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Browse major news stories and see what officials have said.

Sep 28, 2026· Updated

At the U.N., Trump Asks Whether to Make a Deal With Iran "or Do I Annihilate the Islamic Republic and Do It Quickly" and Says Tehran Is "Waiting to See How I Do in the Midterm" — Hours Later Witkoff and Kushner Sit Down With Iran's Foreign Minister for Three Hours, and Tim Kaine Asks "Who Talks Like That?"

President Trump used his September 22, 2026 address to the 81st U.N. General Assembly to defend the nearly seven-month war with Iran and to frame its end as a choice he alone would make: a deal that would let Iran "rebuild and create a far greater country than it ever was before," or to "annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly" and "drive them into hell with no chance of survival." He accused Tehran of stalling on a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz until after the November midterms, predicted an agreement "right after the election," and insisted the election "doesn't even enter my mind." The same speech called Cuba a failed state, announced that U.S. documents would refer to AI as "superintelligence," and vowed to "encourage it, not rein it in." Within hours, Trump told reporters that U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner had held "a very good meeting" lasting about three hours with an Iranian delegation led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on the sidelines of the General Assembly, with another meeting expected soon. Witkoff called the mediated talks "promising" and "constructive." Iranian state media said Tehran used the meeting to lay out its conditions for reopening the strait: lifting the U.S. naval blockade, releasing frozen Iranian assets and ending the war on all "resistance fronts." Democrats had earlier called for Trump's removal after his April threat that "a whole civilization will die tonight." Sen. Tim Kaine, lead sponsor of the Senate's Iran war powers resolutions, answered the U.N. speech by asking "who talks like that?" The speech came as a CNN/SSRS poll found 71% of voters disapproving of Trump's handling of foreign affairs.

“This is untrue. I offered them NOTHING! Axios' story, like most others, is a HOAX, used only for purposes of satisfying their Trump Derangement Syndrome. They should withdraw this fake story, IMMEDIATELY! [Trump, responding to an Axios report that he had offered Iran sanctions relief and the release of frozen funds in exchange for nuclear concessions.]”
Donald Trump (R-FL) · Sep 28, 2026

Sep 23, 2026· Updated

Trump Sends Witkoff and Kushner to Moscow and Kyiv With "a Proposal to End the War" — Putin Halts Strikes on Kyiv for 72 Hours, and a Republican Senator Answers That "You Don't Get Any Credit for Kissing His Ass"

Special envoy Steve Witkoff and White House adviser Jared Kushner met Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on Saturday, September 5, 2026, for more than three hours followed by dinner — the first substantive US-Russia meeting since direct talks broke down roughly six months earlier. Announcing the trip from the Oval Office the day before, President Trump called the two men "great negotiators" and said "they're bringing with them a proposal to end the war." Putin ordered a 72-hour pause in strikes on Kyiv so the envoys could travel on, and on Sunday, September 6, they met President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv — the first visit by either man to the Ukrainian capital — touring the bomb-damaged St. Sophia's Cathedral before talks. Kushner said afterward that he and Witkoff wanted to "go back to the trilateral format" with Russia and Ukraine at the same table; Witkoff said he was "confident that there'll be a good resolution here." The White House said the delegation also thanked Putin for releasing former US Marine Robert Gilman from Russian custody. The substance of the American proposal was not released. The sharpest on-record American criticism came from within the president's own party: Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), on NBC's "Meet the Press" the same Sunday, called Putin "a pirate" with "blood under his fingernails," said "you don't get any credit for kissing his ass," and argued the United States has Putin cornered and should press the advantage rather than trade concessions.

“I think both sides have expressed an interest in some limited ceasefire that involve grain and energy. Obviously, you know, that won't be easy either. [Rubio spoke after meeting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the U.N.]”
Marco Rubio (R-FL) · Sep 23, 2026

Trump Calls Off Diplomacy and Declares an "ECONOMIC D-DAY" Against Iran — the White House Pivots From "Hammer Iran ASAP" to "Strangle Them," and a Senate Democrat Calls It a "Strategic Dead-End"

On August 18, 2026 — a day after the 60-day deadline in the US–Iran memorandum of understanding lapsed — President Trump instructed his negotiating team, including Vice President JD Vance and envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, to stop talking to Tehran, and posted on Truth Social that "there are no talks or conversations going on, or scheduled." White House officials told CNN the strategy had shifted from "hammer Iran ASAP" to "strangle them" over time. The next day, Trump put a name to it. In a Truth Social post he promised "the MOST CRUSHING ECONOMIC OPERATION EVER TAKEN AGAINST ANY COUNTRY," said Iran would face "Economic Warfare and Isolation on an unprecedented scale," and warned that any country whose banks, businesses, airports or government entities gave Iran "any type of lifeline" would face "TREMENDOUS Economic Consequences." He called it an "ECONOMIC D-DAY." Speaking to reporters the same day, Trump left the door to talks open — "maybe at some point" — while insisting "right now, I think the situation is so good." With Congress in August recess and the Senate not back until September 14, on-the-record congressional reaction was sparse. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a member of the Armed Services Committee, called the pivot evidence of a "strategic dead-end." Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi dismissed the announcement as a distraction from American debt.

“Originally, I wanted to make a deal. … We're so far down the line, they have very little country left right now, so we're not looking for it.”
Donald Trump (R-FL) · Sep 9, 2026

Trump and Xi Hold High-Stakes Beijing Summit; China Warns Over Taiwan

President Trump traveled to Beijing on May 13-14, 2026 for a two-day summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping — the first U.S. presidential state visit to China in years. Xi placed Taiwan at the center of talks, calling it "the most important issue" and warning that if it is "mishandled," the two countries "will have clashes and even conflicts, putting the entire relationship in great jeopardy." The two leaders agreed on a framework for "constructive strategic stability," that the Strait of Hormuz must remain open, and that Iran should not acquire nuclear weapons. Trade, tariffs, AI, and rare earths were also on the agenda. A major pre-summit flashpoint: Trump had not formally notified Congress of a $14 billion in arms sales to Taiwan that Congress pre-approved in January 2025. A bipartisan group of eight senators — led by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) — sent Trump a letter urging him to proceed with the sale. A second bipartisan letter, led by Sens. Bennet (D-CO) and Curtis (R-UT), urged Secretary Rubio to reaffirm U.S. commitments under the Taiwan Relations Act.

“The way you respond to a China flex is with a flex. China needs to stop being a personal trainer for our adversaries.”
Thom Tillis (R-NC) · May 11, 2026

Trump Brokers 3-Day Russia-Ukraine Ceasefire Ahead of Victory Day

On May 8–9, 2026, President Trump announced that Russia and Ukraine agreed to a 3-day ceasefire (May 9–11), coinciding with Russia's Victory Day commemorations, along with a 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner exchange. Trump called it potentially "the beginning of the end" of the four-year war that began with Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. The ceasefire largely failed to hold — both sides accused the other of violations, with Russia's Defense Ministry claiming over 23,000 Ukrainian violations and Ukraine reporting Russian drone and artillery strikes on civilian areas of Kharkiv and Kherson that killed at least two people on May 11. The Congressional Ukraine Caucus — co-chaired by Reps. Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Quigley (D-IL), Kaptur (D-OH), and Wilson (R-SC) — had backed Ukraine's ceasefire proposal in the days before the announcement, calling on Russia to demonstrate good faith.

“In a joint statement, the Congressional Ukraine Caucus co-chairs said: 'Ukraine has extended an olive branch: an immediate, temporary ceasefire grounded in the protection of human life and the pursuit of a just peace. In the face of Russia's continued aggression, this proposal reflects the moral clarity of a free people: willing to seek peace, unwilling to surrender sovereignty, and determined to defend the dignity of their nation. We stand united—Democrats and Republicans—in support of Ukraine's sovereignty, in defense of international law, and in recognition of the immense sacrifices already made by the Ukrainian people.'”
Joe Wilson (R-SC) · May 5, 2026

Apr 12, 2026· Updated

US-Iran Peace Talks in Islamabad

On April 11, 2026, the United States and Iran held their first direct face-to-face negotiations in 47 years in Islamabad, Pakistan — the highest-level meeting since 1979. After 21 hours of marathon talks, Vice President Vance announced no deal was reached, citing Iran's refusal to commit to not developing nuclear weapons. Key sticking points included control of the Strait of Hormuz, Iran's frozen assets, the enrichment question, and whether Lebanon is covered by the ceasefire. Trump responded to the collapse by ordering a U.S. Navy blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. The Iranian delegation arrived dressed in black, mourning late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

“Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz. I have also instructed our Navy to seek and interdict every vessel in International Waters that has paid a toll to Iran.”
Donald Trump (R-FL) · Apr 12, 2026

US-Iran Two-Week Ceasefire (Pakistan-Brokered)

On April 7, 2026 — less than two hours before President Trump's deadline to "annihilate" Iran — the U.S. and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire brokered by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The deal is built on a 10-point Iranian peace proposal, with talks to begin in Islamabad on April 10. The ceasefire was almost immediately complicated: the Farsi version of Iran's plan includes "acceptance of enrichment" while the English version omits it; Pakistan said Lebanon is included while Netanyahu insists it is not, with Israel launching its largest wave of strikes on Hezbollah hours into the truce; and explosions hit Iranian oil sites at Lavan and Sirri Islands the same day.

“This is a fragile truce. The work of the next two weeks will determine whether we can build a lasting agreement or whether we return to the situation we were in twenty-four hours ago. The president has made his position clear: no enrichment, full reopening of the Strait, and verifiable commitments.”
JD Vance (R-OH) · Apr 8, 2026