Image: President Donald J. Trump answers questions in the Oval Office after signing executive orders, June 3, 2026 — Official White House Photo by Molly Riley.
- Trump told NBC’s Meet the Press he would not unfreeze Iranian assets or lift sanctions before a peace agreement is reached.
- He said those steps could be discussed after a deal, if Iran behaves and follows through.
- The statement pushes back against reports that Iran wants frozen funds and sanctions relief early in the process.
President Donald Trump is drawing a line around the Iran talks: no up-front release of frozen assets and no early sanctions relief before an agreement is reached.
Reuters reported Sunday that Trump made the point in a recent NBC News Meet the Press interview. Asked about unfreezing Iranian assets or lifting sanctions before a deal, Trump said those steps come after. His follow-up was conditional: if Iran behaves and does a good job, “we start talking.”
The statement matters because the U.S.-Iran negotiation is not only about whether there is a deal. It is about sequencing: what Iran must do first, and what the United States releases only later.
What happened
NBC announced the Trump interview as a June 7 Meet the Press exclusive with Kristen Welker. Reuters’ account of the interview highlighted one specific sanctions point: Trump would not unfreeze Iranian assets or lift sanctions before a peace deal is reached.
He also said he was not demanding that Lebanon be included in a short-term deal with Tehran. That narrows the immediate issue: the White House is trying to separate a possible initial Iran arrangement from wider regional files, while keeping financial relief back-loaded.
The line follows a series of reports saying negotiators have discussed a ceasefire extension, nuclear limits, the Strait of Hormuz, sanctions relief and frozen Iranian funds as parts of a possible package.
What the data says
Axios reported in late May that U.S. and Iranian negotiators had reached terms on a 60-day memorandum of understanding, subject to Trump’s final approval. Under that framework, the U.S. would commit to discuss sanctions relief and the release of frozen Iranian funds during follow-on negotiations, not necessarily deliver them immediately.
CBS News had separately reported that Iran agreed in principle to dispose of highly enriched uranium, while sanctions relief would be tied to delivery against Trump’s security objectives. ABC News later reported that Marco Rubio told senators the administration had not offered to lift sanctions or unfreeze assets as part of the initial deal.
Image: Iranian 100 rial banknote, 2005 — Central Bank of Iran, public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
What is confirmed — and what is not
Confirmed: Trump says Iran does not get asset unfreezing or sanctions relief in advance. Confirmed: the administration has publicly resisted the idea of front-loading financial concessions before Iranian performance. Confirmed: frozen assets and sanctions relief have been discussed as part of the broader diplomatic track.
Not confirmed: the final text of any agreement. Also not confirmed: the exact amount of frozen Iranian money under discussion, the countries or banks holding it, or whether any future release would be unrestricted cash, oil-revenue access, humanitarian-channel payments or another controlled mechanism.
The fight is less “sanctions or no sanctions.” It is “before or after Iran performs.”
Why it matters
Iran wants economic relief early because sanctions, frozen funds and restricted oil revenue are the main pressure points on its economy. The U.S. wants to preserve leverage until Iran delivers on nuclear, shipping and security commitments.
That is why Trump’s phrasing is important. It lets him say he is open to a deal while rejecting the comparison to the Obama-era JCPOA, where critics argued Iran received too much economic benefit too early.
For markets and regional actors, the timing is the signal. Early unfreezing of assets would suggest Washington wants a quick de-escalation. Delayed relief suggests the White House still wants a compliance-first deal with pressure intact.
What to watch next
Watch whether the full NBC transcript clarifies what “comes after” means: after signing, after verification, after uranium transfer, after a ceasefire extension, or after a broader permanent agreement.
Also watch Iran’s response. If Tehran insists that asset access is a precondition, Trump’s line could slow the talks. If Iran accepts talks first and relief later, the pathway to an interim agreement remains open.
Ready social post
Trump says Iran will not get frozen assets released or sanctions lifted before a deal is reached. The key issue is sequencing: Washington wants Iranian performance first; Tehran wants economic relief early. That is the fight inside the Iran talks.
Read next: Trump rejects sanctions relief for enriched uranium