Vance Desperately Tries to Calm Uproar Over $300 Billion Gift to Iran

Vice President JD Vance is attempting to temper backlash one day after he confirmed a key proposal in the Trump administration’s reported peace deal with Iran: a $300 billion reconstruction fund for the country.

Vance confirmed to CBS’s Ed O’Keefe Monday morning that the $300 billion was a real proposal in the Iran peace deal. Yet within hours—and after some monumental backlash from his party—Vance tried to stress that Iran would not receive a “single dime” of U.S. money.

“The agreement says they are not getting a single dime of American money, that’s just not what this is,” Vance said on Fox News Monday night. “What the agreement does say, Sean, is again, if the Iranians behave, and if there are sanctions relief, and if the Iranians are integrated into the world economy, we would invite other countries—not us—but other countries to invest in their country.

“That’s fine, but only if they comply with the terms of the agreement,” Vance added.

Hannity: There’s a report that the Qataris are giving them $300 billion with the approval of the US. Did the U.S. Ever sign off on the Qatari paying them that money?

Vance: No, the agreement says they are not getting a single dime of American money, that is just not what this… pic.twitter.com/qk024IvfLS— Acyn (@Acyn) June 16, 2026

Vance did not elaborate on how the administration planned to manage or gatekeep foreign aid packages intended for Iran.

The White House and Tehran have already signed a peace deal, though the exact specifications of the agreement have not yet been revealed (and are still being hashed out). The final draft reportedly proposes the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz under Iran’s direction, a commitment from the U.S. not to interfere in Iranian affairs, and a reiteration of Iran’s commitment not to produce nuclear weapons, echoing language included in the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, according to a senior Iranian official who spoke with Reuters.

The most contentious point of the plan, however, is a reported $300 billion reconstruction fund—which the U.S. is set to facilitate with the help of Gulf allies. There are no details as to which countries are paying how much.

President Trump similarly tried to cast doubt on the proposal Monday evening, claiming on Truth Social that “the story that the U.S. is paying Iran 300 million Dollars is Fake News, put out by the Dumocrats!!!”

But not everyone in the administration is on the same page. Earlier that day, a U.S. official told reporters that the White House had “discussed the possibility of releasing frozen funds, sanctions relief, you know, a big $300 billion fund to rebuild their country, and all of these things are going to be tied to performance.”

This story has been updated.