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The President of the United States, Donald Trump, stated that he is no longer interested in winning the Nobel Peace Prize, an award he had claimed for himself for months while advocating for his foreign policy based on the so-called "peace through strength."
In a brief telephone interview granted to the conservative newspaper The Washington Examiner, the president stated that he “has no idea” if the military offensive against Iran—dubbed Epic Fury Operation by the Pentagon—could bring him closer to that international recognition.
“I don't know”, Trump responded when asked about the possibility that the military campaign could influence his aspirations for the Nobel Prize.
Immediately after, he resolved the matter with a phrase that creates distance from his previous statements: “I’m not interested.”
The president also denied that the award was a topic of conversation during his recent contacts with foreign leaders.
No, I'm not talking about the Nobel Prize, he stated.
A war that complicates the pacifist narrative
The statements come almost two weeks after the start of the conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran, which was triggered on February 28 with a joint offensive that has rapidly escalated in the Middle East.
Trump had repeatedly claimed that his diplomatic record and security approach made him a natural candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize.
He even claimed to have contributed to the resolution of eight international conflicts, an argument he used to justify his aspiration for the award.
However, the war with Iran seems to have complicated that narrative.
The conflict escalated following the assassination of the Iranian Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, during the initial offensive.
Since then, the Islamic Republic has responded with airstrikes against Israel and against countries that host U.S. military bases.
Furthermore, the war has already resulted in the deaths of seven American soldiers, strained energy trade in the Persian Gulf, and caused an increase in gasoline prices.
Investigation into the bombing of a school
Amid escalating military tensions, the U.S. government is investigating a Tomahawk missile attack on the Shajarah Tayyebeh elementary school in the Iranian city of Minab, which occurred on the same day the war began.
The bombing is reported to have resulted in the deaths of around 175 school-aged girls, according to initial reports.
Although Trump himself has stated that he will accept the findings of the official investigation, he has also publicly suggested that Iran may have been responsible for the attack.
On Monday, during an appearance in Doral, Florida, the president suggested that Tehran might have acquired Tomahawk missiles, despite the fact that only three countries besides the United States—Australia, the United Kingdom, and Japan—possess that type of weaponry.
However, the New York Times reported that preliminary results from the Pentagon's investigation suggest that the United States would be responsible for the attack.
The defense of the White House
The Trump administration has argued that the military operation aims to strengthen U.S. security and curb Iran's regional influence.
"Over the past 47 years, the Iranian regime has actively and intentionally facilitated the murder of Americans while chanting 'death to America' and financing other bloodthirsty terrorists seeking to destroy the United States and all of Western civilization," stated White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt in a statement.
The spokesperson also stated that previous U.S. administrations were "too weak and cowardly to do anything about it," and that Trump is "correcting decades of cowardice and holding accountable those responsible for the deaths of Americans."
According to the White House, the operation could also have positive economic effects once the fighting ends, as it would help lower energy prices globally.
The Nobel that I used to want
The current disinterest of the president contrasts with his attitude from previous months. Trump had openly defended that he deserved the Nobel Peace Prize and even publicly promoted his candidacy.
He even suggested that the Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, a Nobel laureate, share the award with him.
During a meeting at the White House, Machado presented his medal as a symbolic gesture.
Now, amid the war with Iran, the leader seems to have changed his tone.
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