'Rats fleeing the ship': Iran leaders wiring out huge sums of money, US says

"As Treasury who carries out the sanctions we can see is we are now seeing the rats fleeing the ship because we can see millions, tens of millions of dollars being wired out of the country, snuck out of the country by the Iranian leadership," Bessent said in an interview with Newsmax.

"So they are abandoning ship, and we are seeing it come into banks and financial institutions all over the world," the Treasury Secretary added.

Iran’s nationwide protests began in late December 2025 over economic grievances but quickly evolved into an openly regime-change movement, with demonstrators calling for the end of the Islamic Republic itself.

Security forces responded by using live fire against protesters, killing as many as 12,000 people, according to Iran International’s findings.

Still, threats by US President Donald Trump to launch strikes against Iran have left the fate of the country’s leaders in limbo.

'US will trace Iran leaders' assets abroad'

In his Wednesday interview, the US Treasury Secretary vowed to trace the huge sums of money wired out of Iran by the country's leaders.

"What we do at Treasury is we follow the money, whether it is through the banking system or through digital assets. We are going to trace these assets and they will not be able to keep them."

Separately, Israel's Channel 14 reported on Wednesday that Iran's leaders have transferred $1.5 billion to escrow accounts in Dubai over the past two days.

"1.5 billion dollars have been transferred out of Iran in the last hours, not through banks but via cryptocurrency with one clear destination: Dubai," the report said citing a source familiar with the Revolutionary Guard's economic activities.

The report alleged that the Supreme Leader's son and one of his potential successors Mojtaba Khamenei is one of the people involved in these transfers.

"He transferred about $328 million to that same destination," Channel 14 said citing the unnamed source.

Iran has increasingly leaned on cryptocurrency rails to move money abroad as sanctions and banking restrictions complicate traditional transfers.

US Treasury actions in 2025 described “shadow” networks using overseas fronts and crypto transactions tied to Iranian oil revenue, portraying digital assets as one way to bypass chokepoints in the regulated financial system.

Exiled Prince Reza Pahlavi said a future Iran would end its nuclear military program, recognize Israel and seek normalized relations with the United States if the Islamic Republic falls, describing his outlook in a post on X on Wednesday.

Addressing “friends around the world,” Pahlavi said Iran’s global image had been shaped by “terrorism, extremism and poverty” under the current system, adding that a free Iran would instead act as a stabilizing force in the region and a responsible global partner.

"In security and foreign policy, Iran’s nuclear military program will end. Support for terrorist groups will cease immediately. A free Iran will work with regional and global partners to confront terrorism, organized crime, drug trafficking, and extremist Islamism," Pahlavi said.

On the economy, he said Iran would open itself to trade, investment and innovation, describing the country as one of the world’s largest untapped markets. He added that a future Iran would seek to become a reliable global energy supplier and adopt international standards on transparency and governance.

Pahlavi urged international support for the Iranian people, saying "A free Iran will be a force for peace. For prosperity. And for partnership."

Iran has extended a temporary closure of its airspace to most flights, according to an aviation notice issued early Thursday amid fears of a US attack.

The NOTAM (Note to Airmen) shows the airspace will remain closed until 03:30 (UTC).

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President Donald Trump wants any potential US military action against Iran to be “swift” and “decisive,” according to people familiar with internal discussions cited by NBC News, as uncertainty grows over Washington’s response to unrest inside the country.

The report said Trump and senior advisers have been weighing military options while closely monitoring developments in Iran, where protests and a heavy security response have raised fears of wider instability.

Sources told NBC News that any operation, if ordered, would be designed to avoid a prolonged conflict.

The wave of protests arrived at a sensitive moment for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: as he was pressing US President Donald Trump to nod ahead another round of Israeli strikes against Iran, especially its missile program.

For years, Netanyahu has argued in Washington that Tehran’s challenge cannot be resolved through containment or diplomacy alone, but only through the collapse of the Islamic Republic.

Against that backdrop, one might have expected Israel to seize on Iran’s internal instability and move decisively against its strategic assets. Instead, restraint has become policy.

Netanyahu is aware that any visible Israeli role could serve the interests of Iran’s rulers—by discrediting protesters as foreign-backed agents or by giving Tehran justification to escalate militarily against Israel.

Cautious calculation

Several considerations reinforce Netanyahu’s caution.

Israel is still emerging from a recent military campaign and has little appetite for being drawn into another direct confrontation with Iran. At the same time, Netanyahu continues to prefer US leadership on the Iran file, a long-standing strategic priority.

From his perspective, the most effective—and legitimate—pressure on Iran, including any potential military action, must come from the United States rather than Israel.

There is also a deeper calculation at play. Netanyahu may believe the Islamic Republic is closer than at any point in decades to a breaking point, and that overt Israeli involvement could delay or derail that process.

From this view, Israel’s most effective contribution to regime destabilization is to avoid becoming the focal point of Iranian nationalism or regime propaganda.

Restraint: pros and cons

Yet restraint carries risks of its own.

Iran’s theocratic rule may survive the current unrest and seek to exploit its vulnerability by pursuing a renewed nuclear agreement with the West. For Israel, this is a deeply troubling scenario as it could ease economic pressure on Tehran and extend the life of the Islamic Republic without addressing Israel’s core security concerns.

Nor would every political transformation in Iran necessarily serve Israeli or American interests.

A pro-Western restoration, such as the return of the Shah’s son, is far from certain. Other outcomes could include further radicalization of the regime or a decision to accelerate its nuclear program, moving more decisively toward a nuclear weapon.

In short, Israel is not rushing to exploit Iran’s internal crisis. Despite longstanding fears over Iran’s military buildup and a fundamental desire for regime change, Netanyahu is pursuing a policy of restraint shaped by caution, timing, and deference to US leadership.

Even so, restraint does not guarantee insulation. Israel could still be drawn into a broader conflict—particularly if the United States launches a military strike and Iran chooses to retaliate against Israeli targets.

For now, Israel’s posture reflects a familiar strategic logic: hoping for the best, while preparing for the worst.