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Money, access, and disputes
President Donald Trump’s nascent agreement with Iran is being framed around money flowing to Tehran, with Vice President JD Vance telling CBS News that Iran could be given “access” to a reconstruction fund worth as much as $300 billion.
“Obama says 'doubtful' that any Iran deal will be different than past Obama weighed in on the Trump administration's handling of Iran”
CNN reports that after the interview the administration strained to clarify that the money “would invite other countries — not us, but other countries — to invest in” Iran, and that the US would not let the United Arab Emirates invest in Iran unless Iranians change their behavior.
The same CNN account contrasts the $300 billion figure with the 2015 nuclear deal, when estimates generally placed the dollar figure around $50 billion and Iran’s own assets were unfrozen rather than new US taxpayer money.
CNN also recounts Trump’s past claims that the 2015 deal gave Iran $150 billion, including his September 2015 USA Today op-ed warning that “Iran receives a windfall of $150 billion, which will no doubt fund terrorism around the world.”
Ceasefire, Hormuz, and nuclear promises
As the US and Iran move toward a ceremony in Geneva to mark an end to the four-month war, Trump said the Strait of Hormuz will fully reopen to shipping traffic by Friday, while senior U.S. and Iranian officials plan to meet in Geneva.
NBC News’ coverage describes a sequence of developments around the deal, including that Vance says nuclear inspectors will return to Iran under terms to end war and that the US and Iran reach framework terms to end war and reopen Hormuz.
The Hill reports that the agreement between the U.S. and Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and kick-start 60 days of nuclear negotiations is set to be signed in person Friday, with senior U.S. officials saying the memorandum of understanding signed digitally over the weekend is only the first step.
In a separate critique, Politico says the accord rests on commitments Iran hasn’t actually made yet and notes that “Iran has not destroyed its enriched nuclear material, dismantled any nuclear sites, or accepted an inspection regime.”
What’s at stake next
The Hill says the MOU is only the first step and that “real technical discussions” will begin later this week led by Vice President Vance, with details of the agreement expected to be released publicly within the next couple of days.
“Washington, DC – A newly struck deal to end the US-Israel war on Iran is being hailed as a strategic victory by US President Donald Trump and his allies, though the specific terms of the agreement remain unknown”
Al Jazeera reports that supporters hailed the announcement as a strategic victory while Democrats sought clarity, and it quotes Lindsey Graham warning on X: “I am somewhat concerned that Iran’s view of the agreement seems different than what the American negotiating team is claiming.”
Politico adds that the White House hasn’t made the text of the agreement public and that supporters and opponents are asking why details remain under wraps, with Elliott Abrams asking, “Why not release the text right now? Why delay?”
CNN’s account of the political stakes ties back to Trump’s earlier rhetoric about money and terrorism, including his claim in a September 2019 White House event that “They paid all of that money in cash,” as the administration now tries to distinguish reconstruction-fund access from US taxpayer payments.
