After months of negotiations, the United States announced an agreement with Iran.
According to reports by foreign media such as the Financial Times on June 15, as part of efforts to encourage Iran to accept a new nuclear agreement and ultimately end regional conflicts, the Trump administration is considering establishing an investment fund for Iran worth up to $300 billion. However, this ‘incentive’ will be linked to Iran’s performance during the signing of the memorandum of understanding in Switzerland on June 19.
After the news spread, on the 15th, it was apparently denied by US President Trump. He posted on social media saying: "Iran has agreed to never possess nuclear weapons! Additionally, the report that the United States paid Iran $300 million is fake news, created by those Democrats!!!"
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It is worth noting that the amount mentioned in Trump's post is ‘300 million dollars’, rather than the ‘300 billion dollars’ discussed by media and American officials earlier.
Just a few hours before Trump’s post, a senior U.S. official confirmed to media, “We discussed the possibility of releasing frozen funds and lifting sanctions. You know, there is also a plan to establish a large fund worth up to $300 billion to help rebuild their country, and all of this will be linked to Iran’s compliance with obligations.”
Another person familiar with the negotiations revealed that the establishment of the fund depends on the final agreement under the memorandum of understanding. It also requires meeting conditions such as an extension of the cease-fire agreement by 60 days, the reopening of the Hormuz Strait, and further negotiations surrounding Iran's nuclear issues.
According to sources, the fund will not be funded directly by governments of various countries. Instead, it is planned to attract investments from international companies that are interested in entering the Iranian market. The structure and management of the fund are still unknown. However, many companies in Europe, Asia (including South Korea and Japan), and the United States have shown interest in investing in the Iranian market. “If sanctions are lifted, the scale of this fund will be quite significant.”
On the morning of the 15th, U.S. Vice President Visconti, when asked by CBS about the $300 billion reconstruction fund, indirectly confirmed this possibility. He responded that Iran could receive the funds as long as it fulfilled its obligations, and the funding would come from the Gulf Cooperation Council. According to The Hill newspaper, Visconti was referring to an organization composed of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
However, senior US officials also stated on the 15th that the online signing of a memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran is only the first step. The actual technical negotiations related to nuclear programs and economic arrangements will take place later this week, led by Vance.
Wanessa previously stated that Iran will not receive any cash simply because it signs agreements or participates in meetings, nor will there be any funds released. “The design of this agreement is intended to ensure that the concerns of the United States and its allies are given priority. If the Islamic Republic of Iran fulfills its obligations, then economic benefits will flow to Iran and the entire region.”
According to the Financial Times, the large-scale economic incentives proposed by the United States have been a contentious issue in the negotiations between both sides, and also one of the sensitive political issues faced by the Trump administration. Trump has long criticized the Obama administration for signing the Iran nuclear agreement in 2015, and accused the agreement of providing Iran with substantial funding by lifting sanctions.
Some critics believe that the economic incentives being discussed by the Trump administration could even surpass the sanctions relief provided by the nuclear agreement under the Obama administration.
According to a person familiar with the discussions, the current proposals include measures such as lifting sanctions and unfreezing overseas assets. These measures will be implemented in stages, depending on the progress of nuclear negotiations and the implementation of the final agreement. However, senior U.S. government officials stated that to build mutual trust, the U.S. will introduce ‘small-scale financial easing measures’ at the beginning of the agreement.
Additionally, whether Iran is allowed to receive larger amounts of funding will be a subjective decision, not based on specific criteria. A senior U.S. official stated that the lifting of sanctions is not aimed at a particular action, but rather depends on whether Iran is “acting well.” “Of course, what we care most about is the nuclear program.”
The memorandum of understanding indicates that the United States and Iran have reached an agreement on mechanisms for handling high-enriched uranium stockpiles. Sources familiar with the matter reveal that the minimum requirement is that all enriched uranium must be diluted under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency within Iran.
The person also said that Iran’s nuclear facilities were “systematically destroyed” during last year’s U.S. airstrikes, but the US still hopes to ensure that Iran will not rebuild them in the future.
