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President Donald Trump has pushed back on reports claiming his administration proposed a $30 billion deal to help Iran develop a civilian nuclear program following the US strikes.
Getting into it: Last week, reports began to surface from CNN and NBC News indicating that the Trump administration was weighing a potential $30 billion economic proposal aimed at persuading Iran to halt its uranium enrichment program. The plan, according to unnamed officials, involved the release of billions in frozen Iranian assets and regional financial assistance (primarily from Gulf Arab nations) to support the development of a civilian nuclear energy program in Iran. The US would not directly fund the deal but would serve as the lead negotiator in coordinating the effort.
What’s going on now: In a notable development, President Trump denied the existence of any $30 billion deal with Iran, taking to Truth Social late Friday to dismiss the reports as entirely fabricated. “Who in the Fake News Media is the SleazeBag saying that ‘President Trump wants to give Iran $30 Billion to build non-military Nuclear facilities.’ Never heard of this ridiculous idea,” he wrote. “It’s just another HOAX put out by the Fake News in order to demean. These people are SICK!!!”
Despite rejecting the reported deal, Trump acknowledged in a separate Truth Social post that he had recently been considering sanctions relief as a potential diplomatic opening with Tehran. “During the last few days, I was working on the possible removal of sanctions, and other things, which would have given a much better chance to Iran at a full, fast, and complete recovery — The sanctions are BITING!” he wrote. However, he said those considerations were dropped after Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, issued a public statement declaring victory over Israel and expressing hate toward the United States. Trump characterized the ayatollah’s remarks as ungrateful and hostile, stating they effectively ended any goodwill efforts from the US side.
Trump also noted that he had exercised restraint in not authorizing a targeted strike on Khamenei himself. He said, “I SAVED HIM FROM A VERY UGLY AND IGNOMINIOUS DEATH, and he does not have to say, ‘THANK YOU, PRESIDENT TRUMP!”
