US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says the United States will be prepared to use frozen Iranian assets to cover costs if Iran harms US partners in the Gulf. In remarks reported by Bloomberg and Al-Monitor, Bessent frames the approach as a potential source of payment for “damage” or costs tied to actions taken by Iran against allies in the region, including in relation to the Hormuz area. Both accounts describe the same core message: that if Iran inflicts damage, the United States intends to extract funds from Iranian accounts that are currently frozen to pay for those impacts. The reports present this as a policy position rather than a specific, immediately executed transaction, and they do not provide details such as timing, amounts, or the specific legal mechanisms the Treasury would use in a given situation. The statements are linked to broader US efforts to deter Iranian activity affecting Gulf security and shipping, with Bessent outlining the possibility that frozen funds could be directed toward compensation for damage to allies.