Mike Waltz, the U.S. ambassador to the UN under the Trump administration, told CNN’s State of the Union that Iran was not negotiating "in good faith" to end the war because it demanded immediate sanctions relief without committing to future concessions. He stated that President Trump rejected Iran's proposal at the recent UN general assembly due to skepticism about Iran's genuine intentions regarding their nuclear program and attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Waltz emphasized that Iran violated a previous memorandum of understanding by continuing to attack international shipping, which was condemned by 146 nations.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-27,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
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.
The Trump administration’s ambassador to the United Nations said the US rejected Iran’s proposal to end the ongoing war there because Iranian negotiators “were asking for everything up front”.
asserted
negotiators → say → front
Echoing comments by Donald Trump on Saturday, the president’s UN ambassador Mike Waltz told CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday that Iran had asked for relief “from billions and billions of sanctions that are going into place” as part of an economic blockade on Iran.
asserted
that → echo → Iran
The blockade is aimed at putting pressure on Iran to stop its attacks on vessels in the strait of Hormuz.
asserted
blockade → aim → Hormuz
“They were asking for everything up front with a promise that they would then talk,” Waltz said on State of the Union.
asserted
Waltz → ask → Union
“The president is just not confident that the Iranians are coming in good faith and that we will truly negotiate the end of their nuclear program.”
asserted
we → come → program
Trump said on Saturday that he had rejected Iran’s peace plan, proposed at the recent UN general assembly in New York, arguing that desperation was driving the Iranians’ push for an agreement on the key waterway.
asserted
desperation → say → waterway
“They want to make a deal to open the Hormuz strait immediately because they’re losing so badly,” Trump said.
asserted
Trump → want → strait
Trump said the US was “winning tremendously” and had “total control of the Hormuz strait”.
asserted
US → say → strait
Waltz pointed to the failed US-Iran memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed in Pakistan in June that laid out a 14-point framework agreement for a negotiated peace.
asserted
that → point → peace
Iran, he said, “immediately violated it by attacking international shipping, in violation of international law, and 146 nations have joined us in condemning Iran for those attacks”.
asserted
nations → say → attacks
Iran on Sunday insisted that only diplomacy can solve its conflict with the US and Israel.
asserted
diplomacy → insist → US
“Our conditions are clear, and any move toward reopening the strait of Hormuz is contingent on these conditions being met,” the Iranian foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, posted on social media. “Only a negotiated solution can get them out of this deadlock.”
asserted
solution → reopen → deadlock
Araghchi also appeared on NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday, saying his country is prepared to resume fighting with the US but has not yet abandoned diplomacy after Trump rejected Iran’s peace proposal.
asserted
Trump → appear → proposal
“We are fully prepared for the war to be resumed,” Araghchi said.
asserted
Araghchi → prepare → ?
“We stand firm in the face of any new aggression, even if it comes to a doomsday war.
asserted
it → stand → war
“At the same time, we stand ready for diplomacy.
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we → stand → diplomacy
It is up to President Trump to choose.”
asserted
It → choose → Trump
The Iranian president, Masoud Pezeshkian, in an interview with the CBS show Face the Nation, said his country was ready for talks on its nuclear program and other issues – but would not accept “bullying or coercion”.
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country → face → bullying
“Iran is not seeking war, but will defend itself against pressure, threats and attacks,” Pezeshkian said, adding that it had already agreed that “we’re not supposed to develop nuclear weapons”.
asserted
we → seek → weapons
On CNN, Waltz also addressed recent reports that China had assisted Iran in missile targeting of shipping in the strait of Hormuz and on US military bases in the region.
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China → address → region
Waltz did not confirm the leaked intelligence assessments but said Trump had raised the issue with China premier Xi Jinping during the latter’s recent state visit to the US capital Washington DC.
asserted
Trump → confirm → capital
Trump had also done so “multiple times” previously, including during his visit to China in May, according to Waltz.
uncertain
Trump → do → Waltz
“I think we have seen movement in a positive direction,” Waltz said.
asserted
Waltz → think → direction
“President Trump has made it clear it’s unacceptable.”
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it → make → ?
Waltz pointed to readouts of the high-level meeting that said the US and China had “agreed that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon”.
asserted
Iran → point → weapon
“They cannot and should not be tolling, much less attacking, international shipping in an international waterway,” Waltz said.
asserted
Waltz → toll → waterway
“So I think that was incredibly important to hear from President Xi coming out of the summit.”
asserted
that → think → summit
Waltz also rejected reporting in the Wall Street Journal that the US would resume bombing Iran after the federal midterm elections in November.
asserted
US → reject → November
He pointed to Trump’s comments that Iran was miscalculating.
asserted
Iran → point → comments
“The president is looking to make not just this generation – but the next generation – safer by not allowing what is essentially a terrorist organization in [Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] that is controlling the levers of government and wants to march towards a nuclear weapon,” Waltz said.
asserted
Waltz → look → weapon
“We’re not going to let the IRGC have a nuclear weapon, much less hold the world hostage with one.”
asserted
IRGC → go → one
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