A source familiar with the matter stated that the framework agreement between the United States and Iran includes a special $300 billion fund designed to stimulate investment, with more than half of this amount already pledged.
اضافة اعلان
The source, who is familiar with the agreement and spoke on the condition of anonymity because the plan has not yet been made public while Washington and Tehran prepare to sign it on Friday, added that the fund is designed to give both sides an economic incentive to reach a final agreement to end the war.
News of the fund's existence had been previously reported, but Reuters is revealing for the first time that more than half of the amount has already been pledged and that it will consist entirely of private-sector funds.
U.S. and Iranian officials said on Sunday that they had agreed on a framework to end the war, which began when U.S. and Israeli forces attacked Iran on February 28. The framework also includes halting the U.S. blockade on Iran and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a major supply route for oil and gas to global markets.
The source noted that the new fund is a private investment vehicle, not a reconstruction or reparations program, and will not include any government funds or grants. They added that companies based in the United States, Arab Gulf states, Asia, South America, and Africa have agreed to commit to the funding.
The source also indicated that the pledged investments cover the energy, logistics, manufacturing, and transportation sectors.
A senior Iranian source told Reuters that Tehran had initially requested $400 billion from the United States to compensate for war damages, but Washington stated it would not provide that amount. Subsequently, the idea for the fund emerged, which will be named the Reconstruction and Development Fund.
The Iranian source added that the mechanism includes contributions from regional countries through various means. This includes securing loans, establishing credit lines, or directly funding the reconstruction of war-damaged sites, including facilities such as the Mobarakeh Steel complex, oil refineries, airports, and broader war-damaged infrastructure.
Iran, one of the largest economies in the Middle East, has attracted virtually no significant foreign direct investment over the past four decades, having been excluded from global capital markets due to successive waves of U.S. and international sanctions.
Iran possesses the world's second-largest proven natural gas reserves and the fourth-largest proven oil reserves. It also has a young, educated population of over 92 million people, a diversified industrial base, and significant untapped potential in sectors ranging from petrochemicals and mining to tourism and agriculture.
The source familiar with the deal stated that the investment fund is entirely separate from the parallel negotiation track regarding the lifting of U.S. sanctions and the release of frozen Iranian sovereign assets abroad, describing the two tracks as different financial mechanisms with different goals and timelines.
The fund will only be established and activated after a mutually satisfactory final agreement is concluded. Once signed, the memorandum of understanding aims to regulate the process over the next 60 days.
"The fund will not be established until after the final agreement is signed... and during these 60 days, the fund managers will work with the Iranians and investors to plan and scope the projects," the source said.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry and the Pakistani Foreign Ministry, which helped mediate the investment fund deal, have not yet responded to requests for comment.
A White House spokeswoman referred to a CBS interview on Monday with U.S. Vice President JD Vance, in which he said that Iran could receive a $300 billion reconstruction fund backed by Gulf states if it complies with an agreement with Washington. This includes dismantling its nuclear program, eliminating its stockpile of enriched materials, and accepting a strict inspection and enforcement regime.
The source did not specify how the fund would be managed or who would oversee it, noting that key details are still being worked out. However, they mentioned that companies from South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, and the United States are among the entities that have made commitments, though they declined to provide an exhaustive list.
Reuters
