US President Donald Trump has dismissed reports that Washington is preparing large financial payouts to Iran, calling them “fake news” and denying that US taxpayer money would be used in any post-conflict reconstruction package for Iran.

“The story that the US is paying Iran 300 million dollars is fake news,” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social, while also claiming Iran had agreed to never develop a nuclear weapon.

It was unclear whether his reference to $300 million was intended to address broader reports of a much larger proposed package cited by officials and international media.

The remarks come amid reports that a potential multi-billion-dollar reconstruction framework for Iran could be discussed as part of a wider diplomatic settlement, with some estimates placing the figure as high as $300 billion.

However, US officials say no American government funding is involved.

US Vice-President JD Vance clarified that any prospective investment or reconstruction financing would come from Gulf Arab partners rather than the United States.

“Not a single dime of that money comes from the United States,” Vance told NBC News, adding that Gulf states may only participate if Iran creates an environment “investable” enough and behaves like a “normal country.”

A senior US official confirmed that discussions around a reconstruction fund remain preliminary and are strictly conditional on progress in the broader agreement, including a 60-day ceasefire extension and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

US officials stressed that any financial mechanism would be tied to compliance milestones rather than guaranteed aid.

According to reporting cited by the Financial Times, the proposed fund would likely be structured as an investment vehicle for private sector participation in Iran’s economy, rather than direct state-to-state transfers, and would depend on a final peace settlement.