Trump Administration Considers $300 Billion Fund to Secure Iran Peace Deal

U.S.-Iran War Key News

(Washington, 15th - CNA via international news agencies) According to the UK's 'Financial Times,' the Trump administration is preparing to allow the establishment of an Iranian investment fund worth up to $300 billion (approximately NT$9.48 trillion) if Tehran accepts a final peace plan that includes a nuclear agreement.

A senior U.S. official revealed that Washington is considering lifting some sanctions and establishing a $300 billion reconstruction fund as an incentive for Iran to fulfill a memorandum of understanding (MoU) expected to be signed in Switzerland on the 19th of this month.

Insiders noted that the fund's establishment is contingent upon conditions including a 60-day extension of the ceasefire, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and the continuation of follow-up nuclear negotiations. The fund's specific structure and management remain unclear.

Sources added that the fund would not come from government contributions but from companies interested in investing in Iran. With a population of around 90 million and abundant energy resources, Iran has drawn interest from European, American, and Asian firms, including those from Japan and South Korea.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance, in an interview with CBS News, stated that the $300 billion reconstruction fund would be "one of the resources Iran could access," provided Iran fulfills its obligations.

The substantial economic incentives proposed by the U.S. have been a contentious point in negotiations and represent a politically sensitive issue for President Trump, who does not wish to be seen as rewarding the Iranian Islamic regime.

Trump previously strongly criticized the 2015 Iran nuclear deal signed by former President Barack Obama and other global powers, which granted Iran broad sanctions relief.

Critics argue that the currently discussed investment fund for Iran could far exceed the benefits offered under the Obama-era nuclear agreement.

However, U.S. officials emphasized today that "no funds have flowed into Iran" since Trump, Vance, and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf remotely signed the relevant documents.

According to the MoU, any sanctions relief measures, including the unfreezing of Iran's overseas assets, will be implemented in phases and depend on progress in nuclear talks and the finalization of an agreement.

Still, senior Trump administration officials indicated that the U.S. might initially offer some "small-scale financial easing measures" to build mutual trust.

U.S. officials also hinted that future access to larger funds will depend on Washington's subjective assessment rather than clear quantitative benchmarks.

As part of the MoU, Tehran and Washington have agreed to a joint mechanism for handling Iran's enriched uranium stockpile. Insiders stated the minimum requirement is that all enriched uranium must be downblended on-site under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Iran currently holds over 9,000 kilograms of enriched uranium, mostly low-enriched, but approximately 440 kilograms have been enriched to near weapons-grade levels. (Translation: Liu Wen-Yu) 1150616