Trump Claims Iran Is Part of Gaza Hostage Negotiations

On Monday, former U.S. President Donald Trump revealed that Iran is playing a role in negotiations aimed at facilitating a ceasefire-for-hostages agreement between Israel and Hamas.

During a press briefing at the White House, Trump explained, “Gaza right now is in the midst of a massive negotiation between us, Hamas, and Israel. Iran is actually involved, and we’ll see how things unfold with Gaza. Our goal is to get the hostages back.”

However, Trump provided few additional details, and the White House did not immediately respond to inquiries for further clarification on Iran’s involvement. Similarly, Iran’s mission to the United Nations did not comment on the matter.

The United States has proposed a 60-day ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which Israel has agreed to, but Hamas has rejected the plan so far. The proposal includes the release of 28 Israeli hostages—both alive and deceased—in exchange for the release of 1,236 Palestinian prisoners and the remains of 180 dead Palestinians.

In addition to the Gaza negotiations, the U.S. and Iran are separately engaged in talks over Iran’s nuclear program.