Pakistan to nominate US President Trump for 2026 Nobel Peace Prize
Islamabad (PTI): The Pakistan government on Saturday said it has decided to formally recommend US President Donald Trump for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize for his "decisive diplomatic intervention" during the recent India-Pakistan conflict.
The announcement came in a post on X, with the headline: “Government of Pakistan Recommends President Donald J Trump for 2026 Nobel Peace Prize”.
The announcement came three days after Trump hosted Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir at the White House.
"The Government of Pakistan has decided to formally recommend President Donald J Trump for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, in recognition of his decisive diplomatic intervention and pivotal leadership during the recent India-Pakistan crisis," the post said.
Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, with India carrying out precision strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on May 7.
The on-ground hostilities from the Indian and Pakistan sides that lasted for four days ended with an understanding of stopping the military actions following talks between the directors general of military operations of both sides on May 10.
Trump has been persistently claiming that he stopped a war between India and Pakistan. New Delhi has been maintaining that India's fierce counter-attack that day forced Pakistan to plead for ending the hostilities.
The Pakistan government's post on Saturday said that “at a moment of heightened regional turbulence”, President Trump “demonstrated great strategic foresight and stellar statesmanship through robust diplomatic engagement with both Islamabad and New Delhi”.
It further stated that the US president “de-escalated a rapidly deteriorating situation, ultimately securing a ceasefire and averting a broader conflict between the two nuclear states that would have had catastrophic consequences for millions of people in the region and beyond”.
“This intervention stands as a testament to his [Trump’s] role as a genuine peacemaker and his commitment to conflict resolution through dialogue,” it read.
The government also acknowledged President Trump’s “sincere offers” to help resolve the issue of Jammu and Kashmir.
The government noted that President Trump’s leadership during the 2025 Pakistan-India crisis “manifestly showcases the continuation of his legacy of pragmatic diplomacy and effective peace-building”.
Pakistan remains hopeful that Trump’s “earnest efforts” will continue to contribute towards regional and global stability, particularly in the context of ongoing crises in West Asia, including the humanitarian tragedy unfolding in Gaza and the deteriorating escalation involving Iran, the post said.
Trump, meanwhile, bemoaned that he won't get a Nobel Peace Prize for "stopping" the war between India and Pakistan or for his efforts in the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Iran conflicts.
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Top US counterterrorism official resigns over Iran war, says Iran posed no imminent threat
Washington (AP): Joe Kent, the director of the National Counterterrorism Centre, announced his resignation on Tuesday, saying he “cannot in good conscience” back the Trump administration's war in Iran.
Kent said on social media Iran “posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.”
There was no immediate comment from the White House.
Kent, a former political candidate with connections to right-wing extremists, was confirmed to his post last July on a 52-44 vote.
As head of the National Counterterrorism Centre, he was in charge of an agency tasked with analysing and detecting terrorist threats.
Before entering President Donald Trump's administration, Kent ran two unsuccessful campaigns for Congress in Washington state. He also served in the military, seeing 11 deployments as a Green Beret, followed by work at the CIA.
Democrats strongly opposed Kent's confirmation, pointing to his past ties to far-right figures and conspiracy theories. During his 2022 congressional campaign, Kent paid Graham Jorgensen, a member of the far-right military group the Proud Boys, for consulting work. He also worked closely with Joey Gibson, the founder of the Christian nationalist group Patriot Prayer, and attracted support from a variety of far-right figures.
During his Senate confirmation hearing, Kent also refused to distance himself from a conspiracy theory that federal agents instigated the January 6, 2021, attack at the Capitol, as well as false claims that Trump, a Republican, won the 2020 election over Democrat Joe Biden.
Democrats grilled Kent on his participation in a group chat on Signal that was used by Trump's national security team to discuss sensitive military plans.
Still, Republicans praised Kent's counterterrorism qualifications, pointing to his military and intelligence experience.
Sen. Tom Cotton, the GOP chair of the intelligence committee, said in a floor speech that Kent had "dedicated his career to fighting terrorism and keeping Americans safe.”
