Trump and regional leaders discussed Iran de-escalation at UN, says Tom Barrack

US President Donald Trump convened a meeting with regional leaders at the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday. The purpose, according to Tom Barrack, the US ambassador to Turkey and senior envoy, was to explore avenues for de-escalation in the Middle East. Notable attendees included Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed of the UAE, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara, Jordan's King Abdullah II, Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, as well as Iraq and Gulf Co-operation Council representatives.

Barrack conveyed that the consensus among these leaders was the necessity of a pathway towards de-escalation. He elaborated to The National that the talks aimed to achieve a temporary pause in regional hostilities, providing a breather for a more comprehensive diplomatic process. Barrack emphasized the importance of developing mutual tolerance, kindness, and better relations.

The summit followed Trump's remarks at the UN General Assembly, where he threatened to "annihilate" Iran if a deal was not reached to avert the ongoing seven-month conflict. During the meeting, Trump briefed the regional leaders on the three-hour discussions between his envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, and Iranian officials.

Trump characterized the mediators as "brilliant" and expressed optimism about the diplomatic efforts. He underscored the Iranian respect for these envoys and hoped for a prompt positive response from Tehran, warning against the risk of Iran developing a nuclear weapon.