Trump to host Gulf leaders at UN for post-Iran war talks

The very framing is what matters for oil markets: talking about a postwar strategy instead of managing a wartime crisis indicates Washington sees the conflict as eventually ending, which traders would take as bearish for the geopolitical risk premium now built into crude. At the same time, Trump's own remark that the war is only "hopefully" close to ending, plus a day-after blueprint that won't be completed until after the midterms, suggests a longer timeline rather than a quick finish, so any oil price relief is likely to remain muted until a clearer plan or ceasefire structure appears. Ongoing threats to Gulf oil and gas exports remain the more pressing price factor for now, and any escalation before Tuesday's meeting could easily drown out the diplomatic signal.

--- Trump is laying groundwork for the Iran war's aftermath, beginning with a Gulf leaders gathering at the UN next week.

Summary:

• Trump is set to meet with Gulf Cooperation Council leaders or foreign ministers at the UN General Assembly in New York next Tuesday
• The discussions will center on a US postwar Iran strategy, with a comprehensive day-after plan due after the midterms
• Expected attendees include Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman; the session may widen to other Arab and Muslim leaders
• Netanyahu has also requested a meeting with Trump in New York, though none is scheduled
• The approach follows last year's UN pattern, when Trump met Arab and Muslim leaders ahead of unveiling his Gaza peace plan a week later
• Trump said Wednesday the war is "hopefully" nearing its end and again asserted Iran wants a deal, reportedly from Tehran directly

President Trump is slated to meet Gulf leaders on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York next Tuesday to talk about next steps in the Iran conflict, three sources with direct knowledge told Axios. The session is expected to center on US proposals for a postwar approach, as Trump and his senior team craft a day-after plan that is not expected to be completed until after the midterm elections.

Per the sources, Trump will meet with leaders or foreign ministers from the six Gulf Cooperation Council countries—Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Oman. One source said the meeting might be expanded to include other Arab and Muslim leaders. The State Department dispatched initial invitations on Wednesday, while the White House declined to comment on the plans.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also wants to meet Trump during his New York trip, an Israeli source said, although no meeting has been arranged yet.

The timing parallels last year's UN General Assembly, when Trump met with leaders from eight Arab and Muslim countries and shared his draft Gaza peace plan. He unveiled that plan publicly a week later, and a deal to conclude that war followed shortly. The Gulf states now central to the Iran talks have a direct interest in how the conflict ends. Several host US military bases and were hit by significant Iranian attacks during the war, plus substantial economic losses from disruptions to their oil and gas exports.

Trump said on Wednesday he believes the war is hopefully nearing its close, repeating his claim that Iran wants an agreement and that the US has heard this directly from Tehran. The planned Gulf meeting suggests Washington is now turning its attention from the war's day-to-day conduct to shaping what follows, following a pattern—private diplomacy with regional leaders before a public announcement—similar to the one before last year's Gaza deal.