Trump administration considers unfreezing $20 billion in Iranian assets as peace talks ramp up

By Alayna Treene, Kevin Liptak, CNN

(CNN) — The Trump administration is considering unfreezing $20 billion in Iranian assets as part of ongoing negotiations with Tehran, according to two sources familiar with the discussions.

Officials are hoping that a broader deal to end the war could be finalized as early as this weekend, though some areas of disagreement remain, sources familiar with the discussions told CNN.

The idea of Iran benefitting financially is likely to cause some consternation among conservative hawks; President Donald Trump has repeatedly excoriated former President Barack Obama over a 2016 arrangement that involved a $400 million cash delivery to Iran the same day the country released four American prisoners and formally implemented a nuclear deal.

Lead Pakistani mediators who have been in close contact with top Trump officials in recent days, including Asim Munir, the country’s field marshal, entered their third day of talks with Iranian officials in Tehran on Friday. The Trump administration is hopeful that if those talks are successful, and the Pakistanis can get the Iranians to a place of significant compromise, then a potential second round of in-person talks between US and Iranian officials to finalize a deal could take place in Islamabad as soon as this weekend.

The 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, announced by Trump on Thursday, has had a positive effect on the negotiations, the sources said. Iran also announced Friday morning that it would fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

The key sticking points that remain in talks center on the length of time Iran would agree to for a suspension of its enrichment of uranium, as well as discussions over retrieving the nuclear materials still in Tehran’s possession, the sources said.

One proposal includes unfreezing assets in exchange for Iran turning over its stockpile of highly enriched uranium. Iran has asked for major sanctions relief and unfreezing of assets north of the $20 billion figure, according to a source familiar. The discussions are still ongoing and haven’t been resolved.

Axios first reported that the unfreezing of $20 billion in Iranian assets is under consideration.

“Productive conversations with Iran continue, but we will not negotiate via the press,” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said in a statement.

In a call with News Nation Friday, Trump said Iran had agreed to “everything,” including that it would stop enriching uranium. In a Truth Social post that morning, Trump said the US will get Iran’s nuclear “dust” and that no money would “exchange hands” as part of any peace deal to end the war.

“No money will exchange hands in any way, shape, or form,” he wrote.

It was one of a slew of posts Trump made to social media Friday morning. He also touted the open strait, promised to continue the US blockade of Iranian ports, said Tehran had agreed to “never close the Strait of Hormuz again” and added that the US and Iran are removing all the mines in the critical waterway. He also said he received a call from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization asking if he needed help with the strait, and that he “TOLD THEM TO STAY AWAY.”

The posts happened as the president received regular updates on the progress of talks in Tehran from Pakistani mediators, a US official told CNN.

Trump on Thursday floated the possibility of traveling to Pakistan himself if a deal were to materialize. Earlier this week, a US official told CNN that Trump had privately expressed interest in traveling abroad to sign a peace agreement.

However, it remains unclear whether negotiations have progressed enough for that to happen. And major questions over the logistics of such a trip, including the high security risks of the US president traveling to the region amid the ongoing war, remain — adding uncertainty over whether such a trip would be possible, the sources said.

This story has been updated with additional developments.

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