Qalibaf reposted an article by American Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman, who has sharply criticized Scott Bessent’s economic policies and argued that the US Treasury Secretary had failed to convince financial markets of his claims.
“For real 130s, tell your staffer to pull Moody's showing $130+ billion in war costs, and ask another how much Jane Street burned north of $130 million shorting oil for you in just one futures roll,” Qalibaf wrote on his X account.
“Liar liar yields on fire,” the Iranian Parliament speaker added.
He used Krugman’s criticism as a springboard to mock Bessent’s reference to “130” in discussing oil shipments through Hormuz, highlighting the “real 130s” — more than $130 billion in war costs and more than $130 million lost by a company that intervened in oil futures markets on behalf of the US government.
The comments come as the yield on 30-year US Treasury bonds has risen to around 5.3%, its highest level since 2008. The US Treasury has sought through various measures to push up the prices of long-term bonds and keep yields lower, thereby presenting a more favorable picture of the economy and the cost of government borrowing. However, the market has not accepted these efforts, and yields have risen again.