Trump to Meet GCC Leaders at UNGA as Iran War Drags On — SkimNews
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- Trump is set to meet leaders from all six GCC states (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Oman) at UNGA in New York on Tuesday, nearly seven months into the US-Israel war on Iran that began February 28.
- A June memorandum of understanding briefly raised hopes of ending the war but collapsed last month over Strait of Hormuz navigation disputes; the strait remains effectively closed.
- Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani described the war's economic fallout as an "earthquake," and experts say Gulf states will convey grave concerns to Trump about renewed US military strikes on Iran.
- The six GCC members have faced "divergent" war outcomes: the UAE exports oil via pipeline to Fujairah bypassing Hormuz, Qatar's LNG shipments are severely curtailed, and Saudi Arabia is under pressure as Houthis gain ground in Yemen.
- Trump told Axios he faces a "big decision" on the war, and experts note the administration appears open to diplomatic options, with rumors of an indirect US-Iran meeting before Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian's Wednesday UNGA speech.
- Experts say the meeting is unlikely to produce a breakthrough; the best-case scenario is an agreement to return to negotiations potentially brokered by Qatar or Pakistan.
Why it matters: Trump is weighing escalation against Iran under intense domestic pressure — midterms weeks away, record-low approval, and demands to lower petrol prices — making him politically vulnerable to any oil-price spike and giving Gulf leaders' de-escalation case unusual weight.
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