Jake Sullivan Warns U.S. Is On The Hook For $300B In Trump Iran Deal

A leaked memorandum described a Trump peace deal with Iran that, as written, gives Iran $300 billion, unfreezes Iran’s frozen and restricted funds, and raises sanctions the U.S. has brought against Iran, while a Biden adviser warned the U.S. is "on the hook" for the amount.

“Any attempt to challenge Iran's control of the Strait of Hormuz will raise tensions in the Middle East”

BBC

MoneyWise reported that Trump said there is "no 300 Billion Dollar payment to Iran by the U.S. That’s Fake News!" even as Jake Sullivan told CNN that if other countries or private investment do not step up, "the United States is on the hook" for keeping the deal going.

BBC

MoneyWise said the plan gives the U.S. a short timeline, requiring investors to contribute to the fund within 60 days so taxpayer money is not used, and it quoted that "During these 60 days the fund administrators will work with Iranians and investors to plan and scope projects."

The same MoneyWise account said Sullivan argued that 60 days is not enough, noting that "It took us almost two years" to get a full Iran nuclear deal under the JCPOA.

The stakes in the immediate context are therefore tied to whether commitments arrive fast enough, because MoneyWise quoted Trump saying, "If it doesn’t get done in 60 days, it’s all right."

Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi warned on Sunday that any attempt to challenge Iran’s control of the Strait of Hormuz will raise tensions in the Middle East, saying at a press conference in Baghdad with Fuad Hussein that adopting new or separate arrangements would only "complicate the situation, delay reopening the Strait of Hormuz, and increase tensions."

In Baghdad, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said it is important to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and lift the American naval blockade on Iran, while also adding that Iraq does not support expanding the war to Gulf states or supporting attacks on Iran.

CNN

The BBC also reported that Trump warned on Saturday that Iran would disappear if the war resumes, writing on Truth Social that "If that happens, the Islamic Republic of Iran will disappear from existence."

The BBC tied the warning to U.S. airstrikes on multiple sites in Iran on Saturday, saying the strikes targeted Iran’s military surveillance infrastructure, communications systems, air defense sites, drone storage facilities, and capabilities to lay naval mines.

It further stated that the U.S. had carried out its first strikes on Iran on Friday since the signing of a memorandum of understanding on June 17, which provides for a ceasefire and paves the way for negotiations toward lasting peace.

Reuters interviews with 18 Americans who voted for Trump in 2024, as cited by العربي الجديد, found that most of them harbor doubts about the temporary agreement to end the war with Iran, including Terry Alberta, 65, who said, "We need to seriously weaken the Iranian regime, rather than this approach based on delivering a limited strike, then retreating and letting them rebuild."

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MoneyWise

The same Reuters/Ipsos poll cited by العربي الجديد found that overall, only about a quarter of Americans think the war with Iran was worth its cost, while most are concerned that the truce with Tehran may not be sustainable.

The article also described how many Trump voters fear that concessions offered to Iran, which it says do not have public support, could undermine Republicans’ chances of keeping control of Congress in the November midterms.

It reported that after about four months, 14 of the poll participants criticized some aspects of the memorandum of understanding announced on June 14, with Juan Rivera, 26, saying, "Trump criticized his predecessors for negotiating with terrorists, but essentially did the same thing."

In response to a request for comment, the White House spokesperson told Reuters that Trump’s "achievements on the battlefield and at the negotiating table are exceptional by every measure, and will bolster U.S. security for years to come."