Trump’s Team Wants Him to Accept an Iran Deal He’s Already Rejected
WIRED • • nation
Key Points:
- President Trump’s negotiators are attempting to persuade him to accept a previously rejected “cash for uranium” deal with Iran, involving the release of around $20 billion in frozen funds in exchange for Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium.
- The deal, which includes a moratorium on uranium enrichment for 12 to 15 years and phased sanctions relief, was initially approved by Trump but later abandoned due to concerns about the optics of sending large sums of cash to Iran.
- Current negotiations revolve around a memorandum of understanding that closely resembles the earlier proposal, but Trump remains opposed to sending money to Iran despite limited alternatives to incentivize the country.
- Key figures like Marco Rubio have been notably absent from the Iran negotiations, with attention shifting to other foreign policy issues such as Cuba and Venezuela, while Vice President JD Vance’s involvement reportedly came at Trump’s direction.
- The deal is seen by some advisers as an improvement over the Obama-era Iran nuclear deal, but uncertainty remains about whether Trump will ultimately endorse the framework amid political and public skepticism.
