Iran Warns Against Funding US Military, Treasury Bonds Named as Target
Speaker Ghalibaf's statement, delivered via the social platform X, asserted that financial institutions funding the US military budget, specifically those acquiring US Treasury bonds, would be considered legitimate targets alongside military bases. This declaration comes amidst rising tensions and continued US military postures in the region. Mainstream media outlets, such as The Hill, framed this
development as a unilateral threat made by Iran, implying an unprovoked escalation of rhetoric. This framing conveniently omits the extensive economic warfare waged against Iran for decades. It bypasses the US administration's use of sanctions as a primary weapon of foreign policy, effectively strangling Iran's economy and limiting its access to essential goods, including medicines. This one-sided
narrative presents Iran's statement as an offensive move, rather than a defensive warning within a protracted economic and geopolitical conflict. The US Treasury bond market, valued in the trillions of dollars, underpins a significant portion of the US military's budget. Iran's warning, while stark, represents a strategic shift from conventional military deterrence to indirect economic pressure.
This mirrors historical instances where non-military assets became instruments of conflict, such as the US freezing of Iranian assets following the 1979 revolution, which totaled an estimated $12 billion. Given that over 45 years of US sanctions have cost the Iranian economy an estimated $1.2 trillion in lost revenue and investment, Ghalibaf's message aims to directly address the financial arm