Trump Ties Iran Peace Push to Stock Market, Defends Unfreezing Assets as Top 1% Hold Nearly Half
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · Jun 18
Trump Ties Iran Peace Push to Stock Market, Defends Unfreezing Assets as Top 1% Hold Nearly Half
3 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Jun 18
Summary
At a G7 news conference in France, Trump said he pushed for peace with Iran to avoid “economic catastrophe,” arguing markets “shot up like a rocket ship” whenever peace seemed possible.
He also defended returning frozen Iranian funds, saying withholding them would undermine confidence in the dollar, and warned the world could run out of oil reserves in about four weeks if the Strait of Hormuz stayed closed.
That market-first rationale has alarmed Iran hawks, who say the agreement gives Tehran excessive concessions and could let unfrozen cash support proxy forces, missiles and other security threats.
The episode underscores how Trump uses Wall Street as a policy barometer across issues from war to AI and tariffs, even though the richest 1% held nearly half of U.S. stock wealth at end-2025.