Trump Signals Iran Sanctions Relief if Tehran Makes ‘Concrete’ Nuclear Progress
US willing to release frozen Iranian funds under final deal; Washington and Tehran remain divided over timing of commitments
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump is prepared to consider sanctions relief and the release of Iranian frozen funds as part of a potential final agreement with Tehran, but only if Iran demonstrates “concrete progress” on nuclear issues, a US official told CNN on Monday.
The official said Washington was engaged in “positive and constructive discussions through the mediators” as efforts continued to bring the United States and Iran back to the negotiating table. However, the official stressed that no agreement would be reached unless the outstanding nuclear issues were addressed.
The development comes amid renewed diplomatic efforts between the two sides, with Trump saying Sunday that he expected further talks with Iran to take place this week.
According to the US official, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are leading the US side of the discussions.
Iran has reportedly indicated that it is willing to show flexibility on nuclear issues, but Washington and Tehran have yet to agree on the timing and sequencing of their respective commitments.
Trump on Saturday rejected Iran’s latest proposal concerning the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, describing the offer as “unacceptable.”
“They want to make a deal, but it is not the deal that I want to make,” Trump told Axios. “It is what we would have maybe agreed to a year ago. They overplayed their hand.”
US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz said Sunday that Trump rejected Tehran’s proposal because he did not believe Iran was negotiating in good faith.
Waltz argued that Iran was seeking concessions from Washington before making commitments of its own.
“The bottom line is they were asking for everything up front with a promise that they would then talk,” Waltz said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
Speaking later to NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Waltz said it was “common sense” for Trump to remain skeptical of the Iranian proposal, describing Tehran’s latest offer as an attempt to put forward terms that Washington would not accept.
The US official also reiterated Washington’s concerns about Iran’s commitments, pointing to what the official described as Tehran’s violation of a US-Iran memorandum of understanding reached in July.
According to the official, the alleged violation involved Iran firing on commercial vessels, further deepening US concerns over whether Tehran would honor commitments under any future agreement.
Despite the differences, US officials say diplomatic channels remain open through mediators, with the possibility of renewed direct negotiations depending on progress on the nuclear issue and agreement over the sequence of reciprocal commitments.
The latest developments come as international efforts continue to revive negotiations between Washington and Tehran amid broader tensions surrounding Iran’s nuclear programme and the strategic Strait of Hormuz.