In the latest round of "Let's Make a Nukes Deal," Iran is reportedly offering to sweeten the deal by proposing to the United States a "commercial bonanza" of Iranian natural gas, oil, and minerals. While laying this proposal out on the table, Iranian negotiators still don't seem to be budging on the nuclear development issue.
Here's what they are supposedly offering:
Iran is dangling what one person familiar with the negotiations described as a “commercial bonanza” to entice President Donald Trump into a nuclear deal, pitching massive investment opportunities in oil, gas, mining, and critical minerals as indirect talks resume Thursday in Geneva, the Financial Times reports.
Two unnamed sources familiar with the negotiations said Tehran is floating the prospect of U.S. participation in its vast energy sector, aiming squarely at Trump’s appetite for high-return deals.
The lure of major investment deals was “specifically directed at Trump, a major economic bonanza in oil and gas and mining rights, critical minerals and all of that,” said one of the sources familiar with the matter.
The outreach includes potential access to oil and gas projects, joint fields with neighboring countries, mining investments and even civilian aircraft purchases.
At least one American source is saying, "Oh, please."
But a senior U.S. official flatly denied that any commercial proposal had been made.
“This was never discussed. President Trump has been clear that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon or the capacity to build one,” the official said.
That last part has, of course, been the Trump administration's stance all along. But to that end, it would be advisable to insist on no nuclear development at all. If the Iranians are allowed to enrich uranium for commercial purposes, sooner or later, they will enrich enough for a bomb. When they negotiate, they are not negotiating in good faith. Any agreement the current regime makes on nuclear power won't be worth a cup of warm spit.
Read More: Watch: Vice President JD Vance Speaks on Diplomacy, Ukraine, and Iranian Nukes
This appears to be the part Iran doesn't want to budge on.
At the core of the standoff is uranium enrichment.
The U.S. has insisted Iran must permanently end its capacity to enrich uranium — a step Washington argues is necessary to prevent Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon.
Iran rejects that demand, saying enrichment is its right under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and insisting its program is for civilian purposes. Before U.S. and Israeli strikes last year, Iran had been enriching uranium close to weapons-grade levels.
They're not being honest. Their program isn't only for civilian purposes. Fortunately, the Trump administration's negotiators seem to understand that. Iran cannot be allowed to have any nuclear capacity - none. They are not to be trusted.
What's interesting about this, though, is the possibilities it brings to mind should the Iranian theocracy be overthrown and a newer, more modern (or at least, less bat-guano crazy) Iranian/Persian government take over. There is one thing that the Iranian negotiators are saying that is truthful: Iran has a lot of resources, oil, gas, and minerals. And there is no one better at developing Middle Eastern resources like this than American oil companies. Just ask the Saudis.
While the representatives of the mullahs are running out the clock, this is something that should be encouraging for the Iranian people: The possibility of a new Iran turning the corner and seeing, very quickly, a big, beautiful, prosperous Iran.
Talks between Iranian and U.S. representatives are still ongoing. Stay tuned.
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