The fund, contingent on Iran’s adherence to a final US ceasefire deal, would be created to attract investment in Iran’s abundant energy resources. Follow us on GoogleUS President Donald Trump speaks next to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during a cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room at the White House, in Washington, DC, US, May 27, 2026. (photo credit: Evan Vucci/REUTERS)ByARIELLA ROITMANJUNE 16, 2026 03:39The Trump administration is considering establishing a $300 billion investment fund for Iran if Tehran adheres to a ceasefire agreement that includes a nuclear deal, according to a Monday Financial Times report. The financial incentives would be tied to Iran’s adherence to the memorandum of understanding (MoU) to be signed by Washington and Tehran in Switzerland on Friday, the report said.Fund tied to nuclear agreementThe establishment fund would be contingent on a final settlement that includes a 60-day extension of the ceasefire, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and further nuclear negotiations, said the FT, citing a person briefed on the talks.The fund would be created to attract investment in Iran’s abundant energy resources. “There is interest from a lot of businesses in Europe, a lot in Asia, South Korea, Japan, etc., and American companies and businesses as well,” the person said. “If the sanctions are lifted, this fund would be a significant amount, and it will be huge.”US Vice President JD Vance told CBS News that the fund would be “the sort of thing [Iran] could have access to . . . so long as they honor their end of the obligation.”An oil tanker docked at the Port of Fujairah, as the US-Israel conflict with Iran limits marine traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, May 6, 2026. (credit: Amr Alfiky/Reuters)Trump was highly critical of former US President Barack Obama’s signing of a 2015 nuclear accord that provided Tehran with sanctions relief, accusing his administration of sending “pallets of cash,” according to the FT. Critics of the MoU said the funds under discussion would amount to “far more” than those under Obama’s administration, it added.Trump allies push backAlex Bruesewitz, a political consultant and one of Trump’s advisors, clarified that the fund is not an “unconditional handout” but rather a “conditional incentive or, in simpler terms, a 'carrot’” in a post on X/Twitter on Tuesday.“The aim [of the fund] would be to create deep economic ties and mutual interdependence that make future conflict far more costly for all sides and demonstrate that choosing peace delivers greater long-term benefits than continuing to back terrorism,” he said.“The story that the US is paying Iran 300 million dollars is fake news,” said Trump in a Truth Social post on Tuesday, claiming that the “fake news” was created by the democrats. A US senior official told reporters on Monday that “zero” dollars have flowed to Iran, according to the FT report.Any sanctions relief would be phased and dependent on nuclear talks and the final settlement, it added.Trump administration officials have previously said that the US would offer “small gestures” of financial relief in order to build trust throughout negotiations.Follow us on Google