U.S. President Donald Trump said yesterday that Iran has repeatedly requested the lifting of U.S. sanctions and that he is “open” to discussions on the matter.
“Iran has asked for sanctions to be lifted,” Trump told reporters during a dinner with Central Asian leaders. He added, “Iran faces very heavy U.S. sanctions, which make it very difficult for them to do what they would like to do. I’m open to this; we’ll see what happens, but I am open to it.”
In parallel, Trump confirmed that a planned international stabilization force (ISF) will be deployed “very soon” in the Gaza Strip, following the announcement that the U.S. has drafted a UN Security Council resolution intended to endorse the president’s Gaza plan.
“Very soon. It will happen very soon. And things are going well in Gaza,” Trump said at the White House when asked about the expected deployment of the force to the Palestinian enclave, where the humanitarian situation remains precarious nearly a month after the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
“We have many countries volunteering to intervene if there is a problem with Hamas, for example,” he added, noting readiness to respond to “any other problem” that may arise, speaking to the press on the sidelines of the White House meeting with Central Asian leaders.
The U.S. presented its draft Security Council resolution on Wednesday to partner nations to support Trump’s peace plan for Gaza, including the deployment of the international force, according to the U.S. permanent mission to the UN.
U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz met with representatives of the ten elected Security Council members and regional partners — Egypt, Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey — emphasizing the “regional support” for the plan.
Diplomatic sources indicate that several countries, particularly Indonesia, have expressed willingness to participate in the ISF, but insist that a UN Security Council mandate is required to deploy troops in Gaza.
The creation and deployment of the force were part of Trump’s proposal that led to the fragile ceasefire declared on October 10, following two years of destructive conflict sparked by an unprecedented attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023.
The force is expected to consist primarily of Arab and Muslim countries and will operate to ensure security in areas from which the Israeli military withdraws.
