Trump: War or peace with Iran will be clear ‘in about 10 days’

‘The war in Gaza is over. It’s over,” Trump said.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

US President Donald Trump said Thursday that the United States would determine within about 10 days whether a peaceful path with Iran is achievable as he convened the first meeting of his newly created Board of Peace, according to Reuters.

Addressing delegations from more than 45 countries at the Donald J. Trump US Institute of Peace in Washington, Trump said the administration was evaluating Tehran’s intentions while maintaining that Iran must not be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon.

“We do have some work to do in Iran,” Trump said. “They can’t have a nuclear weapon.” He added that clarity on the issue would come “in about 10 days.”

Israel has raised its military alert level amid assessments that a confrontation with Iran could be imminent, the Kan public broadcaster reported Thursday, citing senior Israeli officials as regional tensions increase alongside a major US military buildup.

Axios reported that the United States has sent a second aircraft carrier strike group to the region, citing flight-tracking data and a US official.

More than 50 fighter jets, including F-35, F-22, and F-16 aircraft, have reportedly been deployed over the past 24 hours.

Trump also focused heavily on Gaza, expressing confidence that Hamas would disarm under the framework of his administration’s 20-point Gaza plan, which produced a ceasefire last October in the two-year Israel-Hamas war.

“It looks like Hamas will be getting rid of their weapons,” Trump said. Referring to statements by the group, he added, “They said ‘they’re not afraid to die,’ but they are.”

The president said the fighting in Gaza had effectively ended while acknowledging lingering instability. “The war in Gaza is over. It’s over,” he said, adding that there were still “little flames.”

Trump warned that Hamas would face severe consequences if it failed to follow through on disarmament commitments. “If they don’t, it’ll be, you know, they’ll be harshly met, very harshly met,” he said.

Trump said the Board of Peace would play a supervisory role over the United Nations, pledging financial support to bolster its operations and ensure it “remains viable.”

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told the meeting that Trump’s initiative was the only alternative to renewed war in Gaza, saying there was “no plan B.”

Senior US officials said several countries were preparing to contribute troops to an International Stabilization Force, though deployment would not occur for weeks or months.