A ship sailing in the Gulf of Oman. Photographed off the coast of Muscat on July 25, 2026. (Photo by AFP via Getty Images) /
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US President Donald Trump will meet with Gulf leaders next Tuesday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York to discuss the next steps toward war with Iran, Axios reported on Thursday.
The report comes as U.S. efforts to restart ceasefire talks appear to be stalling, as Gulf states have absorbed an escalation in attacks from Iran and Iran-aligned Houthi militants in recent days, further disrupting energy exports and disrupting oil markets.
Trump is scheduled to meet with the leaders of six Gulf Cooperation Council countries (Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman), and the guest list could expand to include other Arab and Islamic leaders, the report said. The State Department sent out the first invitations on Wednesday, Axios reported, citing anonymous people familiar with the matter.
Trump and his senior team have been working on the plan since the next day, Axios said, with discussions expected to focus on U.S. proposals for post-war strategy, with a final decision expected after the U.S. midterm elections in November.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also wants to meet with President Trump in New York, but there are no plans to do so, the report said, citing Israeli sources.
President Trump insisted Wednesday that Iran is in direct contact with Washington and wants a deal, saying the state of war is nearing an end. “They want a deal and we’ll see how it goes,” he told reporters upon arriving in North Carolina.
economic cost
The latest diplomatic push comes as Gulf states face rising economic costs from the conflict. Saudi Arabia has shut down the East-West Pipeline, a highly strategic network that transports crude oil from the kingdom’s east coast to the Red Sea port of Yanbu, after damage from a drone attack.
Oil prices fell below previous gains on Wednesday as Saudi Arabia reportedly arranged for additional shipments via Oman’s Sohar port in a ship-to-ship transfer, allaying concerns about a prolonged supply gap. Brent crude oil fell to $105.8 per barrel and West Texas Intermediate fell 0.22% to $102.14.
On Wednesday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres reiterated his call for de-escalation in the region, urging diplomacy and the restoration of freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. It remains unclear what the United States will demand from the Gulf states and Iran in a postwar deal.
Michael Ferrer, chief geopolitical strategist, said Iran may be open to negotiations after the U.S. midterm elections, but a reluctance to engage diplomatically risks prolonging the conflict.
“Iran may be willing to accept a deal after the midterm elections. Otherwise, the war could continue into late 2028 or even beyond,” Ferrer said.
He said one remedy would be to repair the East-West pipeline, but unless the line was restored within days, stocks at export terminals would be depleted.
