Trump heads to UN as Iran sets conditions for Strait of Hormuz reopening

President Donald Trump is traveling to New York to deliver a speech at the United Nations General Assembly, where he is expected to discuss the ongoing conflict with Iran and broader regional security. Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Baqer Qalbaf, said the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the United States fulfills Tehran’s demands, including unfreezing Iranian assets, ending the war on all fronts and lifting the naval blockade. Security chief Mohsen Rezai told Al Jazeera that Tehran awaits a response from President Trump.

White House officials indicated that Trump will meet Gulf leaders during the UN session and that an Iranian delegation, including President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, will attend the assembly. The president is also slated for bilateral talks with British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, Japan’s prime minister and Venezuelan leader Delcy Rodríguez, and a signing ceremony for a U.S.–Greenland security agreement.

Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit begins Wednesday, with anticipated discussions on trade, tariffs, artificial intelligence and critical minerals. A White House-hosted state dinner is planned, expected to draw top business and technology executives.

The U.S. State Department issued a security alert urging American employees in Saudi Arabia to obtain special travel authorization for certain cities and to exercise heightened vigilance amid recent Houthi attacks on Saudi targets. A senior Houthi official told the Associated Press that the group will not target U.S. vessels in the Red Sea, focusing only on Saudi interests.

Separately, North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles toward the sea, continuing a pattern of weapons tests following recent U.S. diplomatic overtures.

"If it is not a correct deal, then I wouldn’t even think about it. But right now they want to make a deal because they’re losing in every way," President Trump said in an interview.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced a meeting with Trump in New York, describing it as a potential catalyst for diplomatic momentum on the war in Ukraine.