NEW YORK-(MaraviPost)-US President Donald Trump has warned Iran that it faces a choice between reaching a deal with Washington and what he described as the “annihilation” of the Islamic Republic, while simultaneously signalling that diplomatic talks could provide a path towards ending the conflict.
CNN reports that Trump told the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday that he had a major decision to make on Iran, while US officials separately held lengthy discussions with an Iranian delegation through mediators on the sidelines of the UN gathering.
Trump later described the three-hour meeting as “very good” and “very productive”, adding that another meeting had been scheduled for the “very near future”.
US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff confirmed that mediators had shuttled between the two delegations throughout the day, describing the discussions as potentially “constructive and promising”.
The diplomatic contact came only hours after Trump’s UN address, in which he warned Iran that it could face devastating consequences if an agreement was not reached and reiterated that Tehran must not be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has arrived in New York for the General Assembly, while Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is also part of the Iranian delegation, creating an unusual diplomatic setting as the two countries remain engaged in the conflict.
Iranian authorities have responded to Trump’s threats with warnings of further retaliation, while Iranian officials have continued to indicate that diplomatic engagement remains possible under conditions acceptable to Tehran.
Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has also urged diplomacy, warning that the Gulf is experiencing one of its most dangerous periods and calling for a diplomatic solution to the conflict.
The latest developments leave diplomacy and military escalation running in parallel, with another round of US-Iran discussions expected as fighting and tensions across the region continue.
Leave a Reply