US vs Iran

President Trump ordering fresh strikes against the Iranians. The escalation comes as Secretary of Treasury Scott Besson threatens more crushing sanctions, warning the terror regime's economy could collapse within months or even weeks. Let's bring in Secretary Besson right now. Mr. Secretary, what makes you think because you see things that we'll never see. What makes you think that you're making a dent in their wallets? >> Well, good morning, Brian. Good to be good to be with you and the Fox and Friends team from beautiful Asheville, North Carolina. Uh look, uh you know, we we can see publicly what the regime is saying. The the president, the speaker of the parliament, and the head of the central bank have been making public pronouncements that the economy is in trouble. In a way, they're speaking both to the public, but to the hardliners in the IRGC to let them know that all all is not well in the economy. Uh we're seeing three or four hour gas lines. And how is this possible in a country that has the third or fourth highest energy resources in the world? Uh the currencies collapse, inflation's over 100%, they're not able to pay their troops. So uh you know, Brian, it is a powerful combination. We had these six weeks of successful kinetic strikes. Then we have imposed the blockade which is quarantining and isolating the country. And now we are applying uh sanctions like have never been seen before that are going to expiate the regime. And we are telling uh friends and foes do not deal with this evil regime. We know who you are. You know who you are and if we have to uh we will uh put you out of business. >> I I'm sure you saw that Vladimir Putin yesterday appeared with the Iranian officials and basically said we got your back. we're going to help you out. What's your message to the Russians? >> Uh, look, my my message to everyone is stay away. We all want this conflict to end and the fastest way for the conflict to end is the for no one to provide any support to this regime. We are going to sever every tie that they have from the outside world. For instance, last Friday, we sanctioned the Dubai branches of a an Egyptian bank and they had provided more than $1.8 billion to the regime since 2025. And we are going to systemically go through and take every bad actor like that out. We've created new authorities for Treasury to be able to sanction the under uh airlines maritime digital assets. So uh this is all hands on deck uh teams from Treasury, State Department and uh DO have gone out of the world and we are having very wholesome talks with anyone supporting the regime. China did not sign on when other the other G20 members did sign on agreed in a statement uh that the state of Veru should be open and should be free. Does that concern you at all as we get set to have President Xi come here and meet with President Trump? >> Uh no look it it doesn't concern me. It was very unfortunate what happened yesterday for the G20 to have 19 members reach a consensus and there there was more than the street Brian there. there were uh things on critical minerals which China has choked off from the world. The that there were provisions in over capacity and dumping that the and um centrally planned economies that the Chinese didn't want to uh sign on to. So to get anything to get 19 countries to agree on anything and they had agreed on important matters. It's unfortunate the Chinese didn't want to come along, but you know, I I think they that's their choice. >> So, Chevron announced they're on board. They're going to expand operations in Venezuela after the historic announcement uh last week that we're going to be taking a stake in their oil division and maybe bringing more and more Venezuelan oil to be refined on our shores. How significant is it that Chevron's off the sidelines? Look, I I I think Chevron has a long history of operating in Venezuela. Uh Mike Mike Worth, the CEO, has done a fantastic job of navigating the regime of keeping a hold of Chevron's assets during, you know, the kleptocracy of Maduro and now they're coming out on the other side. So, no American firm knows how to operate in Venezuela better than Chevron. And again, you this is what President Trump is doing. He is creating assets for the American people. It is going to push down oil prices uh push up production and you know Secretary Wright, the energy secretary said yesterday that he thinks that Venezuela's production could uh double in short order. That's good for the American people, but importantly it is good for the Venezuelan people. they can start reclaiming their assets from this Maduro and Chavez kleptocracy that has burdened them for the past 25 years. >> Yep. 47% of the country says the cost of living is too high. What can the Secretary of Treasury do about that knowing too you got the Canadian deal that they have walked away that was just about done and ready to go over the goal line two Fridays ago? >> Well, Brian, let's let's let's walk backwards from them. First of all, the Canadian deal has virtually no impact on American prices. No impact. So, you know, and Prime Minister Carney has made a political decision. Uh that the deal was on the one one yard line. He blew it up at the last minute. President Trump offered our northern neighbors the most favorable deal. And you know, he he will have to come back and I'm not sure uh that the deal will be that good again. And look, prices are too high. The American consumer got blown away under Joe Biden. 21.5% stated inflation probably much higher for working Americans. And the we are going through an energy shock right now due to both the war uh in Ukraine because you know Ukraine has decided that they want to blow up Russian energy assets and refined products. So that is creating uh upward price pressure on a global basis. And then the conflict in Iran and the conflict in Iran it will will end and prices will come down. Overall prices are coming down. Core inflation is very under control. But Brian what is important here is now under President Trump we are seeing real wage increases. So the bottom 25% of wage earners wages went up 4.7%. Inflation headline inflation was about 3.5. So, we are helping Americans slowly get back on their feet. The Iran conflict will end, but the wage the wage gains will stay because the wage gains are what Americans did not have in the Biden administration. >> Well, continued success at the G20. Thanks so much, Mr. Secretary. Uh, enjoy North Carolina. Treasury Secretary Scott Pess in North Carolina meeting with G20 leaders where he weighed in on the escalating trade fight with Canada and had a very blunt response to Prime Minister Mark Carney. Take a look. >> I guess Mark's wondering if we're now in a tit fortat trade war with Canada. >> Well, I don't think you can be in a tit fortat with someone who's 13 times larger than you are. >> They say they're doing okay. >> What else are they going to say? You know, look, I I think this is very unfortunate that Prime Minister Carney has turned this into the uh a political shouting match. I mean, we're not at war with Canada. How are we going to be at war with Canada? What are they going to take their two sub submarines from the Edmonton Mall and sick them on us? >> Now, Besson also said that the US is likely to impose sanctions on another bank this week as it is now escalating efforts to economically isolate well, the Republic of Iran. Take a look. We are probably going to announce a bank sanction this week and we will announce one the week after. We are speaking to our allies here. We are going to economically expiate this regime. We are tracking down the IRGC's assets. And I will say it on worldwide TV just so you know. We know the where in the British Virgin Islands your accounts are at these trust companies. We know the hundred million dollar houses you have around the world and we are going to freeze those. >> All right. Here with more is Treasury Secretary Scott Bessett. Very very uh demure and quiet and not at all intimidating. Uh we know uh in the British Virgin Islands where you're hiding your money uh the trust companies hundred million dollar homes. Uh you're basically saying to the leadership there we know where all of your money is and you're not going to get it. uh even though you spent a lot of time, effort, and energy robbing from the people of Iran. And uh you'll never see that money. That's how I interpret it. >> Uh Sean, you're exactly right. And great, great to be with you. Great to be the here in Asheville, North Carolina, the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. And that's exactly what we're saying. We are saying after 47 years, this terrible game that they've been playing with the Iranian people, terrorizing the Gulf and attacking American citizens, attacking the world, that the Iranian regime is over as they know it. And they are either going to have to come to the table and be ready to negotiate that they cannot have a nuclear weapon, that they have to give up their highlyenriched uranium, that they have to stop with their terrorist proxies, the that they have to uh stop terrorizing their neighbors, the or this will continue. And I believe that between the kinetic action that our great military did for 6 weeks, the blockade, and the greatest the effort at financial isolation in the history of the world. History of the world. We are going to grind them into the ground. >> Okay. Are they close? You said the snake doesn't know it's dead yet, but it will stop wiggling when the sun goes down. We are burying the head of the Iranian snake and the Iranian regime is demised and they will figure it out and it's my job to make sure that uh they want to have a deal and they will want one. Wow, powerful statement. >> Yeah, Sean, look in in my life, I have killed lots of poisonous snakes. As I said in that the interview with the great Larry Cuddlo that where I grew up near a swamp. We had a lot of poisonous snakes come in our yard and we cut their heads off whether it was with with a machete the with a boat paddle with a rake and the once the head is severed the tail can keep or the the remainder of the body can can keep squirming but it eventually stops squirming but for a while it doesn't know it's dead. The head still poisonous. You bury the head and that's what we are doing to this regime. We are going to isolate them economically and you know they they they will have no choice. They have gas lines. They have 100% inflation. Their currency has collapsed. The president of the country country, the speaker of the parliament, the head of the central bank is already warning the the Iranian people and their military leaders. They are sending out messages that they are in economic trouble. >> All right. Let me ask you about your a lot of your quotes on socialism because this is what this midterm is going to be defined by. The DSA, 250 DSA members elected since 2019. We have over 40 on the ballot this year. He said socialism here in the US when we look at the demographic of those voters, overeducated, under earning, underachievers, jealous of those who want to get up and go to work every day. Um they've tried socialism around the world and and one thing that frustrates me is between the 11 trillion dollars in committed investment that the president has taken in and we're now bringing bringing to this country the production of semiconductor chips and pharmaceuticals and bringing back automobile uh production. Um it seems and the largest tax cuts in history. Why does everything I know about economics come down to that is the foundation for a huge economic boom? >> Well, uh Sean, you know, you were overeducated and over earning. That's that's why. And you know, I'll tell you that the for the for the G20 meeting here in in Asheville. Uh we were spreading the uh the word to the world that we have the strongest economy in the world. Come grow with us. This is how we're doing it. And we had some very meaningful discussions on how to do that whether it's through deregulation via energy um tax certainty and you know as you said just as the rest of the world wants to be more like us as we have this great economy we are very the uh you know we are accelerating away from the rest of the world there are some malcontents who uh do not want to work They want to pull everyone down with them. And look, I I think that this is um I I think that this is a a limited group and that as as I said, they they are under earning and that the rest of America, you know, we we are seeing workingclass wages pick up faster than the for the bottom 25% than the the the rest of the the working group put together. So, you know, these people think that they're entitled to something. And you, as you said, >> show me where socialism has ever worked. Did it work in Venezuela? No. Did it work in the Soviet Union? Yet. Has it worked in Cuba? No. So, you know, if if you could show me where it worked, and it it's just a I I I think it is a pastime for a a group who just needs to get up and do something. >> Yeah. Uh last last question if I can, Mr. Secretary. Uh you know, Canada relies on the US for their national security and before President Trump uh they thought they were clever. They put heavy tariffs on American dairy farmers and other American products. Maybe you can sell 5% after that 5% um import number that they got to then that would go up to 80% go up 80%. And meanwhile, we've been a good partner to them overall. Um, it was funny your line. What else are they going to say when they say they're doing okay? They really do need our country. Uh, what if we said to them, uh, if you get in a conflict with any other country, we're not going to be there for you. What would happen to Canada then? Well, you know, we we've had a free rider problem the with with Canada for a long time and Prime Minister Carney the after getting getting a little bit of a verbal beatd down for myself, Secretary Hexa said, "Well, you know, you got to stop throwing shade the and to get the the negotiations back on track." Well, he's the one who said we were at war. But, you know, I I will tell you like Canad Canada had a great military. They were right there at the forefront on on the beaches of D-Day. And what the Canadian government has done to the Canadian armed forces, if you look at the rank uh ranks of NATO spending, they are near the very bottom. Like they're seller dwellers around with Spain in terms of their military spending to GDP. And why is that? Because they were free riding. And you [music] know Sean, I will tell you who was not with the prime minister. The Canadian businesses are not with the prime minister. The Canadian military is not with the prime minister. And you know, he he thinks [music] that he got to office on an anti-Trump, anti-American the platform and it's not going to work out over the long term. So I I hope that he will come back to the table. President had a the best trade deal we had offered anyone and they he rejected it for political motives. So, >> okay. Well, I don't think that's going to end well for them if he keeps it up. Donald Trump's not the right guy to pick the fight with. Uh, anyway, Treasury Secretary Scott Pson, thank you, sir. We appreciate you. Hey, Sean Hannity here. Hey, click here to subscribe to Fox News YouTube page and catch our hottest interviews and most compelling analysis. You will not get it anywhere else.