The US government has unleashed a dual-pronged economic and military pressure campaign against the Islamic Republic of Iran. Washington is threatening to liquidate frozen Iranian capital to pay for regional damage while simultaneously deploying naval armadas to force open the blockaded Strait of Hormuz.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. Repurposing frozen billion-dollar assets According to Bloomberg, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced a major shift in how Washington intends to leverage seized Iranian capital. Bessent declared that the US is prepared to directly tap into blocked Iranian financial accounts to financially compensate its regional Gulf allies for any damage incurred during future hostilities initiated by Tehran. Bessent warned that the economic and financial penalties levied against the regime would grow exponentially with each consecutive provocation. The targeted capital comprises approximately $24 billion in frozen assets, which Iranian negotiators have conversely been demanding the return of as a core condition during ongoing peace talks with the White House. The Treasury Department’s hardline warning comes amid a sharp, immediate deterioration in relations between Washington and Tehran following a recent military incident involving the downing of a US helicopter. Tehran reacted swiftly and aggressively to Bessent’s declarations. Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, fiercely condemned the proposed financial mechanism, warning that the US has no legal authority to distribute Iranian wealth.