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

US President Donald Trump and regional leaders met in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly to discuss potential de-escalation in the Middle East, according to Tom Barrack, the US ambassador to Turkey and senior envoy. The attendees included UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, 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, and representatives from Iraq and Gulf Co-operation Council states.

Barrack told The National that the consensus among the leaders was the need for a path towards de-escalation, which aimed to achieve a temporary pause in regional hostilities to pave the way for a broader diplomatic process. The message, according to Barrack, was the importance of tolerance, kindness, and getting along. The meeting followed Trump's threat to "annihilate" Iran if a deal was not reached soon to end the almost seven-month war.

Trump briefed the regional leaders on the three-hour talks that his envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner had held with Iranian officials, describing them as "brilliant mediators" and expressing optimism about the diplomatic push. Trump emphasized that the US would not let Iran obtain a nuclear bomb and hinted at potential military action if Iran showed any activity at "Pickaxe Mountain."