tehran, along with further drone launches.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has directed a team to assess costs for damage inflicted on Gulf allies by Iran, the source said on Saturday. The US will consider using Iranian assets for repairs of any future destruction as well. This disclosure came a day after Mohsen Rezaei, an adviser to Iran's supreme leader, told CNN that a peace deal to end the three-month-old war depends on the release of $24 billion in frozen Iranian assets.
Potential Impact on Ceasefire
The source did not specify the type of assets under examination, and the language used to describe the new measures did not appear limited to frozen assets. The threat to redirect Iranian assets could create a new irritant to the fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran, which was tested again this weekend with strikes by both nations. Peace negotiations appear to have stalled, although a minister from mediator Pakistan traveled to Tehran on Saturday with a letter for Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, as reported by Iran's semi-official ISNA news agency.
Recent Military Actions
US forces struck Iranian coastal radar sites in Goruk and Qeshm Island, both in the Strait of Hormuz, early on Saturday after shooting down drones launched by Iran that US Central Command said posed a threat to maritime traffic. Two more Iranian attack drones threatening shipping in the strait were shot down, the US military said late on Saturday. Iran's Revolutionary Guards retaliated against US bases in Kuwait and Bahrain. Kuwait's army reported engaging seven ballistic missiles that passed over residential areas, causing material damage but no casualties. In Bahrain, sirens sounded and residents were urged to seek shelter. Kuwait and Bahrain condemned the strikes. Iran later claimed it had hit US bases in both countries with ballistic missiles, but the US military said six missiles were intercepted and a seventh did not reach its target.
