Here's the latest
• Iran tensions: President Donald Trump urged Iran to make a deal, suggesting he could reach a decision on potential military action within 10 days. Sources yesterday said the US is prepared to strike Iran as early as this weekend but that Trump had not yet made a final decision. Meanwhile, Israel raised its alert level amid growing indications of a potential joint US-Israel attack on Iran, Israeli sources said.
• Board of Peace meeting: In remarks to world leaders, Trump said his Board of Peace will be “looking over” the United Nations. He also said the US will contribute $10 billion for the board to resolve global conflicts and outlined various countries that have pledged support for Gaza.
• Shutdown stalemate: Trump has not yet spoken directly with Democrats about resolving the impasse over Department of Homeland Security funding. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Democrats are waiting on the administration’s response.
Paraguayan president jokes support for US will pause for World Cup match
Paraguayan President Santiago Peña brought a touch of humor to the Board of Peace gathering in Washington, declaring that his country will stand firmly with the United States, except for one day.
“Probably the only day that we’re not going to be able to support the USA is going to be on June 12, because Paraguay is going to be facing the US in the World Cup,” Peña quipped, drawing laughter from the audience.
Beyond the lighthearted moment, Peña thanked President Donald Trump for “bringing hope again” to the international community and pledged Paraguay’s continued support for peace initiatives.
He acknowledged that while Paraguay may not be able to contribute much in terms of financial resources or security forces, every nation has a vital role to play. “There is a lot that all of the countries can bring to the table to solve these issues,” he said.
Peña also reaffirmed Paraguay’s long-standing support for Israel and its commitment to working for peace. “Today is Gaza, tomorrow will be another conflict area in the world, but we need to solve each of these conflicts,” he added.
Israeli foreign minister demands disarmament and de-radicalization in Gaza
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar told today’s Board of Peace gathering in Washington that previous plans for the Gaza Strip failed because they did not address the core issues of “terror, hate, incitement and indoctrination.”
Sa’ar recounted atrocities committed during the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which he called “the peak of Hamas’ ongoing terror campaign,” and stressed the need to prevent such horrors from ever recurring.
He praised US President Donald Trump’s comprehensive plan, which centers on the disarmament of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip and the de-radicalization of Palestinian society. “It’s the first plan to address the root of the problem. We support it and are working and will work toward its success,” he added.
Sa’ar also emphasized the necessity of dismantling Hamas’ weapons, terrorist infrastructure, underground tunnels and weapons-production facilities, as well as ending the indoctrination of Palestinian children in educational and religious institutions. “The people of Gaza must be liberated from these terrorists,” Sa’ar said.
Concluding his remarks, Sa’ar extended Ramadan greetings to Muslims worldwide.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said earlier today that the US agrees that Hamas must disarm and Gaza must be demilitarized before reconstruction in the shattered territory can begin.
Saudi Arabia pledges $1 billion for Palestinian aid
Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel al-Jubeir, addressing the Board of Peace gathering today in Washington, announced a major financial commitment aimed at alleviating Palestinian suffering.
He reaffirmed the kingdom’s long-standing commitment to establish “a lasting and just peace in the Middle East, a peace that results in two states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace.”
True peace would transform the region “from death and destruction to hope and prosperity by integrating the region, bringing together its resources and unleashing its potential,” the Saudi delegate said.
“I am pleased to announce that King Salman will pledge $1 billion over the next few years in order to achieve this objective, to work towards alleviating the suffering of our Palestinian brothers and bring them the peace that they and the whole region so desperately desire,” he told the assembled leaders including President Donald Trump.
Most Mideast speakers mention two-state solution, with Israel a notable exception
Most of the Board of Peace’s Middle Eastern representatives made a point of mentioning the two-state solution in their remarks today, with Israel a notable exception. Israel in recent months has tightened its control of the occupied West Bank and expanded governing powers for its settlements there.
Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita said he hoped that “stabilization” in Gaza might lead to an agreement “based on the two-state solution.”
Likewise, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said his country remains “convinced that the foundation of … peace is a two-state solution.” Soon afterward, Saudi Arabia’s representative began his remarks with hopes for “a peace that results in two states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side.”
Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly made similar pleas for US support for a two-state solution. He also noted that his country “appreciates” US President Donald Trump’s opposition to a formal Israeli annexation of the West Bank.
Speaking in Arabic, Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Jarrah Jaber al-Sabah referenced the oft-cited framework for a two-state solution with East Jerusalem as a Palestinian capital.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, meanwhile, devoted much of his speech to recalling the violence that Israel experienced during the October 7, 2023, attack, demanding the “the disarmament of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, demilitarization of Gaza Strip and de-radicalization of Palestinian society.”
“Gazans have lived under a terror regime for decades. The people of Gaza must be liberated from these terrorists,” Sa’ar added.
Gaza administrator outlines urgent stabilization agenda
The chief commissioner of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza has presented a stabilization agenda for the Strip, painting a dim picture of the enclave grappling with widespread destruction, severe humanitarian strain and fragile internal order.
Ali Shaath, a Palestinian engineer, was named chief commissioner in a joint statement by Qatari, Egyptian and Turkish mediators of the Gaza peace plan in January.
Addressing US President Donald Trump during the Board of Peace gathering in Washington, Shaath confirmed the establishment of a new Gaza Strip governing authority tasked with focusing on development and stability. However, he cautioned that the operational environment remains far from normal.
“Large parts of the Gaza Strip are severely damaged, destroyed, actually. Humanitarian needs are acute. Law and order remain fragile,” Shaath said. “This is not a normal operating environment, which is precisely why discipline and prioritization matter.”
Shaath outlined four primary policy tracks designed to guide Gaza toward stability, including restoring security through a professional civilian police force. “Five thousand Gazan police will be deployed in 60 days,” he said.
He also stressed the importance of reviving the economy in the Strip by “creating decent jobs, especially for our young population,” as well as restoring the basic services.
“Our mandate is simple: Step by step, to build the foundation for lasting peace, dignity and prosperity for the people of Gaza. This is where we count on your continued leadership and support,” Shaath added.
Five countries have committed troops to international force in Gaza, commander says
Five countries have already committed troops to an international force that is supposed to deploy to Gaza as part of the US-brokered 20-point ceasefire agreement, the commander of the force said at the Board of Peace’s first meeting on Thursday.
Indonesia, Morocco, Kazakhstan, Kosovo and Albania have committed troops to take part in the International Stabilization Force (ISF), said US Army Maj. Gen. Jasper Jeffers. Training for the ISF and a police force of Palestinians would take place in Egypt and Jordan, he said.
Jeffers did not provide any details on how many troops each country has committed or how soon they would deploy, but he said the ISF would ultimately total 20,000 soldiers working with 12,000 Palestinian police.
The plan calls for the ISF to deploy across five different sectors in Gaza. But in the short term, the force will first deploy to Rafah in southern Gaza, where the first rebuilt neighborhood is supposed to take shape.
Key lines from Trump’s remarks at the inaugural Board of Peace meeting
President Donald Trump just addressed a group of leaders representing at least 20 countries during the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace today in Washington, DC, where he alluded to potential military action against Iran if talks fail.
The president also provided more details about the Board of Peace and its goals.
If you’re just joining us, here are key moments from Trump’s remarks:
- Iran: Trump suggested that a decision on Iran could come within the next 10 days. “We may have to take it a step further, or we may not. Maybe we’re going to make a deal,” Trump said. The US military is prepared to strike Iran as soon as this weekend, sources told CNN yesterday, but Trump has not yet made a final decision about whether he’ll authorize such actions.
- Funds for Gaza: Trump said the US will contribute $10 billion to the Board of Peace, which is aimed at resolving international conflicts and began with the mission to reconstruct the Gaza Strip. Trump also announced that Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan and Kuwait have given more than $7 billion toward Gaza relief.
- Troop commitment: Trump said that Indonesia, Morocco, Albania, Kosovo and Kazakhstan “have all committed troops and police to stabilize Gaza.” Egypt and Jordan, he added, “are likewise providing very, very substantial help, troops, training and support for a very trustworthy Palestinian police force.”
- Vision for the UN: The US president said he envisions his Board of Peace “looking over” the United Nations, hardly tamping down concerns he is looking to supplant the global body with his own entity.
- Countries represented: Trump appeared to take credit for the rise of some foreign leaders he endorsed, including Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Argentina’s President Javier Milei, and highlighted other endorsements. Trump noted that not all attendees are political leaders, pointing to FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
CNN’s Jennifer Hansler, Kit Maher, Kevin Liptak, Kaanita Iyer and Dalia Abdelwahab contributed to this report.
Former UK PM Tony Blair says Trump’s peace plan is “only hope” for Gaza
Tony Blair, former prime minister of the United Kingdom, praised US President Donald Trump’s vision for Gaza, declaring that Trump’s 20-point peace plan “remains the best, indeed, the only hope for Gaza, the region and the wider world.”
Blair echoed Trump in saying that Gaza has “vast” potential, noting its Mediterranean coastline, young median age and “proximity to great regional and global markets.”
Blair, who led Britain into the Iraq War during his tenure as prime minister, was initially floated as a possible leader of the Board of Peace. Joining the US effort in Iraq, however, damaged his reputation among Arab countries, and in his post-premiership role as an envoy for the Middle East peace process, he was disliked by many Palestinians who saw him as being biased in favor of Israel.
Billionaire on Board of Peace touts Gaza's development potential
An American billionaire sitting on the Trump-led Board of Peace touted the development potential in Gaza, including a coastline worth at least $50 billion and “$115 billion of value” in the destroyed strip that “just needs to be unlocked and financed.”
“This is not a problem of money or collateral, this is a problem of peace,” said Marc Rowan, the CEO of Apollo Global Management who is on the executive board of the Board of Peace.
The flashy development plans have previously raised eyebrows and concerns about possible displacement of the Palestinians in Gaza.
Rowan, speaking at the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace, said “the potential here is tremendous but it has to start somewhere.”
“The start is in Rafah,” Rowan said, adding that the intention is to build 100,000 homes for 500,000 residents in Rafah, plus $5 billion of infrastructure.
“Over time, 400,000 homes for the entirety of the population with more than 30 billion of infrastructure,” he said.
In a video shown later, the Board of Peace said its goal was to have Rafah rebuilt “by year three” and “Gaza connected to the world through an Abrahamic gateway, linking it with Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and extending to India and Europe.”
It envisions Gaza being “self-governed,” integrated into the region and “with housing for all” by year 10, the video said.
Netanyahu says US agrees Hamas must disarm before Gaza reconstruction begins
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday afternoon that the United States agrees that Hamas must disarm and Gaza must be demilitarized before reconstruction in the shattered territory can begin.
Speaking at the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) officers’ graduation ceremony, Netanyahu said, “We have reached an agreement with our friends in the United States: There will be no reconstruction of the Gaza Strip before its demilitarization.”
Netanyahu did not attend the first Board of Peace meeting in DC. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar attended it instead of Netanyahu.
Defense Minister Israel Katz, who also spoke at the IDF ceremony, said Israel will have a permanent presence in Gaza, even though the Trump-brokered 20-point ceasefire agreement calls for Israel to gradually withdraw its forces as an international force secures sections of Gaza.
“The permanent presence of the IDF in a security zone inside Gaza will remain forever,” Katz said.
During the ceremony, Netanyahu also addressed the possibility of a conflict with Iran. “We are prepared and alert to defend ourselves against any challenge, and we are acting in close coordination with the United States,” he said. “If Iran makes the mistake of attacking us, they will experience a response beyond anything they can imagine.”
Board of Peace members tout new Palestinian “transitional” police
Board of Peace officials announced that they plan to train and deploy a new 5,000-member “transitional” Palestinian police force in Gaza in 60 days.
The board-affiliated National Committee for the Administration of Gaza aims to “restore security via professional civilian police under one authority … including training and developing 5,000 Gazan police to be deployed in 60 days,” said committee chair Ali Shaath.
Moments later, Board of Peace official Nickolay Mladenov claimed that 2,000 people have already applied to join the new Egyptian-trained “transitional Palestinian police force.”
Mladenov added that to begin the process of reconstruction in the shattered territory, “there is no other option” than the full demilitarization of Gaza and the decommissioning of weaponry in the enclave.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was not in attendance, has repeatedly warned that Hamas must be disarmed before Israel allows reconstruction to begin. But Israeli officials have been skeptical that any force under the Board of Peace will be able to disarm Hamas.
Shortly afterward, US Army Maj. Gen. Jasper Jeffers said that Egypt and Jordan have “committed to train police.”
Trump details countries that he says have committed funds, troops to Gaza
President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan and Kuwait have given more than $7 billion toward Gaza relief and that Indonesia, Morocco, Albania, Kosovo and Kazakhstan “have all committed troops and police to stabilize Gaza.”
Egypt and Jordan, he added, “are likewise providing very, very substantial help, troops, training and support for a very trustworthy Palestinian police force.”
“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 in remarks at the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace in Washington, DC.
Trump did not immediately provide details on numbers of troops or when they would deploy, nor did he give specifics on how the funding would be used.
Trump added that UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs “is raising $2 billion for the support of Gaza.”
He noted that Norway would host an event bringing together the Board of Peace — and once again lamented that he had not received the Nobel Peace Prize before claiming that he was more focused on saving lives.
Japan will also host a fundraising event for regional countries, Trump said. He said he believes China and Russia would be involved in efforts. Both countries have been invited to join the Board of Peace, but have not done so.
Trump claims he had "nothing to do" with US Institute of Peace being named after him
President Donald Trump claimed he had “nothing to do with” installing his name on the US Institute of Peace, falsely asserting that the Washington, DC, edifice was built “without anybody in mind,” despite it being built as the headquarters of the independent organization shuttered by Trump’s administration.
In remarks at the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace, Trump said Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance “and a group got together and they did that.”
“I just thought it was very nice. And makes me work harder … to make this building much more important,” he said. The administration has been eyeing the building to serve as headquarters for the Board of Peace, according to the Associated Press.
In fact, the building was built as the headquarters for the US Institute of Peace and was funded by both public contributions and private donations. The architecture firm that designed it, Safdie Architects, noted that it was built “as the organization’s first permanent home.”
The Trump administration has shuttered the institute, which works to resolve conflict and was created by Congress in 1984.
The building served as headquarters of USIP for more than a decade. Personnel from the Department of Government Efficiency, accompanied by DC police officers, gained forcibly gained access to the building in March 2025 and forced out personnel.
USIP is not a federal agency, and it owns and manages its headquarters. The administration’s takeover of the institute, including its building and assets, has been the subject of extensive litigation.
Trump suggests decision on Iran could come over next 10 days
President Donald Trump on Thursday suggested that a decision on Iran could come within the next 10 days.
“We may have to take it a step further, or we may not. Maybe we’re going to make a deal,” Trump said. “You’re going to be finding out over the next probably 10 days, but this meeting today is proof with determined leadership, nothing is impossible,” Trump said at the inaugural meeting of his Board of Peace in Washington, DC.
The US military is prepared to strike Iran as soon as this weekend, but Trump has not yet made a final decision about whether he’ll authorize such actions, CNN reported Wednesday. The president has privately argued both for and against military action and polled advisers and allies on what the best course of action is, one source said.
Trump on Thursday again called on Iran to make a deal, threatening “bad things” if it doesn’t.
“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 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,” Trump said.
“If it doesn’t happen, it doesn’t happen. Bad things will happen if it doesn’t,” he said.
Trump says Board of Peace will be "looking over" the UN
President Donald Trump said he envisions his Board of Peace overlooking the United Nations, hardly tamping down concerns he is looking to supplant the global body with his own entity.
“The Board of Peace is going to almost be looking over the United Nations and making sure it runs properly,” Trump said during the inaugural meeting of the panel in Washington.
Trump did not suggest the UN be eliminated entirely. Instead, he said the body should be strengthened to better address the world’s problems in ways it hasn’t in recent years.
“We’re going to make sure its facilities are good. They 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.
One reason the UN has experienced financial issues is the United States’ failure to pay nearly $4 billion in dues. Its secretary general has warned of “imminent financial collapse.”
Trump said people who discount the UN out of hand are wrong.
“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.
Trump quips that Rubio might be "out of here" if he continues outshining the president on the world stage
President Donald Trump quipped that he might have to fire Secretary of State Marco Rubio if he continues to outshine him on the world stage, praising how Rubio handled the Munich Security Conference last week.
“Marco, you really did yourself proud two days ago in Munich, in fact, so proud that I almost terminated his employee because they were saying, ‘Why can’t Trump do this?’ I do, but I say it differently. But Marco, don’t do any better than you did, please. Because if you do, you’re out of here,” Trump said Thursday at a Board of Peace speech.
He compared Rubio’s style with that of Vice President JD Vance, who gave a very different speech at the same conference last year. Vance and Rubio are both considered serious presidential contenders in 2028, and Trump has frequently contrasted the two without expressing a preference for either one.
“JD’s has been great,” Trump said. “He gets a little bit tough on occasion, we’ve got to slow him down just a little bit on occasion; he says his mind.”
“Then we have the opposite extreme,” Trump said, turning to Rubio. “We have your friend sitting in the back, your good — your best friend sitting in the back is Marco. Marco does it with a velvet glove, but it’s a kill. The result is the same; they do it very differently.”
The president on Thursday also criticized New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who struggled during a Munich panel on populism. Trump said she was “unable to answer a simple question” and posited that it could’ve been a “career-ending answer.”
Trump announces $10 billion US contribution to Board of Peace
President Donald Trump announced that the US will contribute $10 billion to the Board of Peace, which is aimed at resolving international conflicts and began with the mission to reconstruct the Gaza Strip.
Speaking to the board’s member countries, Trump went on to say, “Together we can achieve the dream of bringing lasting harmony to a region tortured by centuries of war, suffering and carnage.”
Also in attendance alongside world leaders: The president of FIFA
At least 20 countries are being represented by their heads of state or by foreign ministers and envoys at the inaugural summit for the Trump-chaired Board of Peace — with one notable exception, pointed out by President Donald Trump during his opening remarks: FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
“Virtually everyone is the head of a country other than Gianni, but he’s the head of soccer. So, that’s not so bad, right?” Trump quipped at the summit.
Later in his remarks, the president announced that FIFA would be pledging over $75 million for “soccer-related” projects in Gaza. Infantino also said later during the summit that soccer “is the world’s universal language” before playing a video in which a narrator explains that FIFA will be using the funds to build soccer fields, stadiums and academies.
Infantino has aligned himself on multiple occasions with Trump’s political positions, even culminating in him presenting Trump with the inaugural so-called FIFA Peace Prize, a nod to Trump’s repeated gripes of having not been selected to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.
“I think they saw that I got screwed by Norway, and they said, ‘let’s give him a peace prize,’” Trump added.
This comes as the United States is set to co-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup with Canada and Mexico — something also acknowledged by Trump, who claimed in his remarks that the “World Cup has set every single ticket record in the history of soccer.”
“Mr. President, we’ll unite the world here this summer during the World Cup, but if we truly want to unite the world, we need peace,” Infantino said during his own remarks.
This post has been updated to include Infantino’s remarks.
Trump touts his endorsements of foreign leaders at Board of Peace meeting
President Donald Trump appeared to take some credit for the rise of certain foreign leaders due to his endorsements, including Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Argentina’s President Javier Milei, touting other endorsements he’s made.
“I’m not supposed to be endorsing people, but I endorse when I like people,” Trump said. “I’ve had a very good record of endorsing candidates within the United States, but now I endorse foreign leaders, including (Hungarian leader) Viktor Orban, who’s here, and others.”
Gesturing toward Milei, Trump said, “He was a little behind in the polls. He ended up winning in a landslide.”
He continued: “I just endorsed the prime minister of Japan. She was in a tight race, but was probably going to win, and she wanted the largest number in the history of Japan. So she likes me a lot.”
Trump also acknowledged that his endorsement of Orban wasn’t exactly welcome in Europe.
NOW: Trump speaking at Board of Peace meeting
President Donald Trump has started speaking at the Board of Peace meeting.
Representatives from several countries are in Washington, DC, for the meeting. Around two dozen countries have signed on to the board, which Trump chairs.
The Board of Peace was originally pitched as a limited body tasked with overseeing the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, which was devastated by the Israel-Hamas war. However, according to the charter draft, its mission has since expanded to tackle conflicts the world over.
