Trump heaps praise on Middle East leaders at UN meeting on Iran war

In a significant UN meeting held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City, US President Donald Trump lavished praise on Arab and Muslim leaders. The meeting, which took place on Tuesday, saw Trump shower high compliments on the officials but left without any major announcements regarding the ongoing turmoil in the region.

Prior to the meeting, Trump had disclosed to reporters that his envoys had engaged in a lengthy discussion with Iranian officials, aiming to find a diplomatic solution to the ongoing conflict. Trump confirmed that the meeting was "very good" and "very productive," adding that another round of talks was scheduled in the near future.

During the subsequent discussions with regional stakeholders, Trump highlighted the efforts of his negotiators, special envoy for peace missions Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who has no official role within the administration. Trump expressed optimism about the prospect of a deal, stating, "We've been mediating for a while, but I think there's a lot of momentum for them to make a deal."

The participating leaders included Iraq's Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Jordan's King Abdullah II, Trump himself, Qatar's Emir Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, Syria's President Ahmad al-Sharaa, and Egypt's Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly.