AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): U.S. President Donald Trump is only seeking an agreement that benefits him and is not going to pay Iran's legitimate rights in exchange for the concessions he has demanded from Iran.
According to a CNN report citing informed sources, Trump has emphasized to his advisors that he will not sign any agreement in which the United States directly pays money to Iran.
These sources have stated that Trump's justification for such a position is that he is extremely sensitive to potential comparisons with the Obama administration's deal.
Trump has repeatedly criticized the Barack Obama administration for what he describes as releasing about $1.7 billion of Iran's assets. According to the CNN report, some sources now claim that Iran has requested that $12 billion of its frozen assets be released in the initial agreement.
A U.S. official familiar with the negotiations told CNN that one of the main remaining sticking points in the talks between the United States and Iran is the issue of Iran's assets, as Donald Trump is eager to reach an agreement with Iran that appears stronger than the previous deal concluded during the Barack Obama administration.
CNN reported, citing these unnamed sources, that Iran has informed mediators that it wants a form of its assets to be released as soon as the parties agree on an initial memorandum of understanding, not deferred to a future date.
However, these informed officials have said that the Trump administration is concerned that any release of assets at such an early stage would reduce the economic pressure the United States has exerted on Iran during the war, thereby eliminating or at least weakening Washington's so-called leverage over Tehran.
According to the report, Trump has explicitly told his team that he wants any agreement to appear far stronger than the 2015 deal, and using this as a pretext, he wants to evade releasing Iran's frozen assets. However, Iran has emphasized that its frozen assets must be released in any agreement.
CNN reported that since the financial issue has become a problem, some informed sources have said that discussions are currently underway about creating an investment fund for Iran that would provide billions of dollars for reconstruction after the parties reach a final agreement
However, according to the report, the United States will not contribute to this investment fund; the bulk of the money will be provided by the Persian Gulf countries.
The White House insists that Iran will receive no financial relief until it gives up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, using the phrase "no dollar until the nuclear dust is cleared" to articulate this red line.
Trump, who has taken Iran's assets hostage, set conditions for releasing Iran's rights at last week's cabinet meeting, saying: "We have control over the money they claim is theirs. We will maintain control of that money. When they behave properly and do the right thing, we will let them have their money. But at the moment, we are not doing that."
On the other hand, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also stated that sanctions will not be lifted immediately.
He said at a congressional hearing on Wednesday: "There is no prize at the table here. Ultimately, everything will be contingent upon the fulfillment of conditions."
He added: "Sanctions directly related to the nuclear program will be subject to discussion upon full implementation of what we demand from them, but this will be part of the negotiation, not a down payment at the outset."
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