Netanyahu nominates Trump for Nobel Peace Prize post-Iran strikes
Washington: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nominated US President Donald Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize on Monday, celebrating their recent joint strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities as an "unmitigated success." The two leaders, along with their top aides, held a dinner in the White House Blue Room to commemorate the Iran operation and push forward discussions on a proposed 60-day ceasefire aimed at pausing the 21-month conflict in Gaza. Netanyahu lauded Trump, stating, "He's forging peace as we speak, and one country and one region after the other," as he presented a nominating letter for the Nobel committee.
This call for the peace prize comes after years of Netanyahu urging Trump and his predecessors to take military action against Iran's nuclear program. Trump had ordered US forces to deploy "bunker-buster" bombs and a barrage of Tomahawk missiles on three key Iranian nuclear sites. Both leaders expressed optimism before the dinner, believing their success in Iran would usher in a new era in the Middle East, with Trump remarking that "things are going to be really settled down a lot... And, they respect us and they respect Israel.”
Trump indicated that Iranian officials have reached out to the US to restart talks about Iran's nuclear program, with his Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, suggesting a meeting could occur "perhaps in a week." However, Tehran has not yet confirmed agreeing to resume discussions. Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian stated in a Monday interview that US airstrikes had severely damaged his country's nuclear facilities, making them inaccessible for damage assessment. While expressing willingness to resume cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog, Pezeshkian could not commit to unfettered access due to the destruction caused by what he termed "unlawful attacks."
Following last month's 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran, Trump has expressed a desire for the Gaza conflict to end swiftly. The meeting between Trump and Netanyahu aimed to inject new urgency into a US ceasefire proposal currently being discussed by Israel and Hamas. White House officials are pushing for a 60-day pause, increased aid to Gaza, and the release of at least some of the remaining 50 hostages. A key sticking point remains whether the ceasefire would lead to a total end to the war, with Hamas demanding a full Israeli withdrawal and Netanyahu insisting on Hamas's surrender and disarmament.
The visit highlighted a strong alignment between Trump and Netanyahu, particularly after the US intervention in Israel's conflict with Iran, a marked change from their relationship just months prior. Trump has been pressuring Israel and Hamas to conclude the conflict, which has devastated Gaza and deepened Israel's international isolation. While Trump has pledged to be "very firm" with Netanyahu on ending the war, the Israeli Prime Minister must balance this pressure with the demands of his far-right coalition. Experts suggest Trump may also expect something in return for his recent calls to cancel Netanyahu's corruption trial, given the perceived political leverage.
With inputs from AP