Iran: US proposes $30 bn for ‘peaceful’ n-use—the Arabs to foot the bill!
Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: Days after bombing its three key nuclear facilities, the US is considering helping Iran access USD 30 billion to build a civilian-energy-producing nuclear programme, in what is a surprising twist in the diplomatic ties between the two nations, CNN reported on Friday.
The US struck three Iranian nuclear sites last weekend after joining ally Israel’s conflict with the West Asian nation before a ceasefire deal was brokered.
Now, the US, which insists that Iran’s enrichment programme is unacceptable, has proposed non-enrichment nuclear programme for civilian energy purposes in that country.
For this, however, the US is likely to rely on its Arab partners to fund the programme!
Accordingly, the Trump administration is considering helping Iran access USD 30 billion to build a civilian-energy-producing nuclear programme, thereby easing sanctions and releasing billions of dollars in restricted Iranian funds.
Their reported discussions mark a massive twist in the diplomatic landscape between the two nations, in what appears to be an attempt by America to bring Tehran on the table for peace talks.
CNN said some details emerged in this context in a secret, hours-long meeting between US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Gulf partners at the White House last Friday, the day after America’s military strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites – Isfahan, Fordow and Natanz.
Prominent people from both the US and the Middle East have reportedly talked with the Iranians behind closed doors, and the discussions have continued this week after a ceasefire proposal between Israel and Iran.
For the US, one element has remained non-negotiable – Iran won’t enrich uranium. A preliminary draft proposal, according to the CNN report, is an estimated USD 20-30 billion investment for a non-enrichment nuclear programme that would be used for civilian energy purposes. Washington’s non-negotiable deal is in contradiction to Tehran’s consistant stance that it needs enrichment for energy requirements.
America would not directly pay for the programme as it prefers its Arab partners to foot the bill. Investment in Iran’s nuclear energy facilities was also discussed in previous rounds of nuclear talks in recent months.
Other incentives floated to the Iranians by the US include potentially removing some sanctions on Tehran, and allowing the West Asian nation to access the USD 6 billion currently in foreign bank accounts that it is restricted from freely using.
Over the past few days, reports have emerged saying that Iran may have moved a whooping 400 kg of uranium stockpile, enough to build 10 nuclear bombs, to a secret location before the US conducted the strikes. which Trump repeatedly commended as “spectacular” and “bullseye.” But it may have only delayed Iran’s nuclear programme instead of hindering it completely, as opposed to the US President’s claim.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, however, dismissed the stockpile claim on Thursday, saying he was unaware of any such intelligence.
America joined its decades-long ally Israel in the latter’s conflict with Iran by dropping more than a dozen 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs on three Iranian nuclear sites.
