President Trump ordered Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who was in the middle of an interview, to the White House Situation Room as the administration deals with the financial fallout of the Iran war.
Bessent, 63, was speaking with Sky News’ Wilfred Frost of “The Master Investor Podcast” inside the Treasury Department’s Cash Room when an aide suddenly interrupted roughly 13 minutes into the conversation.
“The president wants you right away,” the aide told Bessent from off-camera, according to a clip shared on X by the outlet.
A microphone was removed from Bessent’s jacket as he left the building at 10:22 a.m, according to the outlet’s timestamp. The top economic officials returned nearly two hours later.
Bessent said he discussed a “plethora of things” during his meeting with President Trump.
Meanwhile, Frost questioned Bessent on Trump’s mood after the urgent request to head across the street to the White House.
“The President is in great spirits, the Iranian mission is proceeding well ahead of schedule,” Bessent said before revealing his teenager is considering joining the military.
“I can give this team my highest compliment from President Trump, to the head of the Joint Chiefs, to the Secretary of War. I would trust my child’s life in their hands,” he said.
The interview jumped to the topic of the ongoing Iranian conflict, which began on Feb. 28, when the US launched Operation Epic Fury as part of the larger joint operation with Israel that killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Frost referenced the US dollar’s current surge and how it reached a high earlier this week as other financial indicators have taken hits as part of the war.
Part of the financial influx comes as the Iranian regime, led by newly appointed supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei, has put a chokehold on the crucial Persian Gulf shipping lane, the Strait of Hormuz, as a “tool to pressure the enemy.”
Bessent revealed the US could begin escorting international ships through the channel when the threat of an Iranian attack is eliminated.
“My belief is that as soon as it is militarily possible, the US Navy, perhaps with an international coalition, will be escorting vessels through,” he said.
US officials feared Iran may have placed underwater mines to block the shipping lanes, but no evidence of the explosives has been found.
“There are, in fact, tankers coming through now, Iranian tankers, I believe some Chinese-flag tankers have come through. So we know that they have not mined the straits,” Bessent said.
The Treasury Secretary did not confirm or deny whether the topic of the naval escorts had been discussed when he was summoned to the White House by Trump.
“Your words, not mine,” he said.
He later revealed the operation has cost the US about $11 billion, saying no price was too high for Trump, according to Sky News.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright addressed the possibility of the escorts in the strait, saying they were being discussed but didn’t give a timeline.
“It’ll happen relatively soon, but it can’t happen now,” Wright told CNBC.
“We’re simply not ready. All of our military assets right now are focused on destroying Iran’s offensive capabilities and the manufacturing industry that supplies their offensive capabilities,” Wright said.
