The inaugural session of the newly established Peace Council for Gaza took place in Washington with Donald Trump as the keynote speaker, who sent a clear and stern message to Iran regarding its nuclear program. The American president welcomed the leaders of countries participating as founding members and made special reference to Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. During his speech, he claimed that his administration managed to end wars that had lasted for decades within just a few days, making specific references to countries such as Serbia, Kosovo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Congo, Rwanda, Azerbaijan, Armenia, India, and Pakistan.
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Peace Council and Iran: The stern message
Donald Trump emphasized that the war in Gaza ended thanks to the contribution of the Peace Council countries, highlighting that the return of living hostages and the bodies of the dead to Israel was completed. He then turned directly against Tehran, noting that “Iran must not acquire nuclear weapons,” as otherwise there will never be peace in the Middle East. “We cannot let them have nuclear weapons, they were one month away from acquiring them as we discovered,” he stated characteristically. He warned that “we may need to take it one step further or maybe not,” adding that within the next ten days it will become clear whether there will be an agreement. At the same time, he called on Iran to choose diplomacy and come to the negotiating table, warning that otherwise “bad things will happen”.
Peace Council and international participation
During the session, it was revealed that an economic aid package worth $7 billion was gathered for Gaza’s reconstruction. Trump argued that only Hamas now stands as an obstacle to achieving peace. The session was attended by, among others, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, and Argentine President Javier Milei. From Arab countries, Egypt was represented by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and Jordan by Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi. Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto declared readiness to deploy 8,000 troops to the stabilization force.
Trump on Iran:
We do have some work to do with Iran. They cannot have a nuclear weapon, they’ve been told that very strongly. pic.twitter.com/GVhbJvxK4c
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) February 19, 2026
France expressed displeasure over the participation of a European Commission official, with the French Foreign Ministry spokesperson stating that the Commission has no mandate to represent member states. Until the terms of operation of the Peace Council are clarified, Paris made it clear that it will not participate. The first session of the Peace Council marked the beginning of a new diplomatic initiative, against the backdrop of the fragile balance in the Middle East and pending issues surrounding Iran’s nuclear program.
