Will Trump meet Iranian President Pezeshkian at UNGA in New York? Here's what to expect as US-Iran war rages on

US President Donald Trump signalled on Sunday (local time) that he is open to meeting Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian at the UN General Assembly in New York.

Fox News journalist Trey Yingst claimed he asked Trump whether he would be willing to meet Pezeshkian during the UN General Assembly’s high-level week. Yingst quoted Trump as replying, “He said he would probably be open to it."

The statement came even as Washington weighs its next military move and the Trump administration maintains economic pressure on Tehran. Meanwhile, Tehran earlier presented seven conditions for ending the nearly seven-month-old war.

According to Yingst, Trump outlined three possible courses of action regarding Iran: 'wiping Iran out', allowing it to “rot economically”, or reaching a deal with Tehran.

“Very big things are going to be happening in the not so distant,” Yingst said, citing Trump's assessment of the situation.

Pezeshkian is in New York to attend 81st session of the UN General Assembly, which is being held from September 22-26 and on September 28.

The Iranian President is be the highest-ranking Iranian official to set foot on American soil since the start of the Middle East war, which began in late February with US-Israeli strikes on Iran.

Both Trump and Pezeshkian are expected to speak at the UN meeting this week. Here's what they are expected to say:

Trump

President Donald Trump is set to address the UN General Assembly on Tuesday. He is widely expected to justify the US' action in Iran, while discussing his efforts to strike peace deals around the world. The president is also expected to discuss progress on his 20-point peace plan for Gaza, the report added.

The UNGA meeting holds significance as it comes at a time when Trump is facing a deeply unpopular war in Iran, rising concerns about the unpredictability of AI and allies that have begun to openly question whether the US remains a credible partner.

Trump will use his address to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday to cast himself as a global leader who has “confronted complex problems head-on” — even as the war he launched against Iran in February enters its seventh month with no end in sight.

Administration officials earlier signalled that Trump will make the case in his address that the world is better off under his leadership.

"We expect the president will highlight how he has and his administration have confronted complex problems head-on around the world," Ambassador Mike Waltz, Trump's chief envoy to the international body, told reporters.

Trump will argue in his speech that the war in Iran is necessary to prevent the nation from having a nuclear weapon, a US official was quoted by the New York Times as saying.

"He will touch on the importance of ensuring that Iran never has a nuclear weapon, which is not only demanded by the United States, has been demanded by the UN Security Council and repeated resolutions, and he'll talk about some of the United States' accomplishments in over the past year, since the last time he was here, including in the Western Hemisphere, progress on the president's 20-point peace plan in Gaza, and more," Waltz was quoted as saying.

Later in the day, Trump will meet with British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Venezuela's interim leader Delcy Rodriguez, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen, and the representatives of the Gulf states of the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar. In the evening, he may meet dozens more leaders, albeit briefly, during a leaders' reception.

Among the closely watched meetings will be the seven-way gathering with the Gulf leaders, many of whom are alarmed by the recent advances of the Houthis, Iran-backed militants who have captured wide swathes of Yemen, attacked US ally Saudi Arabia and threatened shipping through the strategic Bab el-Mandab strait.

Iran's Pezeshkian

According to the country’s semi-official Tasnim news agency, Pezeshkian will address the assembly and present Iran’s positions on “international developments,” with a particular focus on its war with the US and Israel.

As he departed for New York to attend the UN General Assembly, Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian vowed to "firmly defend" his country's positions.

"We emerged with our heads held high, and this is a source of dignity and pride for all of us. Therefore, we will firmly defend our positions in international forums," Pezeshkian said before flying out of Iran, according to footage broadcast by state television, as reported by AFP.

"We will make the best possible use of this opportunity to convey Iran's plight to the international community. We will firmly tell our adversaries that, despite all the unfairness and injustices, the Iranian people have stood their ground," he said.

Meanwhile, ANI quoted the Iranian President as saying, "We will forcefully raise Iran's positions in international forums. The issues we will raise at the United Nations are expressing the oppressed state of the Iranian nation, the crimes that have occurred, and the distrust that has been created."

"We went to the negotiating table several times and signed agreements, but unfortunately, the whole world saw how commitments were not fulfilled and the writings were trampled underfoot," he reportedly said.

Pezeshkian will also hold talks with the leaders of several countries on the sidelines of the event, which is scheduled to take place Sept. 22 to 26, and 28.

President Pezeshkian will also hold separate meetings with educated Iranians living in the United States, as well as American elites and think tanks, ABI reported.

Strait of Hormuz

The reopening of the strategic Strait of Hormuz remains at the heart of the conflict between Tehran and Washington.

Traffic in the vital maritime corridor, through which one-fifth of the world's hydrocarbons passed before the war, has been severely disrupted, with Iran firing on commercial ships and demanding it approve passage.

In response, the United States is maintaining a counterblockade of Iranian ports while upping economic pressure on Iran.