Trump Officials Say New Iran Deal Will Be Looser Than 2015 Nuclear Accord

A senior Trump administration official told The Wall Street Journal that the emerging agreement with Iran is expected to be less restrictive than the 2015 nuclear deal negotiated under Barack Obama. The admission comes as Donald Trump publicly sells the deal as “great” and says it will bring “security and peace” to the world, even though he withdrew from the earlier accord in 2018 and has spent days attacking it as a disastrous agreement that gave Iran a route to a bomb and money along the way.

The report said Trump’s announcement of a “big deal” that would bring “peace and security to the entire region” surprised even some of his senior aides, who believed talks were still ongoing. When Qatari mediators returned from Tehran on Wednesday with a revised draft, administration officials reportedly concluded that, despite its flaws, it was the best outcome available under the circumstances. The paper also said Trump’s assertion that a deal had been completed surprised staff who thought the terms were not yet final.

According to American officials, the draft includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz, lifting the US blockade on Iranian ports and shipping, and extending a ceasefire by 60 days while Washington and Tehran continue nuclear talks. Iran has pledged not to acquire nuclear weapons during that period. The same officials said Tehran understands Washington does not want another war, which raises the possibility that Iran could again close the Strait of Hormuz in the future as diplomatic leverage.

The article said the full text of the understanding has not been published, and a complete, detailed agreement is not expected for at least another 60 days of negotiations. It also reported friction inside Trump’s camp, with senior officials frustrated by hawkish critics, including Trump allies, who attacked the reported terms before the full details were public.

Economically, the Financial Times reported that the administration is prepared to allow the creation of a $300 billion investment fund for Iran if Tehran agrees to a final settlement ending the war and including a nuclear deal. The fund would be raised from private companies rather than governments, according to a source cited by the paper. Trump called that report “fake news” on Truth Social, while Vice President J.D. Vance did not deny that roughly $300 billion is being discussed and told CBS that “not a single cent” would come from the United States.