Trump Says US-Iran Settlement Could Still Be Reached

S President Donald Trump has said he believes the United States and Iran can still reach a settlement, even as the two countries remain engaged in a military confrontation and sharply disagree over Tehran’s nuclear programme and the conditions for ending the conflict.

Trump made the remarks on September 22, 2026, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, saying US and Iranian officials had continued communicating and had held discussions on the same day.

His comments came only hours after Trump delivered a forceful address to the UN General Assembly in which he warned that the United States could take further military action against Iran if an agreement was not reached.

The combination of threats and continued diplomatic contact has placed negotiations at the centre of the latest effort to determine whether the conflict can be brought to an end.

Trump says negotiations are continuing

Trump said US and Iranian officials were still talking and expressed confidence that a settlement could eventually be reached.

Reuters reported that Trump said the two sides had been communicating and that discussions were taking place on September 22. He described the relationship between Washington and Tehran as developing while maintaining that the United States would not allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon.

Trump did not announce a completed agreement or provide a detailed timetable for a settlement.

His comments therefore represent the US president’s assessment of the diplomatic situation rather than confirmation that Washington and Tehran have reached a final deal.

The absence of an announced agreement leaves major questions unresolved, including Iran’s nuclear programme, military activity, sanctions and the future of the Strait of Hormuz.

US and Iranian officials hold talks

Trump said US officials held a meeting with Iranian representatives on Tuesday.

Other reporting indicated that US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were involved in discussions with Iranian officials and mediators on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. Trump described the meeting as lasting several hours and characterised it as positive.

The meeting was significant because direct US-Iran contacts have been limited amid the continuing conflict.

However, no detailed joint statement from Washington and Tehran announcing a breakthrough was immediately issued.

Iranian officials have also continued to express conditions for negotiations, indicating that significant differences remain between the two governments.

Iran links talks to easing of military pressure

Iran has signalled that it is willing to engage diplomatically, but Tehran has tied any wider de-escalation to changes in US military pressure.

A senior Iranian official told Reuters that Iran was prepared to reopen the strategically important Strait of Hormuz within a week if the United States reduced military pressure and lifted its blockade of Iranian ports.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has also been attending the UN General Assembly, although he has not been scheduled to meet Trump directly.

Iran has argued that US military action has undermined the diplomatic process and has questioned whether negotiations can be conducted reliably while military operations continue.

The differences illustrate the gap between the two sides’ positions.

Washington has continued to emphasise Iran’s nuclear capabilities and security concerns, while Tehran has focused on the removal of military and economic pressure.

Nuclear issue remains central

The nuclear programme is one of the main obstacles to an agreement.

Trump has repeatedly said that Iran must not acquire a nuclear weapon. He repeated that position during his UN address and linked US military action to the objective of preventing Iran from obtaining such a weapon.

The White House has presented the issue as a central element of Trump’s policy toward Tehran.

Iran, meanwhile, has rejected the US approach and maintains its own position regarding its nuclear rights and the conditions under which it would negotiate.

Any lasting settlement would therefore have to address the nuclear issue as well as the wider military confrontation.

Trump combines diplomacy with military pressure

Trump’s latest comments illustrate the two-track approach that has characterised the US position.

On one side, the president has left the door open to negotiations and said he believes a settlement can be achieved.

On the other, he has continued warning Iran that the United States is prepared to use military force if an agreement is not reached.

In his UN speech, Trump warned that Iran could face severe consequences if a peace agreement was not reached. Reuters reported that he threatened to “annihilate” Iran while also saying a settlement could eventually be reached.

The approach places diplomatic negotiations alongside continued military pressure rather than treating them as separate policy tracks.

Strait of Hormuz adds economic pressure

The Strait of Hormuz is another major factor in the negotiations.

The waterway is one of the world’s most important energy shipping routes. Reuters reported that before the US-Israeli war on Iran began in late February, approximately 20% of global oil supply moved through the strait.

Disruption to shipping through the waterway has therefore affected international energy markets.

Iran’s statement that it could reopen the strait under certain conditions has added an economic dimension to the diplomatic discussions.

A sustained improvement in shipping flows could reduce some pressure on oil markets, while renewed disruption could increase concerns about supply and transportation costs.

Oil markets watch the negotiations

Global oil markets have been responding to developments around the conflict.

Reuters reported that oil prices fell on September 22 as Saudi crude flows increased and shipping movements through the Strait of Hormuz improved.

The market remains sensitive to developments involving Iran because of the country’s role in the Middle East and the importance of regional shipping routes.

For oil-producing countries such as Nigeria, changes in international crude prices can affect export revenues, foreign-exchange inflows and government finances.

Nigeria can also be affected through domestic petroleum prices because international crude prices influence the economics of refined petroleum products even as the country’s refining capacity expands.

Iran’s UN delegation remains engaged

Iranian officials have used the UN General Assembly to present Tehran’s position on the conflict.

The Iranian delegation has criticised the United States for military action and questioned Washington’s commitment to diplomacy. Iranian officials have nevertheless maintained contact with intermediaries involved in efforts to reduce the conflict.

The presence of both American and Iranian officials in New York has provided an opportunity for diplomatic contacts that might otherwise be more difficult to arrange.

However, the fact that talks are taking place does not mean the core disagreements have been resolved.

No settlement has been announced

Despite Trump’s optimism, there was no announcement on September 22 of a final US-Iran peace agreement.

Neither side publicly confirmed that the major outstanding issues had been settled.

The reported talks therefore represent another diplomatic contact rather than the conclusion of the conflict.

The parties would still need to resolve questions involving Iran’s nuclear programme, sanctions, military activity, shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and the terms of any ceasefire or longer-term settlement.

What could determine the next stage

The direction of the negotiations will depend on whether Washington and Tehran can narrow their differences over the conditions for ending hostilities.

The United States has continued to insist that Iran must not acquire a nuclear weapon, while Iran has called for an end to military pressure and has indicated that sanctions and the blockade are central issues.

The involvement of intermediaries could provide another channel for negotiations.

The UN General Assembly has also created a setting in which multiple governments can discuss the conflict and encourage de-escalation.

Whether those diplomatic efforts produce a formal agreement remains uncertain.

Trump keeps door open to agreement

Trump’s latest comments indicate that the US administration still sees diplomacy as a possible route out of the conflict.

At the same time, his warnings against Iran and continued emphasis on military pressure show that Washington has not abandoned its threat of further action if negotiations fail.

Iran has likewise signalled that it is prepared to engage under conditions that Tehran considers acceptable.

For now, the two countries remain divided over the terms of any settlement, but their continued contacts provide a diplomatic channel while the conflict continues.

No final agreement has been announced, and Trump’s statement that a settlement will be reached remains a projection by the US president rather than an established outcome.