Trump says 'open' to meeting with Iran President Pezeshkian
The encounter would come at a striking moment as Iran military warns US against new attack
US President Donald Trump has signalled he is open to meeting Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in New York this week, even as Washington weighs its next military move and Tehran presents conditions for ending the nearly seven-month-old war.
Asked by Fox News whether he would meet Pezeshkian during the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Trump said he would “probably be open” to it.
The potential encounter would come at a striking moment: Iran has sent Washington a list of conditions for renewed negotiations while Iranian military leaders warn that any new US attack would trigger retaliation against American bases and interests across the region.
Why, how Trump and Pezeshkian could meet
The immediate opportunity is the UN General Assembly high-level week in New York, with the main general debate scheduled for September 22-28.
Pezeshkian is expected to attend, after the Trump administration agreed to allow an Iranian delegation including the president and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi into the United States for the gathering.
A meeting would therefore not necessarily require a separate summit to be arranged in advance.
The two presidents will be in the same city for the UN gathering, creating an opportunity for direct contact at a time when Washington and Tehran have been communicating indirectly through intermediaries.
It would also be potentially significant because Iran's latest diplomatic message has put concrete conditions on the table.
Iran's demands
Iranian Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei said Tehran had conveyed seven conditions through mediators, including an end to the war on all fronts, the release of frozen Iranian assets and an end to the US naval blockade.
Qatar has been involved in transmitting the message, with Turkey and other countries also engaged in diplomatic efforts.
The US position remains unsettled.
Trump told Fox News he was in “deciding mode” and said “very big things” would happen in the near future. He described the choices as continued economic pressure, military action or reaching a deal.
Trump also used unusually stark language, saying: “My question is, if and when do I blow the entire nation up? They better behave.”
Possible meeting does not mean a deal
Trump's openness to meeting Pezeshkian should not be interpreted as evidence that an agreement has been reached or that a summit is confirmed.
It does, however, leave a diplomatic channel open at precisely the point when both sides are simultaneously increasing military pressure and signalling conditions for negotiations.
Pezeshkian has said Iran does not want war but will not yield to force or intimidation. Iranian officials have also insisted that the Strait of Hormuz remains a major source of leverage.
Trump is separately expected to meet leaders of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman in New York to discuss the war and its regional consequences.
Axios previously reported that Trump wanted to hear directly from Gulf allies before making a decision on the next phase of the conflict.
