NEW YORK - President Donald Trump used his address to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday to call for the complete economic isolation of Iran and signal that he does not expect an immediate diplomatic agreement, despite new Iranian proposals aimed at reopening negotiations with Washington.
Trump said he believes the United States will eventually reach an agreement with Iran but suggested that could happen after the U.S. midterm elections in November.
The remarks temper expectations of an immediate diplomatic breakthrough during the United Nations gathering, where Iranian officials have separately signaled that their delegation has authority to negotiate with the United States.
Trump called on other countries to join Washington in increasing economic pressure on Tehran.
Reuters reported that Trump called for complete economic isolation of Iran during the speech and gave no indication that he was prepared to make concessions in order to restart negotiations immediately.
The administration has already pursued a broad campaign aimed at restricting Iran's access to international financial, shipping, technology and energy markets.
Trump says Iran is watching U.S. elections
Trump said he believes Iranian leaders are waiting to see the outcome of the Nov. 3 U.S. midterm elections before committing to an agreement.
He rejected the suggestion that his own policy decisions are being driven by electoral considerations, saying the midterms do not determine his approach to Iran.
Instead, Trump argued that Tehran is assessing the political environment in the United States before deciding how to proceed.
The distinction matters because earlier Tuesday there had been growing expectations that the United Nations General Assembly could provide an opportunity for renewed U.S.-Iran negotiations.
Iran has said it could reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days if the United States eases military pressure and lifts its blockade of Iranian ports.
A senior Iranian official also told Reuters that Tehran's delegation in New York has authority to negotiate.
No agreement has been reached, and the Trump administration has not accepted Iran's proposed conditions.
Rubio leaves door open to talks
Secretary of State Marco Rubio took a somewhat more open diplomatic tone earlier Tuesday while maintaining the administration's broader policy objectives.
Rubio said the United States is willing to speak with Iranian officials if discussions have a realistic prospect of producing a constructive result.
He said any talks would ultimately have to advance the central U.S. objective concerning Iran's nuclear capabilities.
Rubio's remarks do not amount to an announcement of negotiations, and no formal U.S.-Iran meeting at the General Assembly had been scheduled as of Tuesday.
Together, the comments from Trump and Rubio leave the administration publicly open to diplomacy while showing little indication that Washington intends to reduce pressure simply to begin negotiations.
Trump's speech emphasized pressure rather than an immediate diplomatic timetable.
Iran offer remains on the table
Tehran's proposal concerning the Strait of Hormuz remains one of the clearest potential openings for negotiations.
Iran has offered to reopen the critical shipping route within one week if Washington eases military pressure and lifts its blockade on Iranian ports, according to Reuters.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most important energy corridors and historically carries a significant share of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments.
The possibility of a reopening has already affected financial markets.
Oil prices fell to a two-week low Tuesday and Brent crude moved below $100 a barrel as traders responded to the possibility of increased Gulf supply and renewed diplomacy.
Trump's United Nations remarks introduce additional uncertainty into that outlook because they suggest Washington does not view a near-term agreement as assured.
Economic pressure already expanding
The administration's call for greater international isolation builds on an economic campaign launched before Tuesday's speech.
The White House announced Operation Economic Outcast in August, describing it as an effort to restrict Iran's remaining access to international finance and revenue.
The campaign expanded sanctions exposure involving sectors including shipping, aviation, technology, gold and digital assets.
The administration has argued that economic pressure is intended to force Tehran toward an agreement while limiting resources available for military and nuclear programs.
Iran has condemned the sanctions and U.S. military pressure and has argued that Washington must take concrete steps before meaningful diplomacy can resume.
Those competing demands remain a major obstacle to negotiations.
Midterm timing adds new diplomatic question
Trump's prediction that an agreement could come after the November elections raises a new question about whether the current confrontation will remain largely unresolved for at least several more weeks.
The president did not announce that negotiations are formally suspended until after the election, and Rubio's comments leave open the possibility of talks before then.
Trump's remarks instead indicate that he believes Iran may delay a final agreement while it watches U.S. political developments.
That means diplomatic contacts, proposals through intermediaries or exploratory discussions could still occur before November even if a broader agreement does not.
Any extended period without a settlement would leave several immediate issues unresolved, including commercial shipping through Hormuz, U.S. military operations in the region, Iran's access to international trade and the security of American forces and Gulf allies.
What happens next
The immediate question is whether Iranian and American officials use the remaining days of the United Nations gathering to establish any direct or indirect diplomatic channel despite Trump's harder public message.
Iran has presented a specific proposal tied to reopening the Strait of Hormuz, while Rubio has publicly said Washington remains willing to talk under the right circumstances.
Trump, however, used his most prominent international address of the week to emphasize economic pressure and predict that a broader agreement may come only after the U.S. political calendar moves past the November midterms.
For now, the United States and Iran remain publicly divided over the conditions required to move from diplomatic signals to an actual agreement.