Sadiq S BhatWashington, DC, — US President Donald Trump has addressed the first meeting of his peace board in Washington, DC, urging Iran to secure a diplomatic nuclear deal while signalling possible military consequences if talks collapse.
He also announced a planned US contribution of $10 billion to support efforts to resolve global conflicts.
Trump said the body would work alongside the UN while pushing reforms he argues past diplomacy failed to deliver. He also pointed to a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas as proof that diplomacy can succeed.
Casting peace as achievable but difficult, the US President urged sustained international cooperation and stronger leadership.
Here are five key takeaways from Trump’s Thursday speech.
Peace is simple in concept but hard to achieve
Trump, who convened his Board of Peace with representatives from more than 40 countries and observers from a dozen more, repeatedly emphasised that the Board's mission is straightforward: "What we’re doing is very simple: peace."
He described "peace" as "an easy word to say but a hard word to produce," stressing the need to not just make peace but "make the peace stick" through determined leadership and international cooperation.
US commits $10 billion to Board of Peace
Trump announced a major US contribution of $10 billion to fund the board's efforts in resolving conflicts, starting with Gaza reconstruction and stability.
He framed this as an "investment in stability" for vital regions, noting that every dollar supports hope and harmony.
“Every dollar spent is an investment in stability and the hope of new and harmonious — it’s a region that’s so important and so vibrant and so incredible,” Trump said.
Trump named Saudi Arabia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, the UAE, Morocco, Bahrain, Qatar, Uzbekistan and Kuwait have given more than $7 billion towards Gaza relief, and that Indonesia, Morocco, Albania, Kosovo and Kazakhstan “have all committed troops and police to stabilise Gaza.”
Egypt and Jordan, he added, “are likewise providing very, very substantial help, troops, training and support for a very trustworthy Palestinian police force.”
Pressure on Iran for a nuclear deal, with threats implied
In his remarks, Trump urged Iran to reach a diplomatic agreement on its nuclear programme soon, warning that "bad things will happen" otherwise and hinting at potential military consequences.
He suggested outcomes could emerge "over the next probably 10 days," tying this to the board's broader peace efforts.
“Good talks are being had. It’s proven to be, over the years, not easy to make a meaningful deal with Iran. We have to make a meaningful deal, otherwise, bad things happen, but we have to make a meaningful deal,” Trump said.
“We do have some work to do with Iran. They can’t have a nuclear weapons. Very simple. You can’t have peace in the Middle East if they have a nuclear weapon.”
Board of Peace will oversee and strengthen UN
Trump positioned his new body as a supervisory entity, saying the Board would "almost be looking over the United Nations" to ensure it "runs properly," provides better facilities, and gets necessary funding.
He criticised past international approaches as ineffective and claimed the board proves "with determined leadership, nothing is impossible."
“We’re going to make sure its facilities are good. They (UN) need help, and they need help money wise. We’re going to help them money wise, and we’re going to make sure the United Nations is viable,” Trump said.
“The United Nations has tremendous potential. A lot of people didn’t like what I said. They said, ‘Oh, you shouldn’t say that, because, you know, we don’t care about the United Nations.’ No, it’s really very important, and I think it’s going to eventually live up to potential. That will be a big day,” he said.
Optimism from past successes and global ambition
Trump highlighted his role in ending Israel’s war in Gaza, returning hostages, and brokering other deals.
The US President noted that 11 jets were shot down during the India-Pakistan war, repeating his assertion that he has brought an end to eight wars, including the India-Pakistan clash in May 2025.
Trump expressed confidence that the board could solve "impossible" problems, with Norway hosting a future event and many world leaders involved.
