Story summary
US President Donald Trump met with Chinese President Xi Jinping, where Xi pressed Trump to adopt Beijing's stance against Taiwan independence, which Taiwan rejected outright. Meanwhile, Taiwan is crucial for global tech and economy due to its leading semiconductor production; TSMC alone produces the majority of advanced chips that power smartphones, AI systems, and more. As Stanford Hoover fellow Eyck Freymann noted, economic disruption from a conflict over Taiwan would be severe.
In unrelated developments, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian met with US media at the UN General Assembly, where he denied Iran's nuclear ambitions while offering to dilute its enriched uranium and allow inspections under international law. He also blamed Washington for ongoing conflicts in the Middle East. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) estimates that Iran has over 440 kilograms of uranium enriched up to 60%, raising concerns despite Pezeshkian's denials.
Taiwan's representative, Ambassador Alexander Yui, clarified during an interview on CBS’s "Face the Nation" that while Taiwan was discussed between Trump and Xi, it wasn't a major focus. He emphasized there has been no change in US policy towards Taiwan amid recent tensions with China.
Written for “Taiwan Iran Us Relations Midterms” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 386 other(s) covering the same event.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said there was an "atmosphere of distrust"
when asked whether he would have been willing to meet with President Trump in New York this week, an idea raised by the U.S. leader.
asserted
he → say → leader
Pezeshkian, during an interview with "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" Friday, suggested that he would need to know "what exactly we want to reach an understanding on," after running through a list of the times the U.S. has attacked Iran while the countries were in the midst of negotiations.
uncertain
countries → suggest → negotiations
But he also said Iran would "abide by whatever we commit to" if the U.S. accepts the latest Iranian proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
asserted
U.S. → say → Hormuz
Iran's foreign minister offered a
this week to reopen the strait after seven days and restart talks with the U.S. as an initial step toward a final nuclear deal.
asserted
minister → offer → deal
The U.S. has yet to respond to the Iranian proposal, which was announced during the United Nations General Assembly in New York City.
asserted
which → have → City
Mr. Trump had expressed openness to meeting with Iranian officials in New York.
asserted
Trump → express → York
Although top Trump officials held indirect talks with Iranian officials through mediators, the president himself did not.
asserted
president → hold → mediators
During his speech to the General Assembly, Mr. Trump said he has a "big decision to make" on whether to cut a deal with Iran or "annihilate" the country.
asserted
he → say → country
He also predicted that the two sides will not reach an agreement until after the midterms.
asserted
sides → predict → midterms
Pezeshkian suggested it would be difficult for him to meet face-to-face with Mr. Trump, pointing to an "atmosphere of distrust that has developed between Iran and the United States."
"
uncertain
that → suggest → Iran
As long as they don't cease doing what they're imposing on us every day, it's difficult to trust them," he said.
asserted
he → cease → them
"Every day, they increase the sanctions against us.
asserted
they → increase → us
Every day, they threaten us.
asserted
they → threaten → us
Every day, they strike us.
asserted
they → strike → us
And they don't honor what they have put in writing.
asserted
they → honor → writing
So if they engage in talks, will they actually follow through?"
asserted
they → engage → talks
Brennan asked when Iran expects a response from the United States on its offer to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and restart negotiations.
asserted
Iran → ask → negotiations
"If this message reaches the president of the United States, or the interviewers and those involved in the discussions, naturally the process will begin from the very day they accept it," he said.
asserted
he → reach → it
He blamed the U.S. for the collapse of the ceasefire agreement known as the "memorandum of understanding," or MOU, over the summer, after Iran targeted commercial shipping vessels and the U.S. responded by carrying out attacks on Iran.
asserted
U.S. → blame → Iran
The U.S. has insisted Iran should not control the waterways entering the Strait of Hormuz, including those that pass Omani territory, or charge tolls for ships that pass through.
asserted
that → insist → ships
Iran has demanded that ships seek permission and follow an Iranian-approved shipping route.
asserted
ships → demand → route
"If they operate according to that framework, I think all of us will abide by it," he said of the original U.S.-Iran agreement.
uncertain
he → operate → agreement
The 60-day ceasefire deal that fell apart in July was designed to buy time for Iran and the U.S. to hold talks on the future of Iran's nuclear program — a thorny issue that both sides have struggled to reach a deal on.
asserted
sides → fall → deal
In recent years, Iran has enriched uranium to near weapons-grade levels of purity, and while it denies any interest in building a nuclear weapon, it has refused to give up uranium enrichment altogether.
asserted
it → enrich → enrichment
Mr. Trump has said in the past that Iran must stop enriching uranium — a more hardline stance than the Obama-era nuclear deal that allowed Iran to enrich to a low level, with limits on the size of its program and international inspectors.
asserted
Iran → say → program
Pezeshkian told Brennan Iran would now allow U.N. nuclear inspectors into the country.
asserted
Iran → tell → country
"That is absolutely correct," he said.
asserted
he → say → ?
Brennan pointed out that inspectors from the U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency were not given full access when they tried before.
asserted
they → point → access
"Will your country allow in weapons inspectors now?" Brennan asked again.
asserted
Brennan → allow → inspectors
"That is absolutely correct," he responded again, adding, "If they wish to come in and have inspections, we can reach accords and agreements vis-à-vis that specific topic within the negotiations."
asserted
we → respond → negotiations
At the same time, Pezeshkian claims that Iran is not trying to build a nuclear weapon: "Developing nuclear weapons is haram," he said, using the word forbidden, maintaining that even if some in Iran wanted to build a nuclear weapon, "religiously speaking, they are not allowed to pursue that path."
uncertain
they → claim → path
asked Pezeshkian about his communications with Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, who has not been seen in public since the U.S.-Israeli attack that killed his father, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, earlier this year.
asserted
that → ask → father
The Iranian president insisted the new supreme leader has "no specific ongoing health issues or challenges," and said they last met twice, once for over seven hours.
asserted
they → insist → hours
He said they were seated "for those many hours" and "changed angles and positions" because they were unaccustomed to being seated for so long.
asserted
they → say → long
"From a medical standpoint, he's completely healthy," Pezeshkian said, adding that injuries to his face and legs have recovered.
asserted
injuries → say → face
He has no issues.
asserted
He → have → issues
"
When asked whether Mojtaba Khamenei is advising Pezeshkian on diplomacy, the president explained that there is a team "consisting of six members of various organizations, security forces, parliamentary representatives, government agencies, and they sit and conduct talks, consultations about decision-making processes, and reach any decisions through coordination."
asserted
they → ask → coordination
Brennan said it was notable for the Iranians to be in a country they're at war with, when they were in shelters only months earlier.
asserted
they → say → shelters
"We were not in a shelter a few months ago," he said.
asserted
he → say → shelter
"How did we manage the country?"
asserted
we → manage → country
…and 2 more, not listed.
The Aporia
