Trump is claiming he won the war in Iran, which I stress is not over as yet; it is just on hold.
But then the FT reported this today:
The Trump administration is prepared to allow the establishment of a $300bn investment fund for Iran if Tehran agrees to a final settlement to end the war that includes a nuclear deal.
A senior US official said Washington had discussed the possibility of sanctions relief and “a big $300bn fund to rebuild their country”. The incentives would be connected to Iran's “performance” adhering to the memorandum of understanding that is to be formally signed in Switzerland on Friday.
They added:
A person briefed on the talks said the establishment of the fund would be contingent on a final settlement that is part of the MoU and would follow an extension of the ceasefire by 60 days, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and further negotiations on a nuclear deal.
Let me put this in context. $300bn is as close as makes no difference, one third of US annual defence spending. This is a massive sum to spend to ensure that Iran does what it was already doing before 28 February this year, by keeping the Strait of Hormuz open and taking part in nuclear monitoring.
Victors do not pay reparations of this sort.
Victors do not pay losers to do what they were already doing.
I continue to doubt that this war is over: Israel will ensure that it is not. But what we do know is that Trump and Netanyahu have, between them, convincingly proved the folly of both war and imperial ambitions in the world as it is now.
This saga has not ended yet, and I suspect that no one at the G7 believes that, excepting Trump, but what they will know is that Trump is going to pay an enormous cost for the defeat that is now rolling his way.
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And who, may we ask, is going to determine whether Iran has “performed” or not?
“The Trump administration is prepared to allow the establishment of a $300bn investment fund for Iran if Tehran agrees to a final settlement to end the war”
No matter what the terms of settlement are, Trump will never get a $300bn investment fund for Iran through Congress. It will NEVER happen in any form if the Democrats take control of the House and/or Senate after the November 2026 Midterm Elections.
Trump is dreaming, stalling for time and trying to divert attention from the Epstein mess which is still a very hot topic with John Q. Public in the USA.
I think you are right
For Israel to keep chipping away at other’s territory whilst this ‘deal’ takes place would be the biggest absurdity I can contemplate. Does Trump honestly think that this deal can tolerate that? So, he’s paying Iran money which he thinks is going to rebuild the country (but not be used to increase the efficacy of its defence/assault systems?). And that Iran is going to stand by and let Israel enlarge? Oh dear…………….
Israel thinks it can do anything
Maybe, just maybe, that might change
Agreed – I did not want to say it because it is what is really needed isn’t it?
It’s going to take a big shot across Israels bows to change their behaviour. Withdrawing from Lebanon and Gaza and stopping all Israeli terrorism and settlements in the West Bank would be a bare minimum.
I could only see a total cut of US weapons supplies along with serious sanctions from European countries having any effect.
“Israel will ensure that it is not.”
In my Arrogant Yank opinion, BeBe is more responsible for this war than Orange Dump.
I believe and will continue to believe that Orange Dump would not have started this war if BeBe had not been “egging” him on and promising him full control development deals for turning Gaza into a luxury Monégasque type resort.
I agree with you
To open the straight of Hormuz that was open before the war and fight a war a war to close it and then reopen it …..and claim a good deal ….that sums up America and its trusted allies…..I think everyone who is aligned with the US on this war (including those who were silent) should pay for the mess ….rules based order was never more explicit that this war. Now let us in the west go and impose more sanctions on the Russians / Chinese ….
What about the damage caused by the war to the economies across the world – who pays for it ?
Please follow the comment rules if you want comment again
I am sure you have a name
@Taxpayer,
“I think everyone who is aligned with the US on this war (including those who were silent) should pay for the mess”
The mess you are referring to comes down to two people: Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald J. Trump.
The people of the USA DID NOT want this war and they DO NOT support this war.
I am not knowledgeable enough to determine what the people of Israel want and support.
However, in case you missed my point, the people of the USA want and wanted nothing to do this war. Most Yanks are more interested in what is going on in Ukraine. Correctly or incorrectly, rightly or wrongly and for good or bad, Yanks see Putin as a bigger threat that some Ayatollah whose name they cannot spell let alone pronounce. Like Trump, many Yanks could not find Iran on an unlabeled map.
I had a conversation along these lines with a US attprney I met in a coffee shop this morning….
I’m not a gambling man, but if I was I would have money on Trump finding a number of things in the agreement he does not like as soon as he has returned from the G7 summit.
If Trump cannot find a number of things in the agreement he does not like as soon as he has returned from the G7 summit, you can bet your last pound that the US Congress will.
Presidents can make treaties but all treaties must be ratified by both houses of Congress to go into effect.
I think you are right
Sure, but this isn’t a Treaty. It is just a Memorandum and has little real status. There might be a Treaty maybe next year, but I suspect the negotiations will just fizzle out. Iran has what it needs with their reserves returned, sanctions lifted and SWIFT access restored.
@Tim Rideout,
You are correct but the expenditure of additional monies earmarked for a certain use must be authorized and formally approved by Congress. Congress is very unlikely to authorize and formally approved.
If he Trump is going to get his $300 billion for Iran, he must take it from already budgeted monies which he may or may not be able to do depending on how these funds were allocated.
One thing he will NOT be able to do is to come up with $300 billion for the purpose of writing checks to Iran.
Trump playing Netanyahu’s favourite poodle again. The existing standoff was as good as it was ever going to get with Iran… yet narcissists will be narcissists – hence empires.