The Trump administration has discussed possibly helping Iran access as much as $30 billion to build a civilian-energy-producing nuclear program, easing sanctions, and freeing up billions of dollars in restricted Iranian funds – all part of an intensifying attempt to bring Tehran back to the negotiating table, four sources familiar with the matter said.

~CNN/June 26, 2025

I can hardly wait for the MAGA-verse’s reaction to this news. For example,  MAGA cultist Charlie Kirk, founder of the conservative student organization Turning Point USA, posted the following on Twitter when Barack Obama freed up “billions of dollars in restricted Iranian funds” AFTER Iran SIGNED the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2015.

Iran funds Hamas. Hamas kills Americans and Jews. Now we give Iran $150 billion. Where do you think that money will go? #IranDeal

Of course, Kirk’s tweet did not include several valuable pieces of information.  According to a Newsweek fact check:

This was not funding given to Iran. The amount quoted refers to foreign assets that belonged to Iran and were frozen by sanctions imposed to impede its nuclear program.  

Furthermore, the funds were deposited in a South Korean bank, and their eventual release to Iran was conditioned on Iranian compliance with the JCPOA, including on-site inspections.  And only American, EU and UN sanctions directly related to Iran’s efforts to acquire nuclear weapons were eased.  Sanctions related to Iranian terrorist activities were not included in the deal.

In return, the JCPOA required Iran to:

• constrain fuel cycle activities that could lead to the production of weapons-grade uranium or plutonium,
• restrain the number and type of centrifuges in operation, the level of uranium enrichment, and the size of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile,
• repurpose facilities at Fordow, Natanz and Arak for civilian uses such as medical and industrial research, and
• accept more intrusive IAEA monitoring measures of its fuel-cycle related activities.

Now, it appears, President “Art of the Deal” may not only match the JCPOA incentives, but toss in $30 billion of U.S. taxpayer money for good measure.  (I cannot wait for the congressional DOGE caucus’ reaction to that addition to the deficit and national debt.)  More importantly, this swag bag is being held up simply to bring the Iranians back to the negotiating table.

For argument’s sake, let’s assume Iran takes this deal.  Does anyone expect any eventual agreement, purported to ensure Iran never obtains a nuclear weapon, will include anything substantially different from the original JCPOA?  Or will it be the sequel to the NAFTA/USMCA much ado about nothing?  Trump will likely give JCPOA a new name and claim that “he only” made it possible.

The only rational public response to Trump’s sequel to “Back to the Future” is his own reaction to both Israel and Iran violating his non-existent cease-fire, “What the f*** are they doing!”

For what it’s worth.
Dr. ESP