Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, left, speaks to reporters as President Donald Trump, right, listens aboard Air Force One while traveling from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Tokyo, Japan, Monday, Oct. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei, turned to William Shakespeare's Macbeth to criticise US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent over Washington's planned seizure of Iranian assets. Sharing a video of Bessent discussing the confiscation of roughly $1 billion in Iranian cryptocurrency holdings, Baghaei posted a line from Macbeth and appeared to draw a parallel between Shakespeare's usurper king and US actions against Iranian assets. “Now does he feel his title; Hang loose about him, like a giant’s robe; Upon a dwarfish thief," he wrote on social media platform X. The quote is spoken by Angus in Act 5, Scene 2 of Shakespeare's tragedy Macbeth. It is a metaphor that describes Macbeth's illegitimate rule, comparing his stolen royal title to an oversized, ill-fitting garment that a "small thief" cannot possibly fill. Also Read: 'Behave Nicely': Trump Says Iran Won't Get Assets Back Yet; Bessent Has A Gulf Reconstruction Plan This comes after a report detailed Bessent's plans to use frozen Iranian assets to help fund the rebuilding of Gulf nations impacted by Tehran's retaliatory actions, a move aimed at limiting the fallout of the conflict on key American allies in the Middle East. His proposal follows continued attacks targeting some of Washington's closest partners in the Gulf, including Kuwait and Bahrain. If implemented, the plan would mark a significant shift in how frozen Iranian funds are handled, potentially redirecting them toward reconstruction efforts in countries affected by the regional conflict, Financial Times reported. “Treasury will utilise all tools available to allow Iranian assets to be made available to our Gulf allies to support rebuilding and repairs for any future damage caused by Iran,” a senior Trump administration official told the FT on Saturday. The official added that Bessent had “directed his team to assess conditions among our Gulf allies and request comprehensive estimates of the costs associated with repairing damage Iran has inflicted since the start of the conflict”. “Treasury will further consider whether Iranian assets could be used to support repairs for past damages,” said the official. The proposal comes as Washington and Tehran continue to debate the fate of Iran's frozen overseas assets, estimated at up to $100 billion, with some of the funds previously being considered for release as part of a potential peace agreement. Relations between the US and its top Gulf allies have been strained by the extended conflict and de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the vital waterway for oil and gas shipments in and out of the region. Ananya is a journalist with a strong grounding in breaking news and a deep-rooted passion for geopolitics. She has 6 years of experience in TV and Dig... View More