Trump administration considers $30 billion civilian nuclear offer to Iran

The Trump administration is considering a sweeping offer to Iran that includes easing sanctions, unlocking restricted funds, and facilitating up to $30 billion in investments to support a civilian nuclear energy program, according to four sources familiar with the discussions.

Despite the recent surge in military tensions between Iran, Israel, and the US, diplomatic backchannels have remained active. Talks have reportedly continued even after the US and Israel launched strikes against Iranian nuclear sites earlier this month. The administration hopes to use this diplomatic momentum, buoyed by a fragile ceasefire, to push Iran back to the negotiating table.

At the heart of the US proposal is a non-negotiable demand: Iran must end all domestic uranium enrichment. Instead, the US is offering a civilian nuclear energy program built with foreign investment, potentially from US-aligned Gulf states, and fueled with imported enriched uranium — a model similar to that of the United Arab Emirates.

"There are a lot of ideas being thrown around by different people, and a lot of them are trying to be creative," said one source close to the discussions, cited by CNN.

Among the incentives being considered are lifting select sanctions and releasing $6 billion in Iranian funds currently frozen in foreign banks. Another idea floated is the replacement of Iran’s Fordow nuclear facility — damaged by US bunker-buster bombs last weekend — with a new site dedicated exclusively to peaceful nuclear energy production, funded by Gulf allies.

US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff has led the behind-the-scenes diplomacy. On June 20, he convened a secret meeting at the White House with Gulf officials to fine-tune the terms of a potential deal, a day before the US military strike on Iran. Witkoff told CNBC this week that the goal is to reach a “comprehensive peace agreement,” emphasising that “we’re having conversations with the Iranians. There are multiple interlocutors reaching out to us. I think that they’re ready.”

However, public messaging from President Trump has been mixed. Speaking at the NATO summit on Wednesday, he downplayed the urgency of a deal, saying, “I don’t care if I have an agreement or not.” Nonetheless, he hinted that discussions could resume next week, though Iran's Foreign Ministry denied knowledge of any such scheduled meeting.

Secretary of State and National Security Adviser Marco Rubio stressed that the US seeks direct engagement with Tehran. “Obviously, that will depend on Iran’s willingness not just to engage in peace, but to negotiate directly with the United States,” Rubio said in The Hague during a joint press conference with Trump.

Trump further emphasised that the core demand remains unchanged from earlier negotiations: “The only thing we’d be asking for is what we were asking for before … no nuclear.”

The administration’s renewed push for diplomacy follows five previous rounds of indirect talks between the US and Iran. A sixth round, previously planned for Oman, was derailed by Israel’s military operation. Since then, intermediaries — primarily from Qatar, which helped broker the ceasefire — have been relaying messages between the two sides.

Still, Iranian behaviour in the wake of the attacks has been mixed. While Tehran has shown signs of potential openness, the Iranian parliament also passed legislation this week to halt cooperation with the UN’s nuclear watchdog, raising fears that the regime may be shifting further from transparency.

“There is hope,” said a US official involved in the discussions. “But nothing is guaranteed. We are trying to create the right structure and incentives — but ultimately, the decision lies with Iran.”

By Tamilla Hasanova