U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that Washington will oversee how the Islamic Republic’s released assets are spent, and that a significant portion of these resources will be allocated to purchasing food, agricultural products, and medicine from the United States. Meanwhile, officials of the Islamic Republic, including Central Bank Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati, state that there is no obligation to purchase goods from the U.S. under the recent memorandum of understanding.
Speaking to CNBC, Bessent said the first batch of Iran’s unfrozen financial resources will likely become available through Qatar, and U.S. officials stationed in Doha will monitor how these funds are allocated.
The U.S. Treasury Secretary added that the department will establish an operational framework in the Middle East to oversee the use of these resources, and that the bulk of the unfrozen assets will be spent on purchasing products such as corn, wheat, soybeans, and medicine.
Reiterating the stance of U.S. President Donald Trump, he emphasized that a “large percentage” of these funds will be spent on buying food and medical supplies from the United States, even if officials of the Islamic Republic claim that they will decide how these resources are used.
