$30B for Silence

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Global Recap
June 27, 2025 • Read in: 10 minutes

Hi Global Recap readers,

The word “Silence” in today’s title says more than you think.

  • It’s the silence Iran is asked to buy—pausing uranium enrichment in exchange for billions.

  • It’s the silence from Gulf allies—expected to foot the $30B bill to rebuild Iran's civilian nuclear program.

  • It’s the silence from Trump allies—once furious when Biden unfroze $6 billion in Iranian funds, now quiet as Trump reportedly floats the same idea.

More on that in today’s deep dive. 👇️ 

🌐 WORLD
Fast Scroll News

Partly refined titanium ore in the Zhytomyr region of northwestern Ukraine.

🇷🇺 Russia Grabs Lithium Site. Russian troops just took over the Shevchenko village in Donetsk, one of the country’s most valuable lithium deposits, about 100 acres deep enough for commercial mining.

  • The site was part of a US-Ukraine mineral deal signed in April to help the US lock in rare mineral supplies and fund Ukraine’s postwar recovery. Now, that plan’s in trouble.

  • Instead of fueling Ukraine’s rebuild, the deposit might end up strengthening Russia’s grip on critical resources.

🇭🇺 Hungary Bans Pride March. Hungary’s government blocked the annual Budapest Pride March, citing “child protection,” but organizers are going ahead anyway, with tens of thousands expected on Saturday.

  • At least five countries, including the UK, France, and Belgium, warned their citizens they could face €500 fines and surveillance via smart cameras using facial recognition tech.

  • The "far-right" Our Homeland party has police permission to counterprotest on the same route, adding another layer of risk.

  • Orbán says people are free to march but should “face the legal consequences” if they break the ban.

They filmed themselves trespassing.
Click for video

🇬🇧 UK Arrests "Actionists". Four people were arrested after allegedly damaging two military aircraft at RAF Brize Norton in a pre-dawn action claimed by Palestine Action.

  • Three (aged 24, 29, and 36) were booked under the Terrorism Act; a fourth woman (41) was held for allegedly helping them.

  • The group claims the UK enables “genocide” in Gaza by aiding US and Israeli military ops.

✍️ Context: The UK plans to ban the group under anti-terror laws next week, labeling it a national security threat.

• Critics, though, say it’s a political move aimed at silencing nonviolent protest.

• Back in 2003, though, Keir Starmer actually defended an anti-war activist who sabotaged a US bombers at RAF Fairford just before they were set to fly to Iraq.

(From left to right) Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Congolese Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner.

🇨🇩 Congo, Rwanda Sign Peace Deal. After decades of bloodshed in eastern Congo, DR Congo and Rwanda just signed a US-brokered peace pact on Friday, aiming to end one of Africa’s longest-running conflicts.

  • The fighting has displaced more than 7 million people, and rebel groups like M23 are still active in the region.

  • Foreign Ministers Therese Kayikwamba Wagner (Congo) and Olivier Nduhungirehe (Rwanda) signed the deal, which promises ceasefires and disarmament.

  • However, M23 rebels, blamed for much of the violence and bankrolled by Rwanda, say they’re not bound by it.

  • Also: It opens the door for US access to the region’s valuable minerals.

📹️ YOUTUBE
US’s Attraction
to Resources

The pattern in how the US approaches "peace" and access to minerals reminds me of a Key & Peele skit. It perfectly captures the same vibe we’ve seen from the US for decades.

  • This isn’t a slam on the US for wanting an economic payoff from foreign aid. After all, why should the US provide billions abroad while its own wallet is empty and its infrastructure is outdated?

  • That said, it’s important to note the pattern in global military conflicts. They often revolve around control—who extracts the resources, who pockets the profits, and who handles the rebuilding.

    • The rebuilding phase often gets ignored because it takes place after the conflict has slowed down or ended and is no longer making headlines.

🇺🇸 UNITED STATES
Trump’s $30B Iran Plan

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei (left) and US President Donald Trump (right).

Trump reportedly offered Iran up to $30B in post-US-strike nuclear energy investments (paid by Arab states) as bait to return to nuclear talks. And he’s also offering to unfreeze billions in blocked Iranian funds to sweeten the deal.

Missiles First, Talks Later

Satellite images show the impact points after the US strike on the Fordow nuclear facility. Keep in mind, bunker-buster bombs don’t cause surface explosions. They’re built to detonate deep underground after penetrating the target. (Source)

After the US launched “Operation Midnight Hammer” last weekend, striking Iran’s Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz nuclear sites, the Trump admin is pitching a new deal: Iran can restart its nuclear program, but only on US terms. That means no uranium enrichment at all, and it’s strictly for civilian purposes.

  • Just hours before the US strikes, envoy Steve Witkoff met with Gulf allies at the White House.

  • Witkoff says the goal is “a better civil nuclear program for you that is non-enrichable.”

  • The US and Iran had already held five rounds of informal talks before Israel’s attacks disrupted the sixth.

Price Tag

US Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff

But the issue is its price tag. It's reportedly going to cost $20-30 billion, but who will pay for it?

  • The US wants Gulf states to cover the costs, refusing to pay for it themselves.

    • This is largely because Trump supporters tend to oppose foreign aid, seeing it as a waste of money that could be better used at home.

    • Even hinting at funding something like this would likely trigger major backlash.

  • So far, Gulf partners haven’t signed on publicly, and Iran hasn’t given an official response.

More Incentives

To sweeten the deal and win Iran over, the US dangled a few extra incentives:

  • Potential unfreezing of $6 billion in blocked Iranian funds.

  • Some sanctions could be lifted to ease economic pressure on Iran.

✍️ Context: Back in 2003, Trump and his supporters blasted the Biden administration for unfreezing $6 billion in Iranian funds. Even though the money was meant strictly for humanitarian use under close watch, critics pushed back hard.

• Critics argued that because money is fungible, meaning freeing up those funds could let Iran shuffle its other resources around, it may have indirectly helped Iran’s proxies.

• Some even went so far as to say it emboldened Hamas to launch the October 7 attacks, just about a month after the funds were unfrozen.

Trump’s Mixed Messaging

While all this is happening, President Trump’s stance is very hard to read (as usual). Out in the open, he’s acting like he couldn’t care less about the deal. But behind closed doors, he’s pushing hard to make it happen.

  • On Wednesday, he said, “I don’t care if I have an agreement or not.”

  • Yet officials say the White House is actively drafting terms to pitch to Iran next week.

  • Secretary of State Marco Rubio insists any deal must be direct: “Not through a third-country or fourth-country process.”

Iran’s Cold Shoulder

Despite Trump’s public confidence, Iran’s not exactly rushing in.

  • The Iranian parliament voted to fast-track halting cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency.

  • A spokesman said he had “no knowledge” of upcoming talks, directly contradicting Trump, who said on Wednesday that there’s a meeting with Iran scheduled for next week.

  • One source said: “It is entirely uncertain what will happen here.”

What Comes Next?

So where’s it all headed? No one really knows.

  • Some US officials believe Iran may be more open to restrictions now, especially after President Trump said today he might bomb Iran again if it’s discovered they’re still able to enrich uranium.