French Finance Minister Bruno Le Mayor met with US authorities in Washington to discuss a plan to provide Iran with $ 15 billion in economic assistance and save the Iranian nuclear agreement, Bloomberg reported. 

French officials said the planned talks were officially dedicated to the digital tax, which irritated President Donald Trump. However, they have been expanded to consider ways in which Iran may receive exceptions to US sanctions.

The visit to the US is part of a series of talks aimed at saving the nuclear deal. Although talks are a sign of progress, French officials said Tehran will give the wrong signal if it continues to threaten to intensify its nuclear activities this week.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif met on Monday with his counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Moscow, and his deputy Abbas Araghchi went to Paris with a group of economists and representatives of the central bank. According to the Iranian press and officials, Araghchi discussed the French proposal for a $ 15 billion credit line to restore Iranian oil exports.

Le Mayor met with his American counterpart Stephen Mnuchin and subsequently tweeted that he had held constructive talks on the digital tax without mentioning Iran. He will later meet with Economic Advisor Lawrence Kudlow and Sales Representative Robert Lighthizer. According to the French official, Le Mayor discussed providing companies with sanctions exemptions that would allow Iran to sell oil.

A senior US administration official said Trump made it clear that Iran would not receive any economic benefits from the US for a return to a nuclear deal. The official said that European countries are desperate to save what the administration considers a “terrible deal.”

According to Iranian lawmakers, the French proposal worked out over several hours by telephone between Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and French President Emmanuel Macron and at a recent meeting with Zarif, provides for a $ 15 billion credit line to Iran.

France offered to pay the money in three installments, and, Iran, in its turn, would refuse another reduction in obligations under the nuclear agreement and ultimately return to full compliance with the agreement.

French officials said Macron and Rouhani talked for two hours this weekend.