President Donald Trump rejected a Financial Times report that the Trump administration was supporting a plan to invest $300 billion in Iran’s reconstruction, insisting the claim was “fake news” while reiterating that Tehran had agreed not to obtain a nuclear weapon.
A proposed reconstruction fund worth $300 billion could be established if Iran accepts the terms outlined in a memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the conflict and reaching a nuclear agreement, The Financial Times reported.
The fund would be financed primarily by private investors and international partners rather than directly by the US government, but would be backed by the Trump administration.
President Trump responded on social media by dismissing the report as “fake news” and blaming what he called “Dumocrats,” a term apparently directed at Democrats.
“Iran has agreed to never have a Nuclear Weapon! Also, the story that the U.S. is paying Iran 300 million Dollars is Fake News, put out by the Dumocrats!!!” he wrote.
His post referred to “300 million Dollars,” while the Financial Times article cited a figure of $300 billion. The report also did not state that the funding would come directly from the US government, instead describing a structure backed by private investors and international partners.
The exchange came shortly after Trump announced that the United States and Iran had reached an agreement to end the conflict.
Following that announcement, Trump traveled to the G-7 summit in Évian-les-Bains, France, where he expressed confidence in the agreement and said additional negotiations would follow.
“We have our deal done with Iran, and it should be successful, it goes to a second stage, which I think would be actually easier,” Trump told reporters at a G7 summit.
He described the agreement as “a wall to a nuclear weapon” for Iran.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shebaz Sharif said the proposal is expected to move to a formal signing ceremony on Friday in Geneva.
