Trump Advisor Says U.S. Dominates Middle East Sphere

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Gabriel Sawma, a member of U.S. President Donald Trump’s advisory board, said Thursday that he expects Iran to ultimately negotiate a deal with Washington on terms set by the administration, including ending uranium enrichment and halting ballistic missile development. He added that the Middle East remains firmly under U.S. influence, warning that Washington would not allow China, Iran, or Russia to expand their role in the region. Sawma also said the U.S. approach combines strict diplomatic terms with military pressure and sanctions, while Tehran maintains it will not initiate conflict but will respond if attacked.

“I think at the end, they are going to negotiate a settlement,” Sawma said in an interview with Kurdistan24 on Feb. 19, 2026. “They would, yeah, they would agree to the president’s proposals to stop enriching uranium, stop working on the rockets, ballistic missiles, stop interfering in other countries, and if they agree to these conditions, there’s going to be an agreement, a peace agreement.”

Sawma said he believes that is the president’s objective. “He wants Iran to be a friendly country to the United States. We’ll see what happens,” he said.

In the interview, Sawma described the administration’s approach as one of sustained pressure combined with an offer of negotiations. “He is sending the force so that he could have a deal with them. A deal in his favor. That’s his policy,” Sawma said. “They have no other choice. This is the point. He put them in a corner.”

Sawma stated that President Trump “is not going to budge on anything” and that Iranian authorities “have to stop this nuclear activity, this rocket science activities, whatever they are doing, they must stop it. Interfering with other countries, they have no other options.”

He pointed to what he described as a substantial U.S. military presence in the region. “Look how many ships he sent to the Middle East. How many airplanes? 50 airplanes yesterday, 50 new airplanes. There are two carriers, each one has more than 5,000 crew members, each one has more than 72 airplanes, fighter jets,” Sawma said.

According to Sawma, the military buildup is intended to strengthen the U.S. negotiating position. “He wants a deal and then he wants to get the peace prize, the Nobel Peace Prize,” he said. “Trump wants peace in the world. He doesn’t want war. And if he could reach an agreement with the Iranians, that’d be great.”

Sawma also linked the administration’s policy to domestic political considerations. “Remember that next year we’re going to have an election in America. It’s going to be this year, this November,” he said. “The American people don’t want to see their kids killed in battles in Iran or whatever. So if he reaches a peace agreement with them, the American people would vote in his favor.”

Discussing broader regional priorities, Sawma said that the advisory board’s “main purpose” is “to create peace in that region.” He identified Gaza as a primary concern. “Gaza, as you know, is destroyed completely. No roads, no electricity, no water, no houses. Everything is destroyed in Gaza,” he said.

Sawma said the president believes $17 billion could be raised to rebuild Gaza. “After that, Gaza would be a peaceful place,” he said, adding that President Trump envisions developing the area “like New York, like Chicago,” with trade agreements between the United States and the people of Gaza.

Turning back to Iran, Sawma described what he characterized as economic pressure imposed by Washington. “He put so much pressure on Iran, economic pressure. He has sanctions on Iran. He put sanctions on any countries. He put tariffs like 25% tariffs on every country who does business with Iran,” Sawma said.

He asserted that Iran is “completely isolated from the rest of the world” and described its monetary system as “destroyed.” He also claimed that “the people of Iran are fed up with this regime.”

He added that “the only options available for these people is to come to the negotiating table,” and said he hopes there will not be a war. “We hope there’s going to be peace. I mean we pray that there’s not going to be a war in Iran.”

Sawma also stated that the Middle East is “under the influence of the United States’ policies” and said that “America would not let any country to get involved in the Middle East affairs, not China, nor Iran, nor Russia.”

His comments come one day after Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations said Tehran would not initiate war but would respond decisively to any military aggression.

In a letter to U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres and the president of the Security Council, Iran’s permanent representative, Amir Saeid Iravani, said Iran “will not initiate any war” but would respond “decisively, proportionately, and within the framework of its inherent right to self-defense” if attacked.

According to the previously reported letter, Iravani cited public comments by President Trump regarding the potential use of the Diego Garcia base and the airfield in Fairford in the event of a breakdown in negotiations. He described such statements as “a real danger of military aggression” and warned that “all bases, facilities, and assets of the hostile force in the region will be considered legitimate targets” if Iran is subjected to military action.

Sawma’s remarks underscore the contrast between Washington’s stated pressure campaign and Tehran’s assertion that it does not seek war but will defend itself if attacked.

Throughout the interview, Sawma reiterated that he believes a negotiated outcome remains possible. “At the end, Trump wants peace in the world. He doesn’t want war,” he said. “If he could reach an agreement with the Iranians, that’d be great.”

He added that the administration’s strategy is designed to compel Iran to accept U.S. terms. “You either agree or we go to war,” he said, describing what he characterized as the president’s position.