Washington (TDI): US President Donald Trump has strongly rejected media reports that his administration considered offering Iran $30 billion in support to develop a civilian nuclear energy program.
Reports from US media suggested that American officials had floated various proposals in recent days, including potential economic incentives, if Tehran agreed to stop enriching uranium. The reports, based on anonymous sources, described the discussions as preliminary and exploratory.
But Trump pushed back hard against the idea. Writing on his social media platform Truth Social late Friday, stating, “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. It’s a HOAX!”
The claims emerged amid ongoing indirect negotiations between Washington and Tehran, which have been underway since April. The US maintains that its goal is to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, while Iranian officials continue to assert that their program is peaceful.
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Tensions between the two countries reached new heights earlier this month following the outbreak of direct conflict between Israel and Iran. That war, which began on June 13 when Israel launched strikes against Iranian targets, prompted fears of wider regional instability.
In the days that followed, the US carried out strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, and Tehran retaliated by targeting a US military base in Qatar. The exchange of hostilities came to a halt after Trump brokered a ceasefire earlier this week.
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Israel, long believed to possess the only nuclear arsenal in the Middle East, has consistently opposed Iran’s nuclear ambitions, viewing them as a strategic threat. Israeli officials said the purpose of the recent military campaign was to ensure Iran never acquires nuclear weapons.
Farkhund Yousafzai is an Associate Editor at The Diplomatic Insight.
