The Donald Trump administration is reportedly reviewing a plan to create a $300 billion (about 450 trillion won) reconstruction fund led by private companies if Iran agrees to a final cease-fire deal that includes nuclear talks.
The Financial Times (FT) reported on the 15th, citing a senior U.S. official, that easing sanctions on Iran and creating a $300 billion reconstruction fund were discussed together during cease-fire talks.
The fund is said to be created if the two sides reach a final agreement set out in a memorandum of understanding (MOU). Under the MOU, the United States and Iran first agreed to open the Strait of Hormuz, then continue negotiations toward a final agreement that includes Iran's nuclear program and easing sanctions on Iran.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance also suggested ongoing discussions in a CBS interview regarding the reconstruction fund, saying, "If Iran fulfills its obligations, it will be able to access it." Mehdi Mohammadi, a strategic adviser to the chief adviser of Iran's negotiating team, likewise told Iran's Mehr News Agency the previous day that the fund has the character of war reparations.
The reconstruction fund will reportedly be raised not by governments but by private companies seeking to invest in Iran's energy industry. However, the specific operating structure and the method of disbursing funds have not yet been disclosed.
A source familiar with the negotiations told the FT, "Europe and Asia, as well as corporations in Korea, Japan, and the United States, are showing interest," adding, "If sanctions are lifted, the size of the fund could grow considerably."
Throughout the negotiations, the question of the United States providing funds to Iran in return for a cease-fire has been contentious. That is because President Trump has criticized the Iran nuclear deal from the Barack Obama administration era, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), claiming that cash payments to Iran were made at the time.
Citing sources, the FT reported that, under the MOU, all sanction-easing measures, including the unfreezing of Iranian asset held overseas, will proceed in stages and be tied to progress in nuclear talks and whether a final agreement is reached.
A senior official told the FT, "Sanctions relief is not linked to any single action," adding, "It depends on whether Iran is behaving appropriately overall, and what we consider most important is the nuclear program."