Washington, Feb 18 (IANS) US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz said President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan won unanimous backing at the UN Security Council and signaled intensified pressure on Iran, calling it a significant diplomatic moment for Washington.
“Not only did we get it through, we got it through unanimously,” Waltz said in an interview with Hugh Hewitt on the Salem News Channel. He said the resolution passed “13 to zero,” describing it as endorsement by “the international community” on “probably the most contentious issue there is for the UN, which is Israel-Palestine.”
Waltz said the framework creates “an international security force,” establishes “the Palestinian technocratic authority,” and sets up “a World Bank fund.” He added that Indonesia had publicly pledged 8,000 troops and previewed $5 billion ahead of the first Board of Peace meeting.
“What the President’s doing is creating something that’s working when nothing else has worked,” he said, responding to criticism from some European governments.
He said the hostages were out, the ceasefire was in place, and humanitarian aid was flowing, and that negotiations were moving into a second phase focused on Hamas.
“We’ve made it clear they either are going to disarm the hard way or the easy way,” Waltz said.
He also pointed to what he called a diplomatic shift. Qatar, Türkiye, and Egypt — countries he said Hamas had relied on — were now on the Board of Peace “singing the same tune as the United States.” Israel is also part of the initiative.
Turning to Iran, Waltz said UN snapback sanctions remain valid despite objections from Russia and, “to a lesser extent,” China. “The snapback sanctions are in place, and you will be violating those sanctions if you do business with the Iranian regime,” he said.
He added that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps controls “40 per cent to 50 per cent of the Iranian economy,” arguing that the regime is “feeling it in their wallet.”
Asked about enforcement against Iran’s so-called “ghost fleet,” Waltz said he believes the United States has authority under UN sanctions to seize vessels, though he acknowledged the issue is disputed. He called for stronger action through UN-linked bodies such as the International Maritime Organization.
On unrest inside Iran, Waltz cited figures briefed at a UN session “verified by a number of NGOs,” saying “18” people were killed. He described it as “a wholesale at-scale massacre from the regime of its own people.” The meeting featured dissidents, including Masih Alinejad.
Pressed on timing, Waltz declined to define a deadline but said Trump had presented Iran with a “very clear option” to abandon enrichment, long-range ballistic missiles, and support for “terrorist proxies.”
The UN Security Council has often been divided on Israel-Palestine resolutions, with vetoes common among permanent members. A unanimous vote on such a file is diplomatically notable.
–IANS
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