What World Leaders Said About Iran, Gaza and Hormuz at the UN

World leaders at the United Nations placed Iran, Gaza and the Strait of Hormuz at the center of their speeches, meetings and diplomatic contacts on September 22, 2026, exposing significant differences over how to reduce tensions across the Middle East.

U.S. President Donald Trump combined the prospect of negotiations with Iran with continued threats of greater pressure, while Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani called for the Strait of Hormuz to reopen and negotiations to resume. Jordan’s King Abdullah II, French President Emmanuel Macron and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan focused heavily on Gaza, the West Bank and the future of Palestinian statehood.

Trump keeps Iran negotiations and pressure on the table

President Donald Trump used his address to the General Assembly to deliver two parallel messages toward Iran: Washington remains open to a negotiated settlement, but military and economic pressure remain central to U.S. policy.

Trump said he believed an agreement with Iran could be reached after the November 3 U.S. midterm elections. He later said U.S. and Iranian officials had been talking on Tuesday and that he believed a settlement was possible.

At the same time, Trump used sharply confrontational language toward Tehran, reiterated that Washington would not allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon and called for greater international economic pressure on the country.

Profile News has previously covered the evolving U.S.-Iran track between confrontation and negotiations.

King Abdullah focuses on Gaza and the West Bank

Jordan’s King Abdullah II framed the region’s current crises as the consequence of problems that the international community had repeatedly managed rather than resolved.

He said the Iran war demonstrated how instability in the Middle East can rapidly affect global trade, energy prices and everyday life far beyond the region.

Turning to Gaza, the king criticized continuing attacks, damage to civilian infrastructure and the absence of a lasting political resolution.

He also warned that developments in the West Bank represented a significant change, citing settlement expansion, displacement, violence and land seizures.

King Abdullah reiterated Jordan’s position that durable regional stability requires Palestinians to secure their legitimate rights and an independent state based on the two-state solution.

Qatar calls for reopening Hormuz and returning to negotiations

Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani delivered one of the clearest diplomatic messages on the Gulf crisis.

He said the region was going through one of its most dangerous periods and argued that years of postponing solutions had contributed to the current situation.

The emir called for the Strait of Hormuz to reopen to maritime navigation and for negotiations to resume, saying a diplomatic solution remained both possible and realistic.

He also renewed Qatar’s call for a regional collective-security framework based on sovereignty, territorial integrity, peaceful dispute resolution and non-interference.

Profile News has previously tracked the sharp disruption to commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz as the regional crisis intensified.

Qatar places Gaza at the center of international accountability

Sheikh Tamim also devoted a significant part of his address to Gaza and the wider Palestinian issue.

He called for full implementation of commitments involving an end to military operations, withdrawal, humanitarian access and efforts toward a lasting settlement.

Qatar also reaffirmed its mediation role and its support for Lebanese state institutions and sovereignty, while calling for respect for the ceasefire and U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701.

Macron challenges Washington’s assessment of Gaza

French President Emmanuel Macron offered a markedly different assessment of Gaza from the one presented by the Trump administration.

Macron argued that declarations of peace had not translated into restored humanitarian access to Gaza and warned that continuing violence and settlement activity in the West Bank were undermining the possibility of a viable Palestinian state.

The White House rejected Macron’s characterization, saying Trump had ended the Israel-Hamas war and was leading implementation of a peace plan.

France is also working with the United States on a possible new U.N. Security Council resolution aimed at protecting freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, according to diplomats cited by Reuters.

Erdogan calls for Gaza reconstruction and greater pressure on Israel

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan focused heavily on the Palestinian issue, calling for reconstruction in Gaza to begin without delay and urging greater international pressure on Israel.

He renewed Turkey’s support for an independent Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital and urged countries that have not recognized Palestine to reconsider their positions.

Erdogan also said implementation of post-ceasefire arrangements required action from all parties and criticized the Israeli government’s handling of Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

Putin and Saudi crown prince focus on Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb

Diplomacy extended beyond the General Assembly podium.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman discussed the region’s deteriorating military and political situation in a telephone call and stressed the importance of safe and unimpeded shipping through both the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb.

They also called for de-escalation and political and diplomatic solutions to the region’s conflicts, Reuters reported.

Four governments back Saudi Arabia’s right to defend itself

In a joint position on the sidelines of the General Assembly, the foreign ministers of Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Pakistan affirmed Saudi Arabia’s right to defend itself under international law amid attacks originating from Yemen.

The ministers also stressed the importance of safe maritime navigation and described dialogue and diplomacy as essential to a sustainable settlement.

Profile News has previously reported on the escalation involving Saudi Arabia, the Houthis and Yemen.

World leaders at the United Nations reveal sharp differences over the Middle East

The September 22 statements reveal broad agreement on the need to reduce the risks of regional escalation and preserve international shipping, but significant differences remain over the means and priorities.

Washington is combining negotiations with continued military and economic pressure on Iran. Qatar is emphasizing the reopening of Hormuz and direct diplomacy, while Saudi Arabia and Russia are putting maritime security high on their agenda.

Jordan, Turkey and France, meanwhile, placed greater emphasis on Gaza, the West Bank and the political future of the Palestinians.

These positions do not amount to a unified international strategy. Instead, they show parallel diplomatic efforts to manage interconnected crises affecting security, energy, shipping and humanitarian conditions across the Middle East.

The next test will be whether the intensive diplomacy in New York produces practical understandings on Iran, Hormuz and Gaza or remains largely a collection of national positions expressed around the General Assembly.

Sources

• Reuters — Trump, Iran and Gulf diplomacy at the United Nations
• Reuters — Trump says talks with Iran continue and settlement could be reached
• Jordan News Agency — King Abdullah II delivers Jordan’s address at the 81st UNGA
• Amiri Diwan of Qatar — Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani’s UN General Assembly address
• Reuters — Macron addresses Gaza and West Bank developments at the UN
• Anadolu Agency — Erdogan calls for Gaza reconstruction and international pressure
• Reuters — Putin and Saudi crown prince call for safe passage through Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb
• Reuters — Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Egypt issue joint statement