Trump offers Iran sanctions relief for nuclear steps

President Donald Trump is willing to offer Iran sanctions relief and release frozen funds in exchange for concrete progress on Tehran's nuclear program, U.S. officials told multiple news outlets on Monday, marking a conditional shift just days after Washington rejected Iran's proposed seven-day ceasefire.

The offer, first reported by Al Jazeera and confirmed by Axios and CNN, comes as Qatari and Pakistani mediators are meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in New York to discuss a new proposal. Mediators are expected to meet with Trump administration officials later Monday or Tuesday to try to reach a breakthrough.axios+1

A Conditional Opening

A U.S. official described the indirect negotiations as "positive and constructive" and said Iran "has indicated they are flexible on the nuclear issues." But the official stressed that no deal would be reached "unless the nuclear issues are addressed" and that the two sides "still remain apart on the timing of the commitments and who takes which steps first."kurdistan24+1

The sequencing dispute sits at the heart of the impasse. Iran's seven-day ceasefire proposal, presented last week at the United Nations General Assembly, required Washington to lift its naval blockade, remove sanctions on oil sales, and release frozen assets before Tehran would take concrete nuclear steps. Washington wants verifiable nuclear progress first.kurdistan24

Trump rejected that proposal over the weekend, with U.N. Ambassador Mike Waltz calling it "a pretty cynical attempt to put something on the table that they knew was unacceptable." Trump told Axios that Iran had "overplayed their hand."wionews+1

Trust Deficit After MOU Collapse

Washington's skepticism is rooted in the collapse of a June memorandum of understanding that established a 60-day ceasefire framework. The U.S. accuses Iran of violating that deal by firing on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz in July, prompting a resumption of hostilities. "We need guarantees this time that Iran is serious and is not only seeking relief from the difficult situation it is facing," the official said.kurdistan24

The conflict, now in its seventh month after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran began February 28, has cost the United States roughly $43.6 billion and claimed the lives of 18 American service members, according to Associated Press figures cited by multiple outlets. Brent crude has remained above $100 a barrel, and the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports has required sustained military resources.tasnimnews

Diplomacy and the Midterm Shadow

Speaking at the Presidents Cup golf tournament on Sunday, Trump predicted the U.S. would win the war "very soon" and that oil prices would fall sharply afterward. He declined to rule out resumed strikes before the November 3 midterm elections, saying, "It's possible, but I just don't want to say that."jns

Araghchi, for his part, told NBC News that Iran was "fully prepared for the war to be resumed" but remained open to diplomacy. "It is up to President Trump to choose," he said.wionews+1

Oil markets responded to Monday's reports: WTI crude reversed earlier gains and fell below $92, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average narrowed losses that had exceeded 400 points earlier in the session. The market reaction underscored how closely traders are watching the negotiating gap between Washington and Tehran — a gap defined not by money, but by sequencing and trust.tradingkey