U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday rejected media reports that his administration had considered offering Iran up to $30 billion in support to develop a civilian nuclear energy program.
CNN and NBC News had reported that the U.S. government had recently explored offering economic incentives to Iran in exchange for halting uranium enrichment. Both networks cited unnamed officials and sources familiar with the matter, noting that discussions were preliminary.
Trump responded on his Truth Social platform, writing: “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,” calling the reports a “HOAX.”
Since April, Iran and the U.S. have been engaged in indirect diplomatic efforts aimed at reviving nuclear negotiations. While Tehran maintains that its nuclear program is solely for peaceful purposes, the U.S. has stressed the need to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
The denial comes shortly after Trump announced a ceasefire earlier in the week between U.S. ally Israel and Iran, ending a brief conflict that began on June 13 when Israel launched strikes against Iran. The conflict escalated over several days, including a U.S. strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities and an Iranian retaliatory attack on a U.S. base in Qatar, before the ceasefire was declared.
Israel, which is widely believed to possess nuclear weapons, has long opposed Iranian nuclear development. Iran, a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), continues to be monitored by the U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which has stated it has found “no credible indication” of an active, coordinated weapons program in Iran.
