Al-Zakara, associate professor of Gulf politics at Qatar University, said rumors of a meeting between Trump and Iranian President Pezechiyan at the UN General Assembly are unlikely to materialize. However, he pointed out that Trump will meet with Gulf leaders in New York, and the outcome of the talks could impact the nearly seven-month-long Middle East war. "This is a good occasion to express the next steps and how they will proceed; more attention should be paid to Trump's sideline meetings with the Gulf Cooperation Council," Zakara said. He noted that the US has been pursuing a strategy combining military intervention and economic pressure, but it has been ineffective. He pointed out that the Qatari prime minister has made it clear that diplomacy is the only way forward. Gulf leaders will convey to Trump the conditions necessary for final peace in the region.
