US Media: How to "Compensate" Iran Becomes One of the Sticking Points in Negotiations

Odaily reported that according to CNN, a US official familiar with the negotiations stated that one of the remaining key sticking points in the US-Iran talks is the issue of economic compensation, as Trump is eager to reach an agreement that is perceived as superior to the one proposed during the Obama administration. The official said that Iran has conveyed to the mediators that once an initial memorandum of understanding is agreed upon, they hope to receive some form of economic compensation as soon as possible, rather than having it delayed for future disbursement. However, officials from the Trump administration are concerned that unfreezing funds at such an early stage could alleviate the economic damage inflicted on Iran—potentially removing, or at least diminishing, a key leverage Washington holds over Tehran. This leverage would be crucial for the US to enter the second phase of negotiations to discuss the specifics of Iran's nuclear program. Trump has made it clear to his team that he wants any agreement to appear much tougher than the one reached in 2015, and to avoid any actions that could be interpreted as "handing over large sums of cash"—a phrase Trump used to criticize Obama's decision to provide economic compensation to Iran. (Jin Shi)