President Donald Trump said Tuesday that American and Iranian representatives held talks in Manhattan during the UN General Assembly, with the discussions focused on bringing the nearly seven-month conflict to an end.
When Our News Outlet asked whether the long-anticipated meeting had taken place, Trump said it was already over.
“It ended an hour ago,” Trump said during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. He described the session as a three-hour discussion.
Trump characterized the talks as “very good,” while warning that Iran faced a choice between pursuing “potential greatness” and risking “obliteration.”
“It’s to their advantage to make a deal,” the president said. He added that another meeting with Iranian representatives was planned for the near future.
It remained uncertain whether Trump joined the talks personally. According to the president, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, represented the US at the meeting.
Trump’s direct participation appeared unlikely given his packed schedule, which included meetings with the prime ministers of Japan and the UK, as well as a separate sit-down with Zelensky.
Officials did not immediately release details about the discussions. The talks were expected to address the ongoing war in Iran and possible terms for ending the fighting, much like earlier negotiations between the two sides.
President Donald Trump said US and Iranian officials held a three-hour meeting during Tuesday’s UN General Assembly gathering.
Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, center, and Jared Kushner, right, took part in the meeting with Iranian representatives, according to Trump. It was unclear whether the president attended, though his schedule suggested otherwise.
Kushner and Witkoff have led US efforts to negotiate an end to the war with Iranian officials. They have also met with mediators in several Middle Eastern countries while working on a potential agreement.
Iranian officials had not publicly confirmed that the meeting took place.
In his address to the United Nations, Trump said he faced a stark decision: allow Iran to reach an agreement and rebuild, or launch further strikes to “annihilate the Islamic Republic” and “drive them into Hell.”
Trump also accused Iran’s “fanatical” leadership of killing more than 72,000 of its own people this year. He claimed that 10,000 had recently died during protests.
The UN General Assembly offers one of the few settings where US and Iranian officials can meet. Earlier discussions have taken place in Rome, Pakistan and other locations throughout the Middle East.
The encounter marked the first face-to-face meeting between the two sides since June, when they reached a ceasefire that lasted only briefly.
Ending the conflict involving Iran is not the only peace effort Trump has placed at the center of his foreign policy agenda.
Sitting across from Ukraine’s wartime president, Trump once again said he expected Russia to agree to terms ending its more than four-year war with Ukraine.
“Well, I think they’re going to make a deal, and I don’t want to say what the deal is,” Trump said.
President Trump smiles as he reaches toward Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during their bilateral meeting at the UN on Tuesday.
Trump said he hoped to have another meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the conflict, adding that there may be another face-to-face sit-down with Ukrainian and Russian officials this year.
“We’ve had a meeting already in Alaska. I think he’d do another one,’ Trump said of Putin.
‘I don’t know about Miami. We have a big thing happening in Miami very soon, but no, he’ll meet. He’s willing to make this work. He’d like to see the war end.’
In December, the G20 will meet in Miami for its annual summit. While Zelensky has confirmed he will attend, it is up in the air whether Putin will show.
