'Got Iranians To Talk About Their Nuclear Program': Scott Bessent Claims Bringing Iran To Negotiations
'Got Iranians To Talk About Their Nuclear Program': Scott Bessent Claims Bringing Iran To Negotiations Published By, Last Updated: May 29, 2026, 07:38 IST Scott
'Got Iranians To Talk About Their Nuclear Program': Scott Bessent Claims Bringing Iran To Negotiations Published By, Last Updated: May 29, 2026, 07:38 IST Scott Bessent said the Trump administration had achieved what “no other administration” could by getting Iran to discuss nuclear programme and potentially commit to not having one. A file photo of US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (AP) US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Thursday said the Donald Trump administration had achieved something “no other administration" had managed before, bringing Iran to the table for discussions on its nuclear programme. “We have gotten the Iranians to talk about their nuclear program and to perhaps commit to not having one. That has never happened before," Bessent said, while defending the administration’s pressure campaign on Tehran. Bessent credited both “kinetic action" and economic pressure for forcing Iran into negotiations, saying the strategy had produced tangible results. “And to be clear here, that this administration, President Trump, has done something that no other administration is able to do," Bessent said. “It had been off the table, so I think when you look at the results of the kinetic action of our economic pressure, it has worked to bring them to the table and have a discussion on this." STRAIT OF HORMUZ WARNING TO OMAN The Treasury Secretary also escalated Washington’s warning to Oman over any potential move to impose tolls in the strategically critical Strait of Hormuz.
Addressing reporters at the White House, Bessent defended remarks made by Trump after the President warned Oman against any move that could threaten navigation through the strait. “I think the President wanted to punctuate freedom of navigation in the strait," Bessent said. “I had a call with the Omani ambassador this morning, and he assured me that there were no plans for tolling the strait." In the exact exchange with reporters, Bessent was asked whether the White House was “making plans for a new war with Oman" after Trump warned Muscat to “behave just like everybody else, or we will have to blow them up." Responding to the question, Bessent said the Omani envoy assured him that there was no proposal under consideration to impose transit fees. “As he said, our countries have had 200 years of good relations," Bessent said. “He wants to have another 200 more, and I told him that this was a non-starter, and he did not want to risk either the Omani individuals or Omani financial institutions getting sanctioned." Reuters reported that Bessent also said nearly 2,000 ships were waiting to exit the Persian Gulf amid ongoing negotiations with Iran. He also noted that oil prices had fallen roughly 10 per cent in May and reiterated that Iran “must give up highly enriched uranium and cannot pursue a nuclear weapon." BESSENT’S X POST THREATENS SANCTIONS Bessent also issued a sharp warning in a post on X, threatening sanctions against any party involved in efforts to create a tolling mechanism in the Strait of Hormuz.
“The United States Government will not tolerate any effort to impose a tolling system in the Strait of Hormuz," Bessent wrote. “Oman, in particular, should know that the U.S. Treasury will aggressively target any actors involved – directly or indirectly – in facilitating tolls for the Strait and any willing partners will be penalized," he added. The Treasury Secretary further mentioned, “All nations should reject outright any efforts by Iran to disrupt the free flow of commerce. Tehran’s days of terrorizing the region and the world are over." Reuters said Washington warned Oman not to get “directly or indirectly" involved in any tolling effort and stressed that any willing partners in such a system would face penalties. AFP reported that Bessent’s remarks came after the Treasury Department sanctioned Iran’s newly formed “Persian Gulf Strait Authority," which Tehran reportedly created to collect fees from vessels transiting the strait. According to AFP, Washington also warned that any entity paying such fees could be exposed to sanctions risk because the arrangement may amount to providing support to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. Tensions around the Strait of Hormuz have intensified since the United States and Israel launched military action against Iran earlier this year, with Tehran responding through actions that have disrupted shipping and driven up global energy prices.
Oman had previously mediated indirect talks between Washington and Tehran before the conflict escalated, while both countries continue to accuse each other of violating an ongoing truce. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: May 29, 2026, 07:38 IST News world 'Got Iranians To Talk About Their Nuclear Program': Scott Bessent Claims Bringing Iran To Negotiations Disclaimer: Comments reflect users’ views, not News18’s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments...
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