The U.S. is putting its money where its mouth is when it comes to the Board of Peace. President Donald Trump announced during the inaugural meeting of the board that the U.S. was committing to contribute $10 billion to the board.
‘The Board of Peace is showing how a better future can be built, starting right here in this room,’ Trump said on Thursday. ‘I want to let you know that the United States is going to make a contribution of $10 billion to the Board of Peace… and we’ve had great support for that number.’
The president said the contribution ‘sounds like a lot, but it’s a very small number’ when compared to the cost of war. Trump estimated that the $10 billion commitment was equivalent to the cost of two weeks of fighting.
‘Together, we can achieve the dream of bringing lasting harmony to a region tortured by centuries of war, suffering and carnage,’ Trump added, saying that he hoped it could serve as inspiration for other nations entangled in conflicts that seem unending.
The Board of Peace was set up as part of the Trump administration’s plans to end the Israel-Hamas war and to rebuild Gaza. Several countries have committed to joining the board, including Argentina, Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belarus, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Egypt, El Salvador, Hungary, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Morocco, Mongolia, Pakistan, Paraguay, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.
While touting the significance of the board, Trump also encouraged more nations to join not just the initiative, but in a greater effort toward peace, singling out Iran in particular.
‘And now is the time for Iran to join us on a path that will complete what we’re doing. And if they join us, that’ll be great. If they don’t join us, that’ll be great too, but it will be a very different path,’ Trump said. ‘They cannot continue to threaten the stability of the entire region, and they must make a deal.’
The president warned that ‘bad things’ would happen if Iran did not make a deal.
‘Iran is a hot spot right now. And they’re meeting, and they have a good relationship with the representatives of Iran,’ Trump said. ‘And, you know, good talks are being had. It’s proven to be over the years, not easy to make a meaningful deal with them. And we have to make a meaningful deal. Otherwise, bad things happen. But we have to make a meaningful deal.’
Representatives of the U.S. and Iran recently participated in indirect nuclear talks in Oman, with both sides meeting with Omani foreign minister Badr al-Busaidi. Following the indirect talks, which he said were ‘very good,’ Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that Iran wanted to make ‘a deal very badly.’
‘They know the consequences if they don’t make a deal. The consequences are very steep,’ Trump told reporters earlier this month.
Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi also expressed optimism after the indirect talks, which he said were ‘a good start.’
‘After a long period without dialogue, our viewpoints were conveyed, and our concerns were expressed. Our interests, the rights of the Iranian people, and all matters that needed to be stated were presented in a very positive atmosphere, and the other side’s views were also heard,’ Araghchi said at the time.
‘It was a good start, but its continuation depends on consultations in our respective capitals and deciding on how to proceed,’ he added.
A top Iranian official was spotted in Oman just days after the indirect talks, though it was not immediately clear if he was there to discuss next steps in the negotiations.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.