U.S. President Donald Trump said in an interview with NBC on Sunday that he does not intend to immediately release Iran’s frozen assets as part of any potential agreement with Tehran, signaling a tough stance on the Iranian file and related financial issues. He added that the release of such assets would be subject to strict conditions and evaluations, without committing to a timeline or mechanism.

Separately, Trump stressed that there is “no reason” to raise interest rates at this stage, directly criticizing current monetary policies, though he did not provide details on alternative approaches.

These remarks come amid heated debates in the United States over monetary policy and the future of relations with Iran, as markets await signals that could shape upcoming economic and political directions.

A source revealed that the U.S. government intends to redirect Iran’s frozen assets to Gulf states for reconstruction and repairing damage caused by Iran’s attacks, including recent drone strikes on Kuwait and Bahrain. Treasury Secretary Scott Besant reportedly tasked a team with assessing the costs of damages inflicted on Washington’s allies, adding that the U.S. may use Iranian assets to cover future destruction as well.

This disclosure followed comments by Mohsen Rezaei, adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, who told CNN that a peace agreement depends on Washington releasing $24 billion in frozen Iranian assets.

The source did not specify the type of assets under review by the Treasury Department, noting that the measures may extend beyond frozen funds. The threat of redirecting Iranian assets could spark new tensions in the fragile ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran, which was tested again over the weekend by mutual strikes.

Negotiations appear stalled, but Iran’s semi-official ISNA reported that a Pakistani minister, acting as mediator, traveled to Tehran on Saturday carrying a message to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei.