Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, who heads the country’s negotiation team, on Thursday rejected a US claim that Tehran’s unfrozen assets would be used to buy American agricultural products.
“America falsely claims our unfrozen assets will buy their agriculture,” Qalibaf wrote on US social media company X.
“The only crop we’re harvesting is what you planted: decades of mistrust,” he added. “It’s organic, abundant, and homegrown.”
Qalibaf also criticized Washington’s trade and political record, saying the US “only exports GMO soybeans, broken promises and trash talks.”
His remarks came after US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that initial financial relief for Tehran would involve about $500 million in American goods.
Trump said no cash would be provided directly to Tehran and that Washington would use controlled Iranian funds to pay American farmers for exports such as corn and wheat.
READ: Trump says released Iranian funds to be used to buy US goods
“Food is desperately needed in Iran, and we will be purchasing it for them exclusively from the United States,” Trump said.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC on Wednesday that the US would oversee the release of Iranian frozen funds in the Gulf under Trump’s Iran deal.
“Any money that the Iranians get first is going to be used for the benefit of the Iranian people. It is going to be Iranian frozen funds,” Bessent said.
Bessent said the initial money would likely be released from Qatar, adding that US Treasury officials would be in Doha to oversee how the money is allocated.
He said a “very large percent” of the funds would go to buying US foodstuffs and medicines, adding that Washington would be “recycling the money back into US products” under Treasury oversight in the Middle East.
The comments come amid ongoing debate over the implementation of the recent Iran-US understanding, which includes provisions on sanctions relief and the release of frozen Iranian assets.
The agreement, mediated by Pakistan, entered into force on June 18 after being electronically signed by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Trump.
READ: Iranian, Saudi foreign ministers discuss US negotiations, regional developments
