Is Trump among early nominees for Nobel Peace Prize despite starting Iran war?

US President Donald Trump has craved the Nobel Peace Prize. And the latest report by Reuters suggests that the POTUS is expected to be among the nominees for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize.

Trump, who launched a war alongside Israel on Iran on February 28, has been boasting about his diplomatic breakthroughs and how he ended so many wars, which is why, according to him, he deserves the prestigious honour more than anyone else.

Is Trump in line for 2026 Nobel Peace Prize?

The leaders from Cambodia, Israel and Pakistan have said they put forward Trump's name for this year’s prize. If submitted, those nominations would have been made in spring or summer 2025; they remain valid under the January 31 deadline.

However, there is no way to confirm this, as nominations remain confidential for 50 years. The Secretary of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, Kristian Berg Harpviken, however, declined to comment on Thursday (April 30) on whether Trump had been nominated, Reuters reported.

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This year, some 287 candidates will be considered for the Nobel Peace Prize. 2026 nominations include 208 individuals and 79 organisations, said Harpviken. He also added that there were several new nominees compared to last year.

"Since I am new in the job, one of the things that has to some extent surprised me is how much renewal there is from year to year on the list," Harpviken said in an interview, who has held the position since January 2025, the news agency noted.

"The Peace Prize is even ⁠more important in a period like the one we're living in. There is as much good work, if not more, than ever," added Harpviken.

What's the process of Nobel Peace Prize nomination?

The peace prize nomination is not an endorsement by the ​award body.

The nomination process for the award is highly secretive. The Norwegian Nobel Committee selects the laureates, and nominations are submitted by individuals eligible in the respective fields.

The laws and regulations of the Nobel Foundation follow a set of norms which restrict the disclosure of information about the nominations for about 50 years. This maintains the secrecy of the selection.

There are certain criteria that the nominated person must meet for a nomination to be valid. People cannot nominate themselves.

They can only be nominated by a cabinet member or minister of a sovereign state, a university professor, a member of the International Court of Justice, the main board of directors, or a current or former member of the Norwegian Nobel Committee.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee selects the specific person for the prestigious role of Nobel Prize. The committee comprises five members. The process requires a lengthy procedure with proper checks.

A short list is prepared by the committee members following the adviser's review. After the proper review process is completed, the one who receives the majority vote is announced and awarded the prize.

What happens next

Among those reportedly nominated this year are Ukrainian Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, and institutions such as the International Criminal Court.

The committee will now review the nominees before revealing the winner on October 9. The award ceremony will take place on December 10 in Oslo.

If reports that Donald Trump has been nominated are confirmed, then it would mark a significant development in itself.

Last year's award was given to Venezuelan opposition leader Marla Corina Machado, who later dedicated her prize to Trump and even presented the POTUS with her medal.

With inputs from agencies