President Donald Trump posted Thursday evening that the United States is not paying Iran $300 billion, dismissing the claim as 'fake news.' The statement, on his social media platform Truth Social, reiterates his denial of a figure tied to a Gulf-state-backed reconstruction fund reportedly discussed in US-Iran negotiations.
President Donald Trump issued yet another denial Thursday evening, posting on Truth Social that claims of a $300 billion U.S. payment to Iran are 'fake news.' The brief statement — 'There is no payment of $300 billion to Iran by the United States. It's fake news' — follows a week of rapidly shifting, often contradictory statements from Trump about the same sum. The development is the latest in a thread that began Wednesday morning, June 17, when Trump himself first cited a $300 billion figure, alleging the emerging deal gives Tehran that amount (Zioneer, Wed 07:48 Jerusalem). Later that same day he denied the U.S. is funding any such fund (Wed 07:48 Jerusalem), and then at the G7 denied a $300 million payment (Wed 07:48 Jerusalem). Thursday's post is the first time Trump has explicitly labeled the claim 'fake news' rather than merely a 'lie' or denying U.S. involvement.
Across the thread, the $300 billion figure first appeared in Trump's own post Wednesday morning and was then denied by him hours later. The figure has never been confirmed by any U.S. or Israeli official. Reporting by The Zioneer has documented that the sum refers to a Gulf-state-backed reconstruction fund, not direct U.S. taxpayer money (Tue Jun 16, 06:02 Jerusalem). Vice President JD Vance separately acknowledged that Iran may gain access to such a Gulf-funded fund contingent on commitments (Tue Jun 16, 08:38 Jerusalem). Trump has also acknowledged that U.S. airstrikes caused billions in damage to Iran and that 'someone will have to help — it won't be us' (Wed 17, 19:24 Jerusalem).
It remains unclear whether a non-U.S.-funded reconstruction fund is actually under discussion in the ongoing negotiations. Trump has not addressed that question directly, and no official text of any deal has been published. The status of the broader US-Iran talks also remains unclarified by Thursday's post.
4 developments
- StrongTrump claims US won't pay Iran $300 billion for reconstruction, fact-checking his own claim
- DevelopingTrump: 'It's written there — Iran will not have nuclear weapons'; then mocks the clause
- StrongAbu Ali Express reports Vance, Trump statements on $300 billion Iran fund
- StrongTrump: 'Iran needs investments — we did billions in damage. Someone will have to help — it won't be us'
Source and signal
- Internal intake