Bessent compares Iran to a 'company heading for bankruptcy'... Trump confirms his ability to end the war now

- Tehran: No trust in Washington without the seven conditions... its response to our proposal is incomplete

Amidst diplomatic stalemate and both sides’ adherence to their positions, US President Donald Trump stated that the United States is capable of halting its military operations against Iran now, provided that Iran is guaranteed to be unable to possess nuclear weapons, which have been eliminated. Meanwhile, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent described Iran’s current economic situation as “a company heading toward bankruptcy.”

He added that he does not know with whom to negotiate after the killing of first- and second-tier commanders and the loss of half of the third-tier commanders, noting that the remaining Iranian leaders had requested a cessation of attacks and demanded guarantees that they would not suffer the same fate as the assassinated leaders.

He continued, “Iran cannot possess nuclear weapons, and it will not be allowed to do so. Someone said you can withdraw now, and that is true; we can withdraw now, because they will not possess a nuclear weapon,” considering that Washington is no longer obligated to continue military operations.

He referenced the strikes carried out by US B-2 stealth strategic bombers against Iranian nuclear facilities, asserting that the operation had limited Tehran’s capacity to acquire nuclear weapons.

In press remarks, Bessent said Iran’s economy is facing an unprecedented state of financial and economic paralysis, noting that “it is currently completely unable to export any barrel of oil.”

He pointed out that field monitoring data confirmed that Iran had not loaded any oil shipments from Kharg Island since last August, emphasizing that Tehran currently has no oil shipments at sea.

He considered that “Iran now resembles exactly a company heading toward bankruptcy, as the country experiences escalating panic and confusion while its local currency continues its historic collapse, and we see that the inflation rate has exceeded 100 percent. We know all the entities providing services to the Iranian regime and have observed a sudden halt in those activities.”

He stressed that Iran’s economic system is approaching a “sharp and accelerating tipping point” that will lead to repercussions in the coming period.

In Tehran, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf informed Pakistani Army Chief General Asim Munir on Tuesday evening that the United States will not earn Tehran’s trust unless it implements the seven conditions presented by Iran in New York.

He said, “We have no new words. America cannot win Iran’s trust except by implementing the seven conditions.”

He added that he had “frankly” told Trump during the Islamabad negotiations that “the long record of negative US actions against Iran, before and after the Islamic Revolution,” had placed Tehran “at the peak of distrust toward America.”

In a weekly press conference, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei stated that “the era of ‘hit and run’ is over,” warning that Tehran “will not leave any strike unanswered” and will respond to any attack “with at least equal force.”

During the press conference, he described the US response to Iran’s proposal regarding the opening of the Strait of Hormuz within seven days as “incomplete and insufficient,” reaffirming Iran’s insistence on its demands for a ceasefire on all fronts and the lifting of the naval blockade.

He considered the seven conditions proposed last September for a temporary cessation of hostilities “not strange, but legitimate,” and noted that they were included in the memorandum of understanding, affirming Iran’s readiness and seriousness to continue the diplomatic path in a manner that serves its interests and contributes to enhancing regional security.