Sep 4, 2019

France extends a $15 billion lifeline for Iran nuclear deal

Dion Rabouin

Emmanuel Macron, president of France, at G7.

France has proposed offering about $15 billion in credit lines for Iran if it comes back into compliance with the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, Reuters reports.

The catch: The prospective deal hinges on the Trump administration not blocking it.

  • "French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves le Drian said talks on the credit arrangement, which would be guaranteed by Iranian oil revenues, were continuing, but U.S. approval would be crucial," per Reuters.
  • The agreement would provide “a credit line guaranteed by oil in return for, 1, a return to the JCPOA (Iran nuclear deal) ... and 2, security in the Gulf and the opening of negotiations on regional security and a post-2025 (nuclear program),” Le Drian told reporters. “All this (pre)supposes that President Trump issues waivers.”

Why it matters: Iran is a key player in the oil market and its declining economy is a key risk for the Middle East and Europe.

  • A destabilization could trigger another serious refugee crisis in addition to the danger of its potential nuclear capabilities.
  • European leaders have scrambled to find a solution for Iran's faltering economy since Trump pulled out of the deal last year.

Go deeper: Iran timeline: How Trump and Tehran came to the brink of war

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Rashaan Ayesh

Iran activates centrifuges, breaching nuclear deal for the third time

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani told Parliament that Iran was ready to further reduce its commitments to a multilateral 2015 nuclear deal "in the coming days" if current negotiations yield no results by September 5. Photo: Atta Kenare/AFP/Getty Images

Iran announced on Saturday it mobilized a chain of advanced centrifuges to accelerate uranium enrichment — breaching the 2015 nuclear deal for the third time, reports Al-Jazeera.

Catch up quick: Iran plans to cut its commitments to the deal every 60 days until Europe offers economic terms to offset the blow of U.S. sanctions, writes the Washington Post. European countries have been scrambling to save the deal, with the European Union working to keep money moving into Iran's struggling economy, and France proposing $15 billion in credit lines.

Go deeperArrowSep 7, 2019
Ursula Perano

Boris Johnson: Trump is the "one guy" to broker new Iran nuclear deal

In an interview with NBC Nightly News airing Monday evening, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said his government is "virtually certain" Iran is behind the recent Saudi oil attacks and called for a new Iran nuclear deal brokered by President Trump.

Go deeperArrowSep 23, 2019
Margaret Talev

Iran tests U.S. military messaging at UNGA

Iran Foreign Minister Javad Zarif in Istanbul in 2017. Photo: Ozan Kose/AFP/Getty Images

Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif tells Axios that Americans should ask themselves why U.S. soldiers should risk dying to protect Israeli and Saudi interests, and he thinks President Donald Trump is "determined not to get militarily involved" in Iran — but others in his orbit are trying to "drag him into" it.

The big picture: As leaders gather this week at the United Nations General Assembly, Iran and the U.S. are trying to figure out how to out-maneuver one another in a protracted dispute over the Iran nuclear deal, regional aggression, sanctions and oil sales.

Go deeperArrowSep 23, 2019