# Can the U.N. Cool the U.S.-Iran War?

> As delegations gather in New York, experts see a slim but critical window to revive peace talks before tensions spiral further.
- Title: Can the U.N. Cool the U.S.-Iran War? · TIME | Shortify
- Summary: As delegations gather in New York, experts see a slim but critical window to revive peace talks before tensions spiral further. This week's U.N. General…
- Keywords: united states, iran, donald trump, masoud pezeshkian, united nations general assembly, unga, war, diplomacy, peace talks, gulf cooperation council, qatar mediation, strait of hormuz
- Source: TIME — https://time.com/article/2026/09/21/trump-iran-war-united-nations-general-assembly
- Author: Connor Greene
- Published: 2026-09-21T23:01:58.966+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: united states, iran, donald trump, masoud pezeshkian, united nations general assembly, unga, war, diplomacy, peace talks, gulf cooperation council, qatar mediation, strait of hormuz
## Trump and Iran trade threats
Trump told Fox News he's weighing whether to "blow the entire nation up," while Iran's Revolutionary Guard warned of "new weapons" if attacked.

> If a new aggression takes place, we will definitely change the weapons and geography of the war.
## Seven months of active conflict
The U.S. and Iran have traded fresh strikes over the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil shipping route, while Iranian-backed Houthis attacked Saudi Arabia.
## Peace talks broke down in June
A memorandum of understanding signed by both leaders collapsed, and meaningful negotiations have stalled for weeks.
## U.N. gathering offers last chance
Experts say this week's General Assembly is the final realistic opportunity to prevent escalation before October or November.

> It's the last best opportunity to try to prevent an escalation either in October or in November.
## Top officials heading to New York
Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and U.N. Ambassador Mike Waltz will represent the U.S., while Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi attend.
## Gulf states may broker talks
Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Turkey, Pakistan, and Egypt could mediate between the U.S. and Iran during the gathering.
## Trump meets Gulf Cooperation Council
Trump will hold talks with leaders from Saudi Arabia, the U.A.E., Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, and Bahrain about next steps after the conflict ends.
## Both sides demand incompatible outcomes
Iran and the U.S. are in a zero-sum situation with no overlap between their demands, making a deal difficult without new incentives.

> Because at this moment, both sides are in a zero-sum situation in which there is literally no overlap between what the Iranians demand and what the U.S. is seeking to achieve.
## Sweeteners needed for a deal
Experts say both sides need incentives like revised agreements or sanctions relief to bridge their gap and reach an understanding.
## Direct meeting would be historic
Trump said he'd meet with Pezeshkian, and experts say such an encounter would signal Iran's willingness to risk domestic backlash to avoid military strikes.

> It's a big deal. It's a big outcome.
## Security Council resolution option
A binding U.N. resolution could replace the failed June memorandum and include an observer mission to monitor compliance.
## Experts remain skeptical
Despite the opportunity, analysts say deep mistrust and serious differences make a meaningful breakthrough unlikely this week.

> There are very serious differences, and there's deep mistrust.
## Key takeaway

This week's U.N. General Assembly offers the last realistic chance to prevent escalation, but both sides demand incompatible outcomes.