President Donald Trump opened the first meeting of his new “Board of Peace” on Thursday with a warning to Iran, saying Tehran would face consequences for failing to make a deal on its nuclear weapons.
“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,” Trump said.
Trump said the U.S. could decide within the next 10 days whether diplomacy continues or a strike moves forward.
“So now we may have to take it a step further, or we may not,” Trump said. “Maybe we’re going to make a deal. You’re going to be finding out over the next probably 10 days.”
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Trump on Wednesday floated the idea of using Diego Garcia, a strategic base in the region, to strike Iran if talks collapse.
He delivered the warning at a meeting he framed as a peace effort. Trump brought international leaders to Washington to rally support for Gaza reconstruction and a security plan meant to hold the ceasefire. He cast the board as a new place for countries to coordinate money, manpower, and next steps in the Middle East. The gathering took place at the U.S. Institute of Peace — which the administration renamed for Trump, although the president said Thursday that he had nothing to do with the name change.
Trump said board members had already pledged more than $7 billion for the relief package, with some countries also offering troops and police to help stabilize Gaza and support a Palestinian police force. He added that the United States would contribute $10 billion to the Board of Peace.
“What we’re doing is very simple peace,” Trump said. “It’s called the Board of Peace, and it’s all about an easy word to say, but a hard word to produce, peace, but we’re going to produce it.”
But the threat of strikes on Iran ran through his remarks. Trump argued that the Middle East cannot be stable if Iran can build a nuclear weapon.
“Now is the time for Iran to join us on a path that will complete what we’re doing,” Trump said. “And if they join us, that will be great. If they don’t join us, that will be great too, but it will be a very different path.”
“They cannot continue to threaten the stability of the entire region, and they must make a deal,” he added. “Or if that doesn’t happen … bad things will happen if it doesn’t.”
The U.S. is tightening the pressure on Tehran. A second aircraft carrier is heading toward the Middle East to join another already in the region, part of a broader naval and air buildup as the administration keeps military options in play if diplomacy fails. Indirect talks in Geneva on Tuesday produced some early areas of understanding, but negotiators said major issues remain unresolved and more proposals are expected.
Iran has answered with its own signals. Tehran has carried out missile drills and naval exercises and warned it would retaliate if attacked. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has also cautioned that any U.S. attempt to strike or destabilize Iran would trigger a response.
Meanwhile, some lawmakers say a strike now looks likely and want Congress to vote first. Sens. Tim Kaine and Rand Paul introduced a measure to limit Trump’s war powers on Iran last month, but it has not received a vote. Rep. Ro Khanna said he and Rep. Thomas Massie plan to try next week to force a House vote on a war powers resolution “before putting U.S. troops in harm’s way.”
“Trump officials say there’s a 90% chance of strikes on Iran. He can’t without Congress.” Khanna said in a post on X.
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