President details "board of peace" pledge, discusses Iran, Cuba and Gaza

Speaker 1 addressed a range of foreign-policy subjects during the briefing, including Iran, Gaza, Cuba and a newly announced international initiative the transcript identifies as a "board of peace." Asked about Iran talks in Geneva, Speaker 1 said he would be involved "indirectly" and that he hoped negotiators would reach an agreement, calling Iran "a very tough negotiator." He also urged Ukraine to "come to the table fast" ahead of separate Geneva talks.

On Gaza and press access, a reporter asked whether Israel should lift a ban on foreign journalists; Speaker 1 said restrictions would be lifted "pretty soon" and described the situation as largely peaceful apart from "some flames here and there," adding that a B-2 strike had halted a near-term nuclear threat.

When questioned about a previously announced $5,000,000,000 for the "board of peace," Speaker 1 characterized the amount as intended to "help people" and called it "peanuts compared to the kind of money that has been spent in The Middle East by Bush, by Obama, by all of these people, by Biden." He said the initiative would work in conjunction with the United Nations and suggested it could be "the most consequential board ever assembled." The transcript records those remarks as assertions by the speaker; it does not include documentation of commitments or disbursement plans.

Why it matters: The remarks frame U.S. diplomatic engagement and an international funding pledge as priorities, but the transcript provides few administrative details on how the funds would be allocated, what role the United Nations would take, or binding commitments from partner governments.