Washington D.C. – As the United Nations General Assembly convenes in New York this week, the National Iranian American Council (NIAC) urges U.S. President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to meet directly in New York to deescalate tensions and place the United States and Iran on a path towards peace rather than war.
“We’re on the precipice of disastrous outcomes for all sides – the U.S. risks getting dragged by Netanyahu into another endless war in the Middle East that puts American soldiers and Iranian civilians in the crosshairs,” said Jamal Abdi, NIAC President. “It is time for true leaders to seize the moment with courage and prevent an avoidable war and forge a diplomatic solution towards peace in the region.”
Momentum exists for such an initiative. In Iran, major centrist political factions are calling for Pezeshkian to meet directly with Trump. In the United States, President Trump’s “MAGA” base strongly prefers peace and diplomacy to more American tax dollars going to wars fought across the world. If either leader wishes to be remembered for advancing peace and prosperity rather than for war and destruction, they must act urgently. The General Assembly in New York provides a unique opportunity to act before it is too late.
“We know the Iranians are sensitive about direct meetings with the U.S., but if they seek to meet the moment and deliver a solution that benefits the people of Iran, the best option right now is to engage the U.S. President directly,” said Abdi. “We also know there is immense pressure against Trump from political interests in Washington and Tel Aviv to forgo diplomacy. But the President should look at how past administrations, like the Bush administration, eschewed diplomatic options and plunged the nation into a generation of Middle East wars. Trump must not follow that path,” said Abdi.
Absent a diplomatic resolution, renewed hostilities are growing imminent. Many expect that Israel’s 12-day war on Iran will resume, with senior Israeli officials signaling that their military campaign is not concluded and recent leaked transcripts revealing that the ultimate aim is to attack Iranian civilian infrastructure and collapse the country. President Trump has claimed credit for ending a number of international conflicts, but Iran has not been among them.
“If President Trump wants a Nobel Peace Prize, his best chance is a deal that prevents war with Iran, stops Israel from dragging the U.S. into more conflict, and blocks an Iranian nuclear weapon.” said Abdi. “Iran’s foreign minister may still be engaging with the E3, but Europe has ceded all real leverage by triggering snapback. The focus should not be on middlemen – Iran must go directly to the top and talk to Trump.”