US President Trump says he hopes the fighting is finally coming to an end

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Following nearly seven months of conflict with Iran, President Trump has expressed hope that the fighting is finally nearing an end, claiming he has received direct signals from Tehran indicating a desire for a deal. However, these comments arrive amidst ongoing hostilities where Iran continues to launch attacks and the war has expanded into a new front as Houthi forces target Saudi Arabia. While Trump is scheduled to meet with Gulf leaders in New York next week to discuss both the current conflict and post-war strategy, experts caution that diplomatic progress may be premature. Analysts suggest that both the United States and Iran currently believe they possess enough room to escalate or continue their limbo phase rather than submit to a settlement, leading to a situation where periodic US retaliatory strikes and economic sanctions against Tehran are likely to persist without immediate resolution. The core of the diplomatic stalemate lies in the differing positions regarding past agreements and future security priorities. Although Iran has expressed interest in returning to the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, President Trump has shown no interest in reviving that agreement, which experts describe as fatally flawed. Instead, the primary focus for US partners in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is currently on curbing Iran's missile and drone programs and addressing its network of terrorist proxies that cause significant damage across the region. The nuclear program, while a long-standing concern, is not the top priority at this moment; rather, the immediate agenda revolves around stopping regional chaos and ensuring freedom of navigation, particularly in light of Iranian interference in the Strait of Hormuz which Iran has seemingly lost leverage over due to US capabilities. The escalation of attacks by Houthi forces against Saudi Arabia has further complicated the geopolitical landscape, as Iran attempts to compensate for its diminished influence in the Strait of Hormuz by opening another front around the Bab al-Mandab strait. This strategy highlights deep divisions within the GCC, particularly between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates regarding their approaches to Yemen, which have hindered a collective response against Iranian aggression. Consequently, a major objective for the upcoming discussions in New York will be for the United States to foster unity among Gulf nations to present a cohesive front against the Iranian regime's efforts to sow instability. Building this diplomatic consensus is seen as crucial for enabling a more decisive regional response and potentially creating conditions where a diplomatic resolution becomes more viable, rather than allowing Iran to gain further leverage by exploiting these fractures.

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Well, after nearly 7 months of war with Iran, President Trump says he hopes the fighting is finally coming to an end. Trump says Iran wants a deal and that he's heard from Tehran directly, although he does not provide any details about that. His comments come as the war continues with Iran still launching attacks and the conflict now spilling into another front with Houthi forces targeting Saudi Arabia. Trump is also expected to meet Gulf leaders in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly next week to discuss the war and what comes after it. So, is there actually a diplomatic off-ramp emerging here or is Trump getting ahead of the reality on the ground? Well, joining us now is Jason Brodsky, policy director of United Against Nuclear Iran. He's joining us from New York. Jason, Trump says he hopes we are toward the end of the war. He says Iran wants a deal. Based on what we know right now about Iran's position and its behavior, especially of course with the ongoing attacks on Saudi Arabia by the Iran-backed Houthis, what would you need to see before taking those signals from Trump seriously? >> Well, it's great to be with you. I think we need to look at the pain and gain calculations of both sides and right now I think both sides believe they have more pain tolerance and room to escalate or continue on to this limbo phase that we've been in than you know, than they would have to totally submit to any kind of diplomatic settlement right now. So, I think that the US and Iran are to be expected to continue this limbo-like phase of periodic strikes by the US to retaliate against Iranian provocations while maintaining the naval blockade and economic sanctions against Tehran. So, also both sides are not on the same page diplomatically. The Iranians want to return to the Islamabad MOU, but President Trump is not interested in returning to that very fatally flawed agreement. >> Trump is also expected to meet with Gulf leaders next week to discuss a post-war strategy. What should the United States be trying to achieve in those talks, particularly when it comes to Iran's nuclear program, uh its missiles, and I think most importantly right now, the regional proxies? >> Well, right now, I think if we're looking at what's at the top of the agenda for uh US partners in the GCC, it is Iran's missile and drone program, and its uh uh terrorist proxies that are running around the region and causing a lot of damage. That is the top priority right now. The nuclear program um given its state right now is not uh the first on the agenda. For the GCC, first on the agenda is uh the missile and drone program for the Iranian regime and its terror proxies and partners. Also, freedom of navigation, let's not forget that. And so, I think it's going to be important for the United States to come up with a united front uh within the GCC uh to the extent that it's possible, because I think what has hobbled a collective and more decisive response from the GCC have been the divisions in the block itself. Uh so, uh I think that the US has an opportunity to try to uh create and build unity here uh where they can. >> With the Houthis now escalating attacks against Saudi Arabia, do you think there could be perhaps you know more of a chance of a diplomatic resolution with Iran? Uh could it be made more urgent perhaps on the part of the United States? Or do you think this is ultimately just giving Iran more leverage to negotiate from? >> Well, I think the Iranians uh believe that they've lost leverage over the Strait of Hormuz given the United States' ability to circumvent uh Iranian interference in the strait and in threats as well. Uh so, they're trying to compensate for that loss of leverage in the Strait of Hormuz with opening up another front around the Bab al-Mandab and encouraging their Houthi partners to escalate against the Yemeni coalition forces. So, that's what the Iranian regime believes right now and the GCC has been divided over Yemen. The Saudis and the UAE have been on at loggerheads over Yemen for uh some time now and so I think it's going to be important to build unity diplomatically in order to present a united front against the Iranian regime and its desire to sow chaos throughout the region. So, that's going to be what's important to during UNGA at the summit. >> [snorts]