Trump nominated for Nobel Peace Prize over Israel-Iran ceasefire efforts
WASHINGTON, June 25: US President Donald Trump has been formally nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize following his involvement in brokering a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, a diplomatic breakthrough that has drawn global attention.
The nomination was submitted to the Norwegian Nobel Committee on Tuesday by Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.), who praised Trump's 'extraordinary and historic role' in helping to end armed hostilities between the two longtime adversaries.
'President Trump's influence was instrumental in forging a swift agreement that many believed to be impossible,' wrote Carter in his letter. 'His leadership at this moment exemplifies the very ideals that the Nobel Peace Prize seeks to recognize: the pursuit of peace, the prevention of war, and the advancement of international harmony.'
Carter, who represents Georgia's 1st Congressional District, commended Trump for showing 'courage and clarity' in facilitating the ceasefire between the Middle East rivals, calling the achievement a 'rare glimpse of hope' in a historically volatile region.
The former president, 79, announced the ceasefire on Monday evening, referring to the brief but intense conflict as the '12-Day War.' The agreement came shortly after Trump authorized a U.S. military strike on three Iranian nuclear facilities in support of Israeli operations, marking a dramatic escalation that ultimately led to the diplomatic resolution.
While the Nobel Peace Prize nomination process allows members of national parliaments, university professors, and certain other figures to submit names, Trump has expressed skepticism about his chances of receiving the honor.
'I won't get a Nobel Peace Prize no matter what I do,' he wrote on Truth Social last Friday, referencing his administration's mediation in other international disputes, including efforts to de-escalate tensions between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, India and Pakistan, and Serbia and Kosovo.
Speaking to reporters, Trump also pointed to his administration's 2020 Abraham Accords, which normalized relations between Israel and four Arab nations. 'I should have gotten it four or five times,' he said. 'They won't give me a Nobel Peace Prize because they only give it to liberals.'
Only three sitting U.S. presidents have received the Nobel Peace Prize: Theodore Roosevelt in 1906 for mediating the end of the Russo-Japanese War, Woodrow Wilson in 1919 for his role in establishing the League of Nations, and Barack Obama in 2009 for his 'extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.'
Obama's award was met with criticism at the time, including from Trump and other Republicans, who pointed to his administration's drone warfare campaigns, military support for conflicts in Libya and Syria, and backing for a $1 trillion plan to modernize the U.S. nuclear arsenal.
Former President Jimmy Carter received the prize in 2002 for his decades of diplomacy and peacebuilding efforts, while former Vice President Al Gore was honored in 2007 for raising awareness about climate change.
As of now, Trump's nomination adds to an already contentious legacy, sparking debate about his international role in conflict resolution and the politics surrounding one of the world's most prestigious awards.
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Kuwait Times
11 hours ago
- Kuwait Times
Iran-Zionist ceasefire takes hold
TEHRAN: Iran said on Tuesday that it was ready to return to negotiations with the United States, as a fragile ceasefire in its war with the Zionist entity took hold after 12 days of strikes that pummeled the Islamic Republic's nuclear facilities. But even as he appeared to express willingness to revisit nuclear talks derailed by the Zionist entity's surprise attack, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said his country would continue to 'assert its legitimate rights' to the peaceful use of atomic power. The United States on Sunday had joined the Zionist entity's campaign with strikes on key nuclear sites. After Iran retaliated with a missile attack Monday night targeting a US base in Qatar, President Donald Trump called for de-escalation, announcing the contours of a truce deal hours later. In a phone call Tuesday, Pezeshkian told his Emirati counterpart 'to explain to them, in your dealings with the United States, that the Islamic Republic of Iran is only seeking to assert its legitimate rights'. 'It has never sought to acquire nuclear weapons and does not seek them,' he was quoted as saying by the official IRNA news agency, adding that Iran was 'ready to resolve the issues... at the negotiating table'. The Zionist entity has said its war, which began on June 13, was aimed at preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, an ambition Tehran has long denied holding. After Trump angrily berated both sides for early violations of the truce on Tuesday, Tehran announced it would respect the terms of the deal if the Zionist entity did the same, while the Zionist entity said it had refrained from further strikes. (Left) Iranians chant slogans, wave national flags and hold portraits of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini as they celebrate a ceasefire between Iran and the Zionist entity at Enghlab Square in Tehran on June 24, 2025. (Right) Zionist emergency services and security officers extract a body from the rubble of a building hit by an Iranian missile in Beersheba in the Zionist entity's south on June 24, 2025. - AFP photos Iran's top security body said the Islamic Republic's forces had 'compelled' the Zionist entity to 'unilaterally' stand down. Its Revolutionary Guards also hailed a last-minute missile salvo fired at the Zionist entity as 'a historic and unforgettable lesson to the Zionist enemy'. Zionist rescuers reported four people killed when a missile struck a residential building in the southern city of Beersheba early Tuesday. In Iran, state television said an overnight Zionist strike in the north killed nuclear scientist Mohammad Reza Seddighi Saber, who was under US sanctions. Over the course of its campaign, Zionist strikes hit nuclear and military targets – killing scientists and army brass – as well as residential areas, prompting waves of Iranian missile attacks on the Zionist entity. While Iran and Israel have been locked in a shadow war for decades, it has been by far the most destructive confrontation between the arch-foes. The war saw US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites using massive bunker-busting bombs, followed by an Iranian reprisal targeting the United States' largest military facility in the Middle East. Trump shrugged off that response as 'weak', thanking Tehran for giving advanced notice and announcing the outline of the ceasefire just hours later. Iran's National Security Council had said the number of missiles launched at the base 'was the same as the number of bombs that the US had used' against Iran. Ali Vaez, Iran project director for the International Crisis Group, told AFP: 'This was calibrated and telegraphed in a way that would not result in any American casualties, so that there is an off ramp for both sides.' In Iran, people remained uncertain whether the peace would hold. Amir, 28, fled from Tehran to the Caspian Sea coast and told AFP by phone, 'I really don't know... about the ceasefire but honestly, I don't think things will return to normal.' Zionist strikes on Iran have killed at least 610 civilians and wounded more than 4,700, according to the health ministry. Iran's attacks on the Zionist entity have killed 28 people, according to official figures and rescuers. The international community reacted with cautious optimism to news of the truce. Saudi Arabia and the European Union welcomed Trump's announcement, while Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia hoped 'that this will be a sustainable ceasefire'. But French President Emmanuel Macron warned there was an 'increased' risk that Iran would attempt to enrich uranium secretly following the strikes on its nuclear sites. During their talks, Iran and the United States had been at odds over the former's uranium enrichment, which Tehran considers a 'non-negotiable' right and which Washington has called a 'red line'. After the truce was announced, some turned their attention to the ongoing fighting between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, arguing it was time to bring an end to that war too. The Palestinian Authority, the Zionist entity's opposition leader and the main group representing the families of Zionist captives all called for a Gaza ceasefire. – AFP
Kuwait Times
13 hours ago
- Kuwait Times
Most voters back Trump but not on everything
HOUSTON: From her corner of the United States near Houston, Texas, stay-at-home mother Loretta Torres, 38, admires President Donald Trump's confidence and bargaining style. She has no complaints with his presidency. In Des Moines, Iowa, Lou Nunez, an 83-year-old US Army veteran, has been horrified by Trump's cuts to federal agencies, whipsaw tariff announcements, and crackdowns on protesters. Terry Alberta, 64, a pilot in southwestern Michigan, supports most of Trump's policies but he thinks some of the slashed federal spending might have to be restored and he dislikes the president's demeanor. 'I get really frustrated with him when he starts calling people names and just saying crazy things,' he said. Although they all helped elect Trump in November, Torres, Nunez and Alberta have very different reactions to his presidency so far. They are among 20 Trump voters Reuters has interviewed monthly since February about the president's dramatic changes to the United States' government, trade policy and immigration enforcement, among other issues. Nunez and one of the other 20 voters now regret casting a ballot for the president. Torres and four others say they fully support his administration. But most – like Alberta – fall somewhere in between. The 20 voters were selected from 429 respondents to a February 2025 Ipsos poll who said they voted for Trump in November and were willing to speak to a reporter. They are not a statistically representative portrait of all Trump voters, but their ages, educational backgrounds, races/ethnicities, locations and voting histories roughly corresponded to those of Trump's overall electorate. Even monthly check-ins cannot always keep pace with the breakneck news cycle under Trump. Reuters most recently interviewed the group in May, before Trump deployed U.S. service members to Los Angeles and other cities to quell widespread protests against the administration's immigration crackdown and prior to tensions erupting with Iran. Trump's efforts to tighten border security were most popular among the group. Describing their concerns about the administration, these voters most often cited the economic uncertainty triggered by Trump's federal cuts and tariffs. That tracks with the latest Ipsos-Reuters poll findings, which show Trump polling below his overall approval rating on the economy, and above it on immigration. Recent polls also show that Americans who helped elect Trump to his second term overwhelmingly like what they see so far. In a six-day Ipsos-Reuters poll that concluded on June 16, 9 out of 10 respondents who said they voted for Trump in November also said they approved of his performance in office so far. 'I like the way he portrays himself as being a strong leader,' said Torres. 'It makes us look stronger to other countries.' White House spokesman Kush Desai said in a statement that Trump had delivered on his campaign promises by reducing US border crossings to historic lows and keeping inflation lower than expected. 'The Administration is committed to building on these successes by slashing the waste, fraud, and abuse in our government and levelling the playing field for American industries and workers with more custom-made trade deals,' Desai said. Most of the 20 voters interviewed say they now have qualms about some of Trump's most extreme measures. Brandon Neumeister, 36, a Pennsylvania state corrections worker and former National Guardsman, said he disagreed with a May request by the Department of Homeland Security for 20,000 National Guard members to help detain illegal immigrants. 'To deploy troops on American soil in American cities, I think that sends a very severe message,' he said. Neumeister voted for Trump hoping for lower prices and inflation, and said he knows it will take time for the president's economic policies to yield results. But people close to him have lost jobs as a result of Trump downsizing the federal government, and several friends of his are anxious about losing pensions or healthcare due to budget cuts at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. 'Anxiety is the buzzword for everything right now,' Neumeister said, adding that it was 'hard to say' whether he's glad Trump is president. Federal workforce reductions are also wearing on Robert Billups, 34, an accountant in Washington state currently searching for his next job. He has seen federal positions disappear from job sites, and he frequently gets worried calls from his mother, who is a contractor with the Internal Revenue Service. — Reuters 'This is more than my mom has ever reached out to me. I feel like it's freaking her out,' he said. Several Trump voters in the group also said they were uneasy about actions by Trump that critics say overstep his presidential authority. Don Jernigan, 74, a retiree in Virginia Beach, said he likes the outcomes of most of Trump's policies but not the way he sometimes pushes them through, such as his record number of executive orders or his imposition of tariffs on other countries, a power that Jernigan says belongs to Congress. Nor does he like the fact that Trump accepted a jet given to the United States by Qatar, which Jernigan views as an enemy nation. 'Trump works off of ideas. He doesn't work off of principles. He has no principles,' Jernigan said. Overall, however, he thinks Trump is protecting U.S. borders and deterring threats against the nation better than the other candidates for president would have. Trump's acceptance of the Qatari jet also struck Amanda Taylor, 51, an insurance firm employee near Savannah, Georgia, as potentially unethical. 'It just seems a little like he can do whatever he wants to without repercussion,' she said. Taylor, who voted for former President Joe Biden in 2020, says it is too early to tell yet whether Trump is an improvement. She likes Trump's pledges to deport criminals and gang members. But she has been most closely watching economic indicators, especially interest rates, because she and her husband closed on a new house this month. Changes they hope to see Among Trump voters with fewer complaints about the president's second term, there are still areas where they hope to see some change. David Ferguson, 53, hoped the Trump administration would revitalize U.S. manufacturing, and so far he is 'pleased with the groundwork' and 'at least the direction that they're communicating.' At the industrial supply company in western Georgia where he works as a mechanical engineer and account manager, Ferguson has seen Trump's tariffs drive up prices on a range of products, from roller bearings to food-processing equipment. He does not expect the prices to fall as quickly as they've risen. Ferguson would like the administration to offer tax incentives to companies like his that are making it possible for more things to be made in the United States. 'It would help encourage businesses that are already domesticating manufacturing and give them some relief from the tariffs, kind of reward their good behavior,' he said. Several other Trump voters voiced support for a policy that might surprise left-leaning voters: a clearer legal immigration pathway for aspiring Americans who are law-abiding and want to contribute to the US economy. Gerald Dunn, 66, is a martial-arts instructor in New York's Hudson Valley and 'middle-of-the-road' voter who said he is frustrated by extremism in both U.S. political parties. Dunn said he knows people who have tried to enter the United States legally but encountered 'horrendous' red tape. People with skills and stable employment offers could become 'assets to the country' instead of liabilities if it were easier for them to immigrate, Dunn said. In Charlotte, North Carolina, engineer Rich Somora, 61, said he supports Trump's efforts to deport criminals but he also recognizes that immigrants are increasingly doing key jobs that US citizens don't want to do, such as building construction. – Reuters
Arab Times
14 hours ago
- Arab Times
Cautious Optimism As Kuwait Pushes For Lasting Iran-Israel Ceasefire
KUWAIT CITY, June 25, (Agencies): The Kuwaiti Cabinet on Tuesday welcomed a recently announced ceasefire agreement between parties involved in the regional conflict, urging them to respect it. This came during the Cabinet's customary weekly meeting, held at Bayan Palace under the chairmanship of His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. The Cabinet commended US President Donald Trump's efforts to put the ceasefire in place in a bid to promote diplomatic efforts to fend off further regional tensions and conflicts that undermine regional and international security and peace. The Cabinet was apprised of His Highness the Amir and the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al- Jaber Al-Sabah's chairmanship of a meeting of the Supreme Defense Council earlier in the day. The meeting, which was attended by His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah and His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, was meant to follow up on the latest regional developments. In this regard, the Cabinet listened to an explanation by Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdullah Al-Yahya, the current chairman of the GCC ministerial council, about the 49th extraordinary foreign ministerial meeting, held in Doha today as a sign of solidarity with and support for the State of Qatar. At the onset of the meeting, the Cabinet reiterated Kuwait's emphatic condemnation of the blatant attack on Al-Udeid Airbase in Qatar as an obvious breach of Qatar's sovereignty, international law and the UN Charter. It underlined that the State of Kuwait stands side by side with the State of Qatar and backs all measures it is taking to safeguard its sovereignty, security and stability It added that the State of Kuwait is ready to harness all its potential and capabilities to support Qatar, wishing Qatar and its sisterly people long-lasting security and stability. Furthermore, the Cabinet restated Kuwait's vehement opposition to military escalation, while calling on involved parties to exert joint efforts to settle international disagreements by peaceful and diplomatic means and continuing negotiations in order to safeguard regional security, peace and stability. Also on Tuesday, Kuwaiti Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdullah Al-Yahya, the current chairman of the GCC Ministerial Council, chaired the 49th extraordinary GCC ministerial meeting in Doha to look into regional developments and bolster pan-Gulf action. During the meeting, they GCC foreign ministers echoed their utter support for Qatar and condemnation of the Iranian attack on Al-Udeid Airbase, underlining that Qatar's security is an integral part of GCC security, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a press release. The ministers, further, welcomed the announced ceasefire agreement, calling for capitalizing on such a step to promote the political option and step up diplomatic efforts to ensure regional security and stability. Following the extraordinary session, the Ministerial Council issued a statement condemning in the strongest terms the missile strikes launched by Iran against a military base in Qatar, read out by GCC Secretary-General Jasem Al Budaiwi. The Council expressed deep regret and firm denunciation of the attack, viewing it as a blatant, unacceptable, and dangerous violation of Qatar's sovereignty and airspace, international law, and the UN Charter, Al-Budaiwi said. The Council expressed full solidarity with Qatar, and affirmed its complete support for any measures the country may take to preserve its security and stability. The Ministerial Council praised the capabilities of the Qatari Armed Forces in repelling the Iranian attack and emphasized that the security and stability of Qatar is an integral part of the security and stability of all GCC member states. In this regard, the council welcomed US President Donald Trump's announcement of the ceasefire agreement and ending the war between Iran and Israeli occupation forces. Furthermore, the Council statement praised Oman's role in the US-Iran nuclear negotiations, as well as the U.S. and Qatari efforts in mediating to end the war. The fragile ceasefire between Israel and Iran appeared to be holding on Wednesday after a rocky start, giving rise to cautious hope for longer-term peace even as Tehran insisted it will not give up its nuclear program. U.S. President Donald Trump, who helped negotiate the ceasefire that took hold on Tuesday, the 12th day of the war, told reporters at a NATO summit it was going 'very well,' adding that Iran was 'not going to have a bomb and they're not going to enrich.' Iran has insisted, however, that it will not give up its nuclear program. In a vote underscoring the tough path ahead, its parliament agreed to fasttrack a proposal that would effectively stop the country's cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N. watchdog that has monitored the program for years. Iran Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf criticized the IAEA for having 'refused to even pretend to condemn the attack on Iran's nuclear facilities' that the United States carried out on Sunday. 'For this reason, the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran will suspend cooperation with the IAEA until security of nuclear facilities is ensured, and Iran's peaceful nuclear program will move forward at a faster pace,' Qalibaf told lawmakers. IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said he had already written to Iran to discuss resuming inspections of their nuclear facilities. Among other things, Iran claims to have moved its highly enriched uranium ahead of the U.S. strikes, and Grossi said his inspectors need to reassess the country's stockpiles. 'We need to return,' he said. 'We need to engage.' French President Emmanuel Macron, whose country was part of the 2015 deal with Iran that restricted its nuclear program but began unraveling after Trump pulled the U.S. out in his first term, said he hoped Tehran would come back to the table. Iran has long maintained that its nuclear program was peaceful, and U.S. intelligence agencies have assessed that Tehran is not actively pursuing a bomb. However, Israeli leaders have argued that Iran could quickly assemble a nuclear weapon. Israel is widely believed to be the only Middle Eastern country with nuclear weapons, which it has never acknowledged. The Israel Atomic Energy Commission said its assessment was that the U.S. and Israeli strikes have 'set back Iran's ability to develop nuclear weapons by many years.' It did not give evidence to back up its claim. The U.S. strikes hit three Iranian nuclear sites, which Trump said 'completely and fully obliterated' the country's nuclear program. At the NATO summit, when asked about a U.S. intelligence report that found Iran's nuclear program has been set back only a few months, Trump scoffed and said it would at least take 'years' to rebuild. Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmail Baghaei, confirmed that the strikes by U.S. B-2 bombers using bunker-buster bombs had caused significant damage. 'Our nuclear installations have been badly damaged, that's for sure,' he told Al Jazeera on Wednesday, while refusing to go into detail. He seemed to suggest Iran might not shut out IAEA inspectors for good, noting that the bill before parliament only talks of suspending work with the agency, not ending it. He also insisted Iran has the right to pursue a nuclear energy program. 'Iran is determined to preserve that right under any circumstances,' he said. Trump's special envoy to the Mideast, Steve Witkoff, said on Fox News late on Tuesday that Israel and the U.S. had achieved their objective of 'the total destruction of the enrichment capacity' in Iran, and Iran's prerequisite for talks - that Israel end its campaign - had been fulfilled. 'The proof is in the pudding,' he said. 'No one's shooting at each other. It's over.' Grossi said he could not speculate on how bad the damage was but that Iran's nuclear capabilities were well known. 'The technical knowledge is there, and the industrial capacity is there,' he said. 'That no one can deny, so we need to work together with them.' An Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said the ceasefire agreement with Iran amounted to 'quiet for quiet,' with no further understandings about Iran's nuclear program going ahead. In the Fox News interview, Witkoff said Trump is now looking to land 'a comprehensive peace agreement that goes beyond even the ceasefire.' 'We're already talking to each other, not just directly, but also through interlocutors,' Witkoff said, adding that the conversations were promising and 'we're hopeful that we can have a long-term peace agreement.'
