Iran

Central Bank of Iran Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati has dismissed the latest threats by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to intensify sanctions against Iran, saying Washington is speaking prematurely about the country's economic outlook. Responding to Bessent's prediction of a harsh winter for Iran, Hemmati said the Treasury secretary had yet to account for his earlier forecast. "He still has to count that same chicken I told him to count at the end of autumn," Hemmati said.

"Let him count that first, then go and talk about winter. It's too early." The remark draws on the Persian proverb about counting chickens at the end of autumn, a caution against declaring an outcome before the season has actually turned. Bessent had said a "long and cold winter" lay ahead for Iranians, and argued that Tehran could have secured better terms in a deal before the US elections. "Now President Trump does not think we need a deal with Iran, and we will continue applying pressure," he said.

Currency supply Turning to the foreign exchange position, Hemmati said conditions were sound and put the volume of currency supplied in the recent period at nearly $33 billion. "Thank God, conditions are good. In this same period we have supplied close to $33 billion in foreign currency," he said. He stressed that the supply of essential goods and medicine was continuing as the Central Bank had undertaken. "Essential goods as well, just as we promised, we are supplying medicine and essential goods," he said.

Hemmati added that the institution was working to prevent any disruption in the country's currency supply. "God willing, there is no problem, and all our effort is that no problem arises." Bessent has made a series of specific predictions of Iranian economic collapse that have not arrived on schedule. In an exclusive interview with the anti-Iran channel Iran International on October 26, he urged Iranian citizens directly not to pay their taxes.

He added: "You should start stocking up on heating fuel. There's going to be a big heating fuel shortage. In terms of gasoline, everyone should fill up their tanks now." The appeal came as Iran was managing a planned overhaul of its fuel-distribution system. An earlier claim, made on September 27, concerned Iran's oil exports specifically, in which Bessent said that in two weeks Iran would have no export oil “left to trade for anything.”

The Iranian central bank and the Oil Ministry have cited continued export flows, restored gas capacity and stable fuel supply in recent weeks as evidence that the predictions are aimed more at psychological pressure than at describing reality. Iranian officials have also emphasized that statements encouraging ordinary Iranians to stop paying taxes or to hoard fuel are designed to create the very shortages they claim to predict.