Washington: US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was caught in a rather intense moment as he had to pause a live TV interview in middle after getting called by President Donald Trump for an immediate meeting.
Bessent, 63, was speaking to Sky News’ Wilfred Frost at the White House when, suddenly, his assistant told him “the President wants you right away”.
Bessent ended up being away for around 2 hours before joining back the interview.
The incident occurred at 10.22 am, after which the interview was paused for nearly two hours before the US Treasury Secretary returned to continue speaking with the journalist.
Scott Bessent looked shaken after meeting with Trump
When the 63 year old rejoined the interview, he appeared visibly shaken and spoke with a slight stutter. When the Sky News journalist asked about the condition of Donald Trump and whether the US President was under stress, Scott Bessent replied, “The President is in great spirits. The Iranian mission is proceeding well ahead of schedule.”
Bessent also praised Trump and Pete Hegseth while speaking about his teenage child, who he said is considering joining the military. “I would trust my child’s life in their hands,” he said.
Meanwhile, four people were killed on Friday after a US military aircraft crashed in Iraq. Although an Iran backed Islamic group operating in the country claimed responsibility for shooting down the aircraft, the US military has denied the claim.
US hits Iran with intense strikes as oil prices skyrocket
As American and Israeli strikes continued to pound Iran, as Tehran launched attacks on shipping and energy infrastructure in the Persian Gulf, with no immediate end to the war in sight, US President Donald Trump issued a new threat to Iran’s leadership on his Truth Social account.
“They’ve been killing innocent people all over the world for 47 years, and now I, as the 47th President of the United States of America, am killing them,” Trump wrote. “What a great honour it is to do so.”
Heavy strikes hit Tehran and areas surrounding Iran’s capital, while Iran continued attacks on neighbouring Arab Gulf states, pushing global oil prices back above $100 a barrel.
According to the United States Department of Defense, the first week of the conflict cost the United States $11.3 billion.
Meanwhile, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said up to 3.2 million people in Iran have been displaced. Authorities in Lebanon also reported that about 800,000 people have been forced from their homes as Israel’s military continues strikes on buildings linked to the Iran backed militant group Hezbollah.
