U.S. President Donald Trump met with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the leaders of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states at the United Nations headquarters in New York, where they are attending the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.
The meeting was attended by Türkiye, along with leaders or foreign ministers from the GCC member states of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman, as well as Egypt, Syria, Iraq and Lebanon.
“We had a very productive meeting with Iran”
Trump said they held a very productive meeting with Iran and would see how the process unfolds from here. “Mediation has been going on for a while, but I think there is a lot of momentum for them to make a deal. That is what we are hearing from everybody,” Trump said, adding that reaching an agreement would be good for everyone.
Commenting on when the crisis with Iran might be resolved, the U.S. President said: “We think that the situation with Iran could end right after the midterm elections (on 3 November) and maybe before. I don't know. You never know.”
Trump reiterated his position that the United States would either reach a deal with Tehran or, failing that, “annihilate” the country. He also said that more than one billion barrels of oil had passed through the Strait of Hormuz since the crisis began with the support of U.S. forces, arguing that the United States was in control of the strait.
“My administration strongly supports the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor and the pipelines that will transport oil. Together, we are on the verge of overcoming the challenges that have plagued this region for decades,” Trump said.
Trump praises President Erdoğan
President Trump recalled that he had met with countries from the region on the sidelines of the United Nations a year ago, when they took important steps on Gaza and worked to bring the crisis in the region to an end. Turning to President Erdoğan as he spoke about the process, Trump said:
“Exactly one year ago, many of us met here on the sidelines of the United Nations to discuss how we could end the bloody war in Gaza, and almost the same people were here, including my friend right over here from Türkiye. He’s a tough cookie. Don’t mess around with him. He’s a fantastic guy.”
Trump said that the leaders gathered around the table had worked hard to stop the bloodshed in Gaza and that those countries were now prepared to make significant contributions to the reconstruction of Gaza.
