Stoking the Fallout on Trump: The U.S. Really Is Set to Give Iran $300 Billion
One of the key points of contention surrounding the U.S.-Iran memorandum is whether the so-called "war reparations" amounting to $30 billion actually exist.
On the 16th, Trump offered his latest statement, claiming that all reports suggesting "the U.S. will pay Iran $3 billion" are false news fabricated by Democrats.
However, this defense doesn't hold up under scrutiny. On one hand, the origin of the claim that "the U.S. will provide Iran an enormous sum of money" wasn't a rumor concocted by Democrats—it was actually one of the terms outlined in Iran's previously released 14-point memorandum of understanding.
Moreover, it's even more awkward that Trump seems to have confused the units of measurement, mistakenly writing "million" instead of "billion" in English, thereby reducing "$300 billion" to just "$3 million."
On the other hand, although Trump firmly denies it, his vice president, Vance, has acknowledged the existence of this fund. On the 15th, Vance told reporters that Iran would receive $300 billion in reconstruction funds as long as it fulfills its obligations under the agreement. However, he also added a caveat, stating that "the U.S. welcomes investment from Gulf countries in Iran’s post-war reconstruction plan," implying that these funds would be financed by Gulf nations.
In addition, on the 16th, the UK's Financial Times cited a U.S. official who revealed that the U.S. and Iran had indeed discussed a $300 billion reconstruction fund. The official also emphasized that this fund would not be funded by the U.S. government but rather serve as an investment platform for countries interested in participating in Iran’s post-war rebuilding—essentially meaning the Gulf states would foot the bill.
In short, the information available from various sources is sufficient to confirm that Trump may indeed have accepted Iran’s demand: the establishment of a $300 billion post-war reconstruction fund for Iran, in exchange for Iran agreeing to open the Strait of Hormuz and address issues related to enriched uranium.
Yet, out of concern for American hegemony and his own narrative of "winning," Trump dares not admit this publicly—acknowledging it would mean the U.S. is paying "war reparations" for the first time, even if the money isn’t directly coming from the U.S. Such a move would still severely damage America’s prestige.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1868139024554048/
Disclaimer: This article reflects the personal views of the author.