Andrew Kolvet@AndrewKolvet
JUST IN - Was on a background media group call regarding details of the Iran peace deal. A senior administration official confirms the deal is around 90-95% ironed out. They made it explicitly clear that no American money would be transferred to Iran from the US in any way, shape, or form (no pallets of cash).
What does Iran get? Possible sanctions relief. But the framework of the deal, per this official, mandates there will be no relief without Iranians making good on their end of the bargain first.
“No dust, no dollars” meaning if Iranians meet their obligations as outlined in the deal to give up their enriched uranium, then sanctions would be partially relieved. If the Strait is opened without tolls or harassments of shipping vessels, the US will end the blockade and there would be additional relief, etc.: “If they don’t deliver on their commitments, then they don’t get anything. We’ve set up enforcement mechanisms.”
The official also ripped thr notion this is anything like the JCPOA, which gave Iranians pallets of actual cash, allowed them to stockpile enriched uranium in the first place (which is partly how we got here) and contained no actual, practical enforcement mechanisms.
What changed the Iranians thinking making them more amenable to a deal? Unclear if military or economic pressure was most persuasive. But the official confirms Iranians are talking in depth and in detail about getting rid of their enriched stockpiles and stopping enrichment in ways they haven’t been willing to discuss before. They have acknowledged that’s something they now have to give on.
The broader overarching goal is to empower the moderate elements of Iran to overpower the influence of the hardliners. “We have high confidence that we have a good understanding of their command structure.” Moderates may not be in control yet, hardliners are still there, but they are “ascendant.”
The official says returning back to the blockade or a military posture remains on the table if talks breakdown.
