Trump-Pezeshkian Meeting Prospects Fade as US-Iran Differences Persist
NEW YORK, UNITED STATES — WEB DESK: Prospects of a direct meeting between Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and US President Donald Trump during the Iranian leader’s New York visit have faded sharply, according to a senior Iranian Foreign Ministry official, despite continuing diplomatic contacts aimed at ending the conflict.
The Iranian official, speaking to Geo News on condition of anonymity, said there was effectively no prospect of Pezeshkian meeting Trump because Washington continued to take what Tehran viewed as a tough and one-sided position on current proposals.
The assessment represents the position of an unnamed Iranian official rather than confirmation from both governments that a meeting has been formally ruled out.
Earlier in the week, the possibility had appeared more plausible. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated Trump was prepared to meet Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, while both governments signalled some openness to diplomacy.
Diplomatic Momentum Falls Short of Leaders’ Meeting
US and Iranian representatives have nevertheless engaged indirectly through mediators during the UN gathering.
Trump said earlier this week that members of his team had held what he described as a “very good” meeting involving the Iranian side, with further engagement expected.
Iran has also submitted a new proposal concerning peace talks through mediators, according to reporting on Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s account of the negotiations.
But these diplomatic contacts have not yet translated into a direct presidential meeting.
A major obstacle appears to be the continuing gap between the two governments over the conditions for ending the conflict, sanctions and other security issues.
Pezeshkian Says Iran Still Wants a Deal
The apparent collapse of prospects for a Trump-Pezeshkian meeting does not mean Tehran has abandoned negotiations.
Pezeshkian said this week that Iran does not want the war to continue and argued that Washington must decide whether it wants to end the conflict.
In separate remarks, he indicated that Tehran wanted progress on an agreement before the US midterm elections rather than allowing diplomacy to be delayed until after November.
Pezeshkian has therefore combined two positions: Iran remains open to negotiations, but Tehran says it will not accept an agreement under coercive terms.
In his UN General Assembly address, the Iranian president said Iran was prepared for negotiations but would not surrender what Tehran considers its legitimate nuclear rights.
Trump Has Mixed Diplomacy With Pressure
Trump has similarly combined diplomatic overtures with threats and pressure.
During his UN address, the US president warned Iran of severe consequences if an agreement was not reached, while also suggesting that a diplomatic settlement could still come soon.
He later told Arab and regional leaders that US officials had held extended contacts with Iranian officials and mediators, describing those discussions as constructive.
The combination of negotiations and public threats has complicated efforts to arrange a direct meeting between the two presidents.
An Iranian official told Geo News that despite Trump’s mixed public signals about reaching an agreement, Tehran viewed Washington’s underlying approach as aggressive.
That is the Iranian official’s assessment of US policy and not an independently established description of Washington’s intentions.
Iran Wants Settlement Before US Midterms
Timing has also emerged as a point of disagreement.
Trump has indicated that a broader agreement with Iran could come after the US midterm elections.
Pezeshkian, by contrast, has said Iran does not want negotiations to be delayed until then.
This creates another potential diplomatic obstacle as the two governments negotiate over the timing and terms of a settlement.
Despite those differences, Pezeshkian has repeatedly emphasised that Iran would prefer negotiations over continued fighting.
“If disagreements can be resolved through dialogue, there should be no need to kill one another,” Pezeshkian said in an interview reported by Express Urdu.
Pakistan and Qatar Continue Diplomatic Efforts
Other regional governments are continuing efforts to narrow the gap between Washington and Tehran.
Pakistan has remained engaged in the diplomatic process. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Pezeshkian in New York, where the two leaders discussed the regional situation and peace efforts. According to Pakistan’s Prime Minister’s Office, Pezeshkian said the earlier Islamabad understanding remained acceptable to Iran.
Qatar has also played an intermediary role in indirect US-Iran contacts.
These channels remain significant because Washington and Tehran have so far relied heavily on intermediaries rather than sustained direct negotiations between their top political leaders.
No Trump-Pezeshkian Meeting Confirmed
The latest development therefore requires careful wording.
There is no confirmed Trump-Pezeshkian meeting, and a senior Iranian Foreign Ministry official now says the possibility has become negligible.
However, neither side has abandoned diplomacy altogether. Iran continues to say it wants an agreement, while the Trump administration has participated in mediated discussions and publicly left open the possibility of a settlement.
The safest publication framing is therefore that prospects for a direct Trump-Pezeshkian meeting have faded sharply, while broader US-Iran negotiations remain active but unresolved.
