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US President Donald Trump disclosed Monday that Iran is participating in ongoing Gaza negotiations alongside the United States, Israel and Hamas, while announcing that fresh nuclear talks with Tehran are scheduled for Thursday.
"Gaza right now is in the midst of a massive negotiation between us and Hamas and Israel and Iran actually is involved," Trump told reporters at the White House following his return from Camp David.
The president did not elaborate on the nature of Iran's involvement in the Gaza discussions, saying only, "We'll see what's going to happen with Gaza. We want to get the hostages back. It's all I can tell you."
The revelation comes as negotiators work on a 13-point U.S. plan that outlines a 60-day truce between Israel and Hamas, according to Israeli and American media reports and Palestinian sources. The proposal includes mutual hostage and prisoner releases, structured talks on Gaza's future, and Hamas' release of 10 living Israeli captives and the remains of 18 others in two stages.
On the nuclear front, Trump confirmed that U.S.-Iran discussions will resume Thursday, describing Tehran's negotiators as "tough" and indicating no breakthrough has been reached.
"We have a meeting with Iran on Thursday so we're going to wait until Thursday," Trump said when asked whether Iran had submitted a promised counter-proposal on a nuclear deal.
The Gaza conflict has continued since October 2023, with Israel's military offensive killing over 54,400 Palestinians, according to health authorities in the enclave. Most casualties have been women and children, aid agencies report, while warning of famine risks among Gaza's population despite international ceasefire calls.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Israel also faces genocide allegations at the International Court of Justice over its conduct in the enclave.
Trump's comments mark the first public acknowledgment of Iran's direct involvement in the current round of Gaza negotiations, adding another layer of complexity to the multi-party diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the conflict.
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