US President Donald Trump said US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were part of the American team that met with Iranian officials and mediators in New York, with the talks lasting around three hours as Washington and Tehran face renewed pressure to reach an agreement.Trump described the meeting as a “very good meeting” but provided few details about who represented Iran or what was discussed. The talks came shortly after Trump warned in his address to the United Nations General Assembly that he could “annihilate” Iran if an agreement was not reached.Speaking during his bilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Trump said, “The meeting went very well. It ended an hour ago. It was a meeting that lasted for three hours…It was a very good meeting…”Trump later said the Iranian officials involved were “not the highest level, but it’s something”, according to AP.
Who was involved in the meeting?
Trump said Witkoff and Kushner met with mediators involved in efforts to reach a deal with Iran.“Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met with the mediators on the Iran deal. The mediators were here…A lot of things are working out very well,” Trump said.The engagement came amid renewed diplomatic activity around the UN General Assembly in New York. Earlier on Tuesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Trump was open to meeting Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian during the gathering, although he said such engagement would depend on whether it could produce a constructive outcome.US and Iranian communications had previously taken place through mediators, including Qatar and Pakistan. The latest meeting marks another attempt to keep diplomatic channels open despite the continuing conflict between Washington and Tehran.
Trump had threatened to ‘annihilate’ Iran
The meeting took place just hours after Trump’s address to the UN General Assembly, where he said he faced a choice between reaching a deal with Iran and taking further military action.“I have a big decision to make,” Trump said. “Will a deal be made with Iran that lets them rebuild and create a far greater country than it ever was before, maybe one of the greatest in the Middle East or even the world. Or do I annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly, never giving them a chance to kill and destroy people and countries again?”Trump also called on Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and return to negotiations. Reuters reported that his UN speech combined threats of further action with indications that a diplomatic agreement could still be possible.
What Trump said about the possible deal
Trump suggested that Iran had a choice between further conflict and an agreement that could allow the country to rebuild.“I can’t imagine why they wouldn’t want to do it… In one case, it’s obliteration and the other alternative is potential greatness. It could be a great country,” he said.Trump has previously said that preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons remains a central objective of US policy. Rubio also said earlier Tuesday that any potential engagement would need to address that issue.
What happens next?
The meeting does not by itself indicate that a deal has been reached. Trump described the talks positively but did not announce an agreement or provide details of the issues discussed.Trump also met with leaders and senior officials from Gulf Cooperation Council countries and Jordan on Tuesday to discuss the Iran conflict, while the UN General Assembly provided an opportunity for multiple diplomatic contacts around the war.The latest engagement comes as the conflict continues to affect regional security and global energy markets, particularly because of the importance of the Strait of Hormuz to international oil and gas shipments.
