Iran is going after America's debt it's targeting the $40T America owes
An Iranian politician recently mocked the U.S. Federal Reserve's interest rate formula on social media, highlighting geopolitical tensions regarding global economic influence. The post suggests that Iran and its allies exert pressure on the global economy through control of key maritime trade routes.
Why it matters
The intersection of geopolitical conflict and central bank policy illustrates the vulnerability of the U.S. economy to external political posturing.
1,159 240 369 Share On September 16, 2026, the day the Federal Reserve raised interest rates, an Iranian politician posted a math equation on social media.
His name is Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. He is the speaker of Iran’s Parliament.
Millions of people saw the post, but most did not understand what they were looking at.
The math equation was a copy of the formula that American central bankers use to decide whether to raise or lower interest rates.
Ghalibaf had slightly altered the formula.
He added two new variables to the equation, both named after waterways that Iran and its allies control.
Although the post was clearly a cheeky jab at the US administration, it was not necessarily a joke.
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