Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Tuesday that the Trump administration has identified an individual he described as the ayatollah's "money man" and is working to identify and publicly disclose properties linked to Iran's supreme leader as part of a broader sanctions campaign.

During an appearance on FOX Business' Mornings With Maria, Bessent outlined what he said is an ongoing effort by the Treasury Department to locate overseas assets connected to Iran's leadership and increase economic pressure on the Iranian government.

"We have found the money man for the ayatollah. We are tracking the ayatollah's properties around the world," Bessent said.

"We hope to soon be able to print his $100 million-plus properties and show the addresses, and we're preserving this money for the American people."

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According to Bessent, the initiative is part of the administration's broader "Economic Fury" campaign, which he described as complementing recent military operations referred to as "Epic Fury."

He said the Treasury Department's strategy focuses on identifying financial assets, freezing accounts where possible, and disrupting the financial networks that support Iran's government.

Bessent argued that the campaign has already contributed to increased economic pressure inside Iran.

He pointed to the value of the Iranian currency against the U.S. dollar and the country's inflation rate as indicators of that pressure.

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"[Their currency] is at an all-time low versus the dollar. It's in freefall, and we think the inflation rate is upwards of 180% in Iran," he said.

"So, the government is causing the people to suffer, and we're going to keep pressing, but we're also going to marshal the resources and save the resources that we recover for the Iranian people when we get on the other side of this."

The Treasury secretary said officials are continuing to pursue Iranian assets located outside the country while working to reduce the government's access to revenue streams.

A significant focus of the effort, according to Bessent, is Iran's oil industry. He said the administration has imposed sanctions on Chinese "teapot" refineries, referring to smaller independent refining companies that have been identified as purchasers of Iranian crude oil.

Bessent stated that the sanctions campaign has contributed to a decline in China's purchases of Iranian oil.

According to the Treasury secretary, Chinese purchases of Iranian crude have fallen by approximately 40% in recent months as economic pressure has increased.

The remarks come as the Trump administration continues to pursue sanctions and other economic measures targeting Iran following heightened tensions in the region.

Administration officials have argued that limiting the Iranian government's financial resources is intended to reduce its ability to fund military operations and other activities.

Bessent characterized the Treasury Department's role as central to that strategy, saying the department is focused on locating assets connected to Iran's leadership while restricting access to international financial markets.

His comments also follow continued debate over U.S. policy toward Iran, including sanctions, diplomatic negotiations and military operations.

The administration has maintained that economic measures remain a key component of its broader approach to Tehran.

The Treasury Department has not yet released additional details regarding the properties Bessent referenced or identified the individual he described as the ayatollah's "money man."

Bessent indicated that more information about the properties could be made public as the effort continues.

The administration has also continued expanding sanctions against entities it says facilitate Iranian oil exports, with officials maintaining that reducing energy revenue is an important element of the overall pressure campaign.

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