Stammering Bessent Confronted On-Air Over Childish Oil Claim
The Daily Beast • • nation
Key Points:
- Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent defended the lifting of U.S. sanctions on Iranian oil stored on tankers, arguing that the oil was always destined for China at a discount and the move prevents higher oil prices.
- Bessent claimed the U.S. is strategically managing the situation by gaining better oversight of Iranian oil sales and downplayed the estimated $14 billion Iran could earn, calling it "grossly overstated."
- During a tense interview on Meet the Press, Bessent repeatedly insisted that Iran was already receiving money from China despite sanctions and criticized the framing of questions about the sanctions' impact on U.S. oil prices.
- The lifted sanctions affect about 140 million barrels of Iranian oil, roughly equivalent to 10 to 14
