Trump mulling investment in Iran's nuclear program
The administration of US President Donald Trump is considering a $30 billion plan to help Iran develop a civilian nuclear program as an incentive to return to full-fledged talks over a nuclear deal, CNN reported on Thursday, citing sources.
Washington and its Middle East partners have been holding secret negotiations with Tehran, even as Iran and Israel exchanged strikes earlier this month, four sources familiar with the matter told the network.
The US reportedly has not dropped its key demand that Iran agree to zero enrichment of uranium, which has been a red line for Tehran. To sweeten the deal, however, Washington is said to have floated several incentives.
These include an estimated $20-30 billion investment project in Iran's nuclear program for civilian energy purposes – though the money would not come directly from the US, but rather from its Arab partners, the report claims.
Other incentives reportedly under consideration include easing some sanctions and allowing Iran access to approximately $6 billion in frozen funds currently held in foreign bank accounts, CNN reported. One idea also being floated is to have Gulf-backed funding replace Iran's Fordow nuclear site – which was struck by US forces last weekend – with a new civilian-only facility, according to the report.
It is unclear how Iran responded to the reported proposal. 'I think it is entirely uncertain what will happen here,' one source familiar with the matter told CNN, with another adding that negotiators taking part in the process 'are trying to be creative.'
According to CNN, some US officials hope that the recent stand-off with Israel and US strikes on Iranian facilities will make Iran more likely to agree to Washington's terms. Others, however, fear that the flare-up will only spur Tehran to develop a nuclear weapon. Tehran maintains it does not seek nuclear weapons and insists the country's nuclear efforts are solely for peaceful energy purposes.
Earlier this month, Israel launched a wave of attacks on Iranian nuclear and military facilities seeking to derail Iran's nuclear program. The US later joined the attack, using heavy bombers to target Iran's nuclear sites, including the well-protected Fordow nuclear facility.
Trump has claimed that Iran's nuclear sites have been 'completely obliterated,' although US media reports disputed this assessment, claiming that the strikes only inflicted limited damage.
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