Trump says Iran deal could be reached after US elections

Speaking at the UN General Assembly on September 22, Donald Trump said he expected an agreement with Iran to be reached after the US midterm elections.

“I think we’ll make a deal right after the election,” Trump said.

Trump also said that US and Iranian representatives had held talks in New York after several months without direct negotiations. The US side was represented by Trump’s special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, while Iran was represented by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. The talks were conducted through intermediaries.

Witkoff later said that mediators had moved between the two sides during the day as discussions continued.

In his UN speech, Trump said he would have to make an important decision regarding further action toward Iran. He also claimed that the United States had prevented Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

According to Trump, Washington had offered Iran economic cooperation in exchange for scaling back its nuclear program and ending support for terrorism. He said Tehran had rejected the proposal.

At the same time, Reuters reported that Iran had signaled a willingness to revive diplomatic negotiations. Tehran also said it was ready to reopen the Strait of Hormuz if the United States reduced military pressure and lifted its blockade of Iranian ports.