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U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to meet Gulf leaders on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York next Tuesday, Sept. 22, to discuss next steps in the war with Iran, Axios reported, citing three sources with direct knowledge of the plans.
The meeting is expected to focus on U.S. ideas for a postwar strategy as Trump's administration works on a broader "day-after" plan expected to be finalized after the November midterm elections, Axios said.
Leaders or foreign ministers from the six Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman, are expected to attend, according to the report, which said the meeting could expand to include other Arab and Muslim leaders.
The State Department reportedly sent initial invitations Wednesday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also wants to meet with Trump in New York, according to an Israeli source cited by Axios, though no such meeting has been scheduled.
Gulf countries hosting U.S. military bases suffered significant Iranian attacks during the war as well as major economic losses from disruptions to oil and natural gas exports.
Trump met last year with leaders from eight Arab and Muslim countries during the U.N. General Assembly and presented them with his draft Gaza peace plan, which he unveiled publicly a week later; a deal to end that war was reached shortly afterward.
Trump said Wednesday that Iran has reached out directly to Washington and wants to make a deal, describing the conflict as nearing its conclusion.
Asked how he would characterize the current phase of the war, Trump told reporters upon landing in North Carolina: "Hopefully we are towards the end of the war. They want to make a deal, and we'll see how that works out."
Asked whether he had heard from Iran directly or through intermediaries, Trump said the contact had come directly.
Rising prices tied to the war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, including fuel costs, tariffs and auto expenses, have become a challenge for Republican candidates ahead of November's elections.
Republican Senate nominee Michael Whatley told CBS News he would always prioritize North Carolinians' interests, while voicing support for Trump's handling of the Iran war.
"We're going to work every day to try and bring (diesel fuel) prices down there," Whatley said.
Asked whether prices could come down quickly without ending the war, Whatley said: "We needed to make sure that Iran did not have nuclear weapons. We've got to make sure that they cannot develop and deploy nuclear weapons. That was what the president has acted on."
The U.S. and Israel launched large-scale attacks on Iran in February, targeting government buildings, military sites, missile infrastructure and air defenses, prompting Iranian missile and drone strikes on Israel and U.S. bases across the region.
The conflict has since expanded regionally, with diplomatic efforts continuing to end hostilities.
Trump's remarks come despite ongoing tensions over the Strait of Hormuz, notwithstanding a June Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) envisioning a deal to reopen the waterway as a prelude to a broader peace agreement.
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