Trump open to meeting Iran’s Pezeshkian ‘if conditions are right’
US President Donald Trump has expressed interest in meeting Iranian officials in New York during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, provided “the conditions are right”, CNN reported, citing a US official familiar with the matter. Discussions are under way over the possibility of a meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, according to the official. The official said a potential meeting could instead involve some of Trump’s top advisers travelling with him in New York. There is also uncertainty within the US administration over whether the Iranian diplomats in New York have the backing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who has the final say on major matters, the official told CNN. Both US secretary of state Marco Rubio and US ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz have said Trump remains “open” to talks with Iranian representatives. That’s been a continuous issue,” Waltz said.
However, no formal encounter has been scheduled yet. Internal discussions have focused on whether such a meeting could help the administration find a way to end the US war with Iran. Iran’s scaled-down delegation at the UN General Assembly includes foreign minister Abbas Araghchi and President Masoud Pezeshkian. “That’s a question I wish you could ask the Iranians is, will they sit down directly with us? And who is speaking for the ayatollah?