Arya News Agency -TEHRAN – Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf has delivered a sharp satirical riposte to U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's projection of a potential drop in oil prices to $40 a barrel, using humor and pointed economic data to challenge Washington's narrative of a resurgent American economy.
In a post on his official X account, Qalibaf shared a comical image depicting himself preparing for takeoff only to experience a dramatic free fall—a visual jab at Bessent's recent interview with Lara Trump, in which the Treasury secretary suggested that oil prices could slump to $40 by the midterm elections, adding that the U.S. economy was "taking off" and "soaring."
"Get ready to jump—but before you take off, make sure you warm up properly," Qalibaf wrote, before listing a series of what he described as glaring contradictions in U.S. economic policy:
U.S. diesel prices have reached an all-time high, he noted, urging Bessent to address the mounting cost pressures on American consumers and industry.
Japan, the largest holder of U.S. Treasury bonds, is selling off its holdings at significant volume—a move Qalibaf suggested would further undermine the dollar's global standing, remarking sarcastically that such fiscal trends would make for an "enjoyable" experience for the Treasury secretary.
Norway, home to the world's largest sovereign wealth fund, is divesting $80 billion in U.S. bonds. Qalibaf quipped that Bessent might as well rename Norway to "Americaway"—drawing a parallel to the U.S. proposal to rename Canada's Lake Ontario—just to feel he had accomplished something substantive.
The U.S. Defense Department—which Qalibaf characterized as effectively "Israeli-controlled"—is facing a sharp decline in recruitment rates, he claimed, suggesting that the Pentagon is grappling with severe manpower shortages. He mockingly proposed that Bessent adopt Israel's reported model of offering debt forgiveness in exchange for young American recruits.
Members of the Federal Reserve's monetary policy committee have raised red flags over future inflation and interest rate trajectories, Qalibaf added, pointing to an apparent contradiction between Fed policy and Treasury projections, and concluding with a sardonic: "What a situation!"
The parliamentary speaker's remarks come amid a broader war of words between Tehran and Washington, as Bessent has emerged in recent days as a leading figure in what Iranian officials describe as psychological operations orchestrated by the Trump administration against the Islamic Republic. Qalibaf's post reflects Tehran's broader strategy of using social media to counter U.S. economic warfare and narrative-building, while highlighting what Iran views as structural vulnerabilities in the American economy.
The satirical intervention also underscores the deepening ideological and rhetorical confrontation between the two countries, as Iran continues to frame its own economic resilience and military deterrent posture as a direct challenge to U.S. pressure campaigns in the Persian Gulf and beyond.
Source: Iranian Parliament / Qalibaf Official X Account