Trump meets with Iranian officials shortly after threatening annihilation
President Donald Trump and Iranian leaders in New York City for the United Nations General Assembly spoke through an intermediary for hours, taking peace amid war over the Strait of Hormuz and Iranian nuclear weapons aspirations.
Coverage for this event has ended.
Bessent calls Iran regime 'cornered animal,' touts US 'sequencing' strategy
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Wednesday that the Iranian regime was “cornered” as Washington “sequenced” military, economic and financial pressure.
“They're cornered animals,” Bessent said on Fox News’ “Special Report.”
The Treasury secretary went on to say the results Washington was seeing were the product of what he called “sequencing.”
“The world has never seen anything like this, and it's because of sequencing.
Bessent / Trump / Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images
“So we had six weeks of kinetic activity. We have the blockade, and now we have an effort never seen before in terms of constricting and cutting off the financial oxygen to them,” he said of the regime.
“I don't know whether it's going to be a week, a month or two months, but they're going to yell uncle.
“And the goal here can be one of three,” he said before outlining how the outcomes could include the regime turning on itself or an uprising by the Iranian people.
“And then three, to get the Iranians to, if they want to make a deal, to stick to the deal.
“We gave the MoU a try on June 3, and then the Iranians, a few weeks later, began firing on ships in the Strait and being very aggressive. And this time, if there is a deal, I guarantee you they're going to stick with it,” he said.
Oil prices retreat after 4% surge as Iran signals openness to diplomacy
Oil prices fell in early-morning trading in Asia on Thursday after rising 4% in the previous session.
Brent crude futures dipped to 94 cents, or 0.9%, to $102.13 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate futures dropped 59 cents, or 0.7%, to $91.56, Reuters reported.
While Iran said it remained open to diplomacy to end the U.S.-Iran war, the two sides are far apart on how to reach an agreement, the outlet said.
Zelenskyy sounds alarm on Putin luring foreign fighters into war using 'deception and tricks'
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned world leaders Wednesday that Russia is using foreign nationals in its war against Ukraine and urged them not to allow President Vladimir Putin to drag their countries into the conflict.
“We also see people dying on the battlefield who are not Russians,” Zelenskyy said during an address to the United Nations General Assembly.
Explaining how Ukraine regularly receives requests from 47 countries to help recover foreign prisoners of war captured while fighting for Russia, the Ukraine leader said "people from your countries who ended up in Russia through deception and tricks.”
“You know what Russia is doing with your people. It’s your citizens. Take care of them and do not let them end up on another front. Do not let Putin drag you into this war.”
“Do not let Russia put out its fires, cover up its shame and pay for its madness with the lives of your people,” he added.
“Limit his room to act, limit his money, limit his war.”
Zelenskyy also revealed Russia suffered nearly 249,000 battlefield casualties over an eight-month period, including troops killed and seriously wounded.
“These are not just statistics. It’s about people,” he said. “Putin is paying with 248 people for every kilometer. Does anyone still think that he is reasonable and moderate?” Zelenskyy said, referring to Russia’s battlefield losses.
While accusing North Korean leader Kim Jong Un of sending troops to Russia to bolster the Russian military, Zelenskyy said ending the war requires cutting off Moscow’s economic and military resources through sanctions, financial assistance to Ukraine and joint weapons production.
“This ridiculous and never-ending war with Ukraine must be ended,” he said. “I do not know a single world leader who would say otherwise. I do not know anyone who is openly for this war except one man.”
EU leader urges Iran to restore IAEA cooperation, end strikes and reopen Hormuz
European Council President Antonio Costa said Wednesday that he spoke with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and urged him to restore Iran’s cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
“I stressed that dialogue is the only way to resolve conflicts and ensure lasting peace across the region,” Costa said in a post on X.
“I called for an end to Iran’s strikes against its neighbors and the full restoration of freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz,” he added.
Costa said he also urged Iran to resume cooperation with the IAEA, adding that the European Union stands “ready to support all ongoing diplomatic efforts.”
US moving up to 17M barrels of oil a day through Hormuz: Bessent
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Wednesday that U.S. forces were helping move between 10 million and 17 million barrels of oil a day through the Strait of Hormuz amid the blockade of Iranian ports.
“The tankers, they may get hit,” Bessent said of the conditions in the waterway. “Many of them just sail on,” he added before describing how the Iranians may launch “three, four or five, six drones after them,” he said on Fox News’ “Special Report.”
“Our great Navy is blocking them, but we are getting between 10, 15, sometimes 17 million barrels a day out,” he confirmed.
Hormuz / Atta Kenare / AFP via Getty Images
“To put that in perspective, before the conflict began, the number was 20 and there's probably another 3 million going out through alternate methods.
“So that gets us back to somewhere between 13 and 20, which is the reason we have seen oil come down from the spring highs,” he added.
“And in terms of Operation Economic Outcast, we are squeezing the Iranians like they've never seen,” Bessent said.
Bessent questions how Iran UN delegation will get home as US sanctions squeeze flights
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Wednesday he was unsure how Iran’s delegation to the United Nations General Assembly in New York would get home as U.S. sanctions squeezed the country’s international airline operations.
“In terms of Operation Economic Outcast, we are squeezing the Iranians like they've never seen today,” Bessent said on “America Reports.”
“I would say that the external flights from Iran, probably more than 80 or 90% of them, got shut down.
“I'm not sure how the Iranian representatives at the UN are going to get home.
“So we have made it very clear around the world, whether it's the financiers, the people who are doing business to people who are supplying the Iranians, we know who you are, you know who you are, and we are going to prosecute and execute your your companies and your bank accounts every day and every week,” Bessent added.
Bessent warned Monday that Iranian airlines could be forced to halt international operations Wednesday as foreign aviation service providers faced the threat of secondary U.S. sanctions.
GOP Rep. Randy Fine warns Iran, China fueling anti-Israel sentiment in US
U.S. Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla., warned Wednesday that Iran and China are using foreign influence operations to sway U.S. public opinion and erode support for Israel.
Fine also cast the political fight as part of a broader battle to preserve Western civilization, telling Fox News Digital that foreign money and propaganda are helping fuel anti-Israel sentiment and opposition to U.S. artificial intelligence data centers.
“I think it’s a focused effort over many decades to try to pollute our population with these ridiculous ideas,” Fine said.
“But I think it’s accelerated since Oct. 7 as massive amounts of foreign money have come in to try and manipulate public opinion through social media.”
Fine argued that Israel’s critics apply a double standard, pointing to alleged atrocities committed by other countries, including Iran.
“They lie. And here’s how you know they lie. When other countries kill tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of their people, no one seems to be bothered,” Fine said.
“But when Israel defends itself from a terrorist attack, they lose their minds.”
“Iran killed 40,000 of its own people in a couple of days earlier this year,” he added.
“Those same people who are upset with Israel are actually siding with Iran.”
Fine said most Americans understand that the U.S. and Israel are “fighting to save Western civilization.”
Fine also weighed in on the controversy surrounding rapper Macklemore, defending New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft’s decision to bar him from performing at Gillette Stadium. “Is calling for the death of Jews a political statement?” Fine said.
“It’s antisemitism in the same way racism against Black people is.” Fine rejected claims that the move represented “conservative cancel culture,” arguing that Macklemore has the right to express his views but not a right to perform at a privately owned stadium.
“Cancel culture is when you cannot exist, when you’re debanked, when you literally cannot function in society,” he said. “I think he [Kraft] did the right thing. I think we need more of it.”
This is an excerpt from a report by Fox News Digital's David Unsworth.
White House backs away from diesel export ban as Iran war keeps fuel prices high
The Trump administration has backed away from a potential diesel export ban that was briefly floated as a way to ease soaring fuel prices tied to the war with Iran.
President Donald Trump told reporters Tuesday at the United Nations General Assembly in New York that he had urged aides to consider keeping more diesel in the United States rather than exporting it overseas.
"I've said let's not send out the diesel. We make a lot of diesel," Trump said. "I've called for it within my people. I've been talking about it."
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the administration was evaluating whether a full or partial export ban was feasible. But a White House official later told Fox News Digital the administration is no longer considering the proposal.
The debate highlights how the conflict with Iran is rippling through global energy markets. Diesel prices have surged as concerns over oil supplies and shipping disruptions have intensified, putting pressure on industries that rely on the fuel, including trucking, agriculture, railroads and construction.
The national average for diesel climbed to $6.53 per gallon for the week of Sept. 21, 2026, up from $3.75 during the comparable week a year prior, according to federal energy data.
Economists told Fox News Digital that while restricting exports could have temporarily increased domestic supplies, the policy ultimately risked reducing refinery production, tightening diesel supplies and pushing prices even higher for American consumers and businesses.
US forces have redirected 115 ships amid Iranian port blockade: CENTCOM
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said Wednesday its forces had redirected more than 100 ships as part of its ongoing naval blockade against Iran.
"As of Sept. 23, CENTCOM forces have redirected 115 commercial vessels to maintain strict enforcement of America's steel wall blockade," the command said in a post shared on X.
Israel's US envoy pleads for prayers after son critically wounded in West Bank terror attack
The son of Israel’s US ambassador, Yechiel Leiter, was seriously wounded Wednesday when a Palestinian man rammed his vehicle into a security checkpoint in the West Bank, according to Israeli authorities.
Israeli forces opened fire as the attacker tried to flee, killing him, before deploying additional troops to the area.
Neria Leiter, an Israeli military reservist, was injured in the attack near the settlement of Beit Horon.
A Magen David Adom paramedic said the wounded officer was unconscious when emergency crews arrived and was rushed to a Jerusalem hospital.
His father, Ambassador Leiter, said on X that his son “needs a miracle.”
“I am grateful to the IDF, to the medical team at Shaare Zedek who are now fighting to save the life of Neria Dov ben Chana, and for the prayers of the people of Israel,” Leiter said before adding that “Neria needs a miracle.”
Neria was serving in the reserves after losing his older brother, Moshe Yedidya Leiter.
Since Oct. 7, he has served hundreds of days in the reserves on multiple fronts, The Associated Press reported.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also said Wednesday that he had visited Neria's family and stated on X: "The entire nation is with you."
Kushner, Witkoff tout $2.45B Gaza rebuilding plan as Board of Peace maps next steps
The U.S.-backed Board of Peace on Wednesday unveiled a $2.45 billion, six-month plan to begin rebuilding Gaza through 66 projects focused on infrastructure, education, health and governance.
The plan, presented on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York, aims to advance President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan to end the Israel-Hamas war.
“Today, on the margins of #UNGA, the @BoardOfPeace set out how the Gaza peace plan moves from preparation to implementation,” Nickolay Mladenov, the Board of Peace’s high representative for Gaza, said in a post shared on X.
“A year ago we had no framework, no roadmap, and no Palestinian-led @NCAG ready to assume responsibility in Gaza. Today we have all three. (1/5),” he added.
Jared Kushner said he welcomed the meeting’s focus on solutions rather than assigning blame for the problems facing Gaza.“This is like the building of a really big start-up,” he said at the presentatiion on Wednesday.
U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff also said: “This is as significant as any effort I’ve seen in my entire life.”
Iran warns European leaders, accuses NATO chief of ‘groveling’ to US amid war
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi warned European leaders about their support for U.S. and Israeli military operations amid the war, claiming that NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte is "groveling" to a "bully" by enabling Western forces.
“In meetings with @kajakallas and other EU counterparts, I warned of the severe long-term consequences of facilitating and supporting Israeli-U.S. war crimes, whether in Gaza or Iran,” Araghchi said on X.
“That major folly aside, @SecGenNATO should know by now that groveling never satisfies a bully,” he added.
Rutte commented in June on U.S. military flights operating from European air bases after meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House.
Iranian opposition protest erupts in clashes, assault allegation outside UN
Demonstrations outside United Nations headquarters at Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza in New York escalated into confrontations between Iranian opposition groups Sept. 22.
The protests coincided with the arrival of the Iranian delegation for the U.N. General Assembly.
According to statements from the National Council of Resistance of Iran, or NCRI, and the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran, also known as the PMOI or MEK, supporters of Reza Pahlavi — the son of the deposed shah of Iran — attempted to disrupt the main demonstration.
Iranian Protester / Photo by Ryan Murphy/Getty Images
In response, MEK-aligned protesters chanted, "Down with the oppressor, whether the Shah or the Supreme Leader!"
The NCRI alleged that a pro-Pahlavi demonstrator assaulted a young PMOI supporter identified as Mani, injuring him in the face.
NCRI also said Mani subsequently filed a complaint with the NYPD.
Iranian vice president hails Pezeshkian's UN address as a success
Iranian Vice President Mohammad Ja'far Ghaempanah declared President Masoud Pezeshkian’s address to the United Nations on Wednesday a success, saying the Iranian leader defended the country's dignity on the world stage.
“President Pezeshkian went to New York to raise the cry of the power and oppression of the noble Iranian nation and not allow the media of force, deceit, and criminals to switch the places of oppressor and oppressed, and he fulfilled his promise,” Ghaempanah said in a post on X.
Pezeshkian said in his speech that Iran was ready for dialogue but would not bow to threats or accept “the language of force.”
He also used his address to deny that Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons.
Iran warns Middle East neighbors of airport disruptions amid US aviation ban, sanctons
Terhan warned neighboring Gulf nations on Wednesday, threatening to disrupt their aviation operations if they cooperate with the United States to ground Iranian flights, Reuters reported.
Citing Iranian state TV, Reuters said Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, cautioned regional governments, stating: "If you stand alongside the United States, we will not stand by and watch."
Rezaei emphasized that any cooperation leading to a ban on Iranian aircraft would result in neighboring airports being rendered non-functional.
The escalation follows announcements from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who said that all Iranian airlines would be forced to halt operations.
The aviation shutdown comes amid secondary sanctions targeting third-party air service providers amid Operation Economic Outcast.
Trump-backed Senate hopeful says Iran war must 'be brought to a successful and immediate end'
As Americans endure elevated fuel costs with the midterm elections on the horizon, Rep. Ashley Hinson — a Republican running for U.S. Senate in Iowa — asserted in a post on X that the Iran war should "be brought to a successful and immediate end."
"Iowans are being squeezed and shouldn’t have to foot the bill at the pump or the checkout line for the war in Iran. We need to use every option at our disposal to provide some relief from high prices," Hinson said in the Monday post on X.
"That includes suspending the gas tax, pausing diesel exports, unleashing E-15 everywhere we can, reinstating the $1/gallon biodiesel tax credit, and creating a diesel relief program to help our farmers and truckers being crushed by the high costs," she continued.
"While doing this, we should also ensure our highway trust fund is replenished, so that Iowans don’t suffer from crumbling roads and bridges while relief comes our way now. These actions to lower costs are needed ASAP, and the war needs to be brought to a successful and immediate end," Hinson wrote.
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House on Wednesday.
Hinson announced a U.S. Senate bid last year on the same day that Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, announced that she would not run for re-election. President Donald Trump then endorsed Hinson for the Senate seat days later.
Hinson is running against Iowa state Rep. Josh Turek, who is backed by former President Barack Obama.
The congresswoman has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since early 2021.
During an address to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, Trump said, "But I have a big decision to make. Will a deal be made with Iran that lets them rebuild and create a far greater country than it ever was before ... Or do I annihilate the Islamic Republic, and do it quickly, never giving them a chance to kill and destroy people and countries again?"
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Alex Nitzberg.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to UNGA: 'Iran can never be made to surrender'
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian used his platform at the United Nations General Assembly to deliver a staunch defense of his nation's resilience.
Directing his remarks at those responsible for carrying out "deadly aggression" against Iran, Pezeshkian declared that adversaries have tested the country's strength and learned a lesson.
"They have learned that Iran cannot be made to surrender," Pezeshkian said in his UNGA address.
"We are not afraid of fighting, of war.
"We will stand in defense of our beloved Iran, our homeland, until our last breath."
Trump faces critical foreign policy decisions with Iran and China
Fox News' Trey Yingst detailed secret U.S.-Iran talks, while Fox News contributor Dan Hoffman offered new analysis on national security threats as President Donald Trump faces critical decisions on Iran and China this week.
Former Iranian prisoners speak out as anti-regime protests erupt at UN
Former Iranian political prisoners Shirin Nariman and Homeira Hesami joined "America's Newsroom" to discuss anti-regime protests outside the United Nations, their experiences under Iran's government and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East on Wednesday.
Iran President Pezeshkian to UNGA: Iran only seeks 'peaceful' nuclear power
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian used his address at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to firmly deny that his country is pursuing a nuclear arsenal.
"They have labeled centrifuges, international sanctions, other labels when it comes to our nuclear technology, but for our country, peaceful nuclear technology is part of our inherent progress for our sick people," Pezeshkian claimed in his Wednesday morning UNGA address.
"In progress in supply of electrical energy in Iran does not accept for nuclear technology to be at the exclusive disposal of some of a handful."
Pezeshkian remained defiant against international pressure, asserting Iran's inherent right to develop its nuclear capabilities without restriction.
"We will not bow our heads in developing the right that is inherently ours," he continued. "We say it clearly no nuclear weapons and no limitations to peaceful nuclear technology. Our peace will not come on the field of battle."
While Pezeshkian champions the narrative of strictly peaceful nuclear technology, international nuclear monitors point to a severe discrepancy. Typically, civilian nuclear power plants require uranium enriched to only about 3% to 5%.
However, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reports that Iran has accumulated a massive stockpile of uranium enriched to 60% purity. This 60% threshold has no credible civilian justification and is widely considered to be a short, technical step away from the 90% enrichment level required to create weapons-grade nuclear material.
Currently, Iran is the only non-nuclear-weapon state in the world that is producing and stockpiling uranium enriched to this 60% level.
