Trump claims “big progress” toward Iran deal, warns of an “unpleasant path” otherwise

Washington/Tehran,
US President Donald Trump said at a meeting with Gulf and regional leaders on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York that “massive progress” is being made toward a deal with Iran, even as Washington keeps up heavy military and economic pressure on Tehran. Tuesday’s meeting was attended by UAE Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, and leaders from Jordan, Turkey, Syria and Egypt.
Trump disclosed that his envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner had spoken with Iranian mediators earlier the same day. “The Iranians have great respect for both of them… I think a lot of progress is being made toward a deal,” he said. Sheikh Abdullah praised Trump’s efforts and reaffirmed UAE support for de-escalation.
Trump added that Iran’s economy is in “really bad shape” and that Washington is “completely isolating” Iran financially to bring Tehran to an agreement “before it’s too late.” He said the US Navy has cleared Iranian mines from the Strait of Hormuz and is helping restore oil shipments.
Unclear leadership in Iran
Trump said it is unclear who is running Iran, claiming the top two tiers of its leadership have been “eliminated.” Iran’s Foreign Ministry rejected the claim, saying Washington knows its counterparts well. Separately, US Vice President JD Vance said Iran must substantially reduce uranium enrichment to end the war, and confirmed ongoing US talks with President Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Araghchi.
81 US aircraft destroyed or damaged in Iran war: Congressional report
A Congressional Research Service report issued October 5 said more than 81 US military aircraft, helicopters and drones have been destroyed or damaged since the war with Iran began on February 28. These include 45 MQ-9 Reaper drones, up sharply from 24 in the previous report. Affected aircraft include 12 F-15E Strike Eagles, three of which were shot down in March in a friendly-fire incident by Kuwaiti air defenses. Other losses include one F-35A Lightning II, one E-3 Sentry, one HH-60W helicopter and several smaller aircraft. Some damaged aircraft later returned to service, the report said.
US Iran war costs near $44 billion
According to the Associated Press, a US Central Command estimate puts total war costs at $43.6 billion as of September 3. This includes $1.28 billion for munitions and $3.4 billion for equipment losses. The Congressional Budget Office had earlier estimated equipment replacement costs at $1.9 to $3.3 billion as of August 1.
Iran has “lost complete control” of Hormuz: Rubio
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Iran has “lost complete control” of the Strait of Hormuz. He said oil shipments through Hormuz have returned to nearly pre-war levels, while Tehran’s economy faces “total collapse.” Trump separately said Hormuz oil traffic has matched or exceeded pre-war levels. He also claimed Iran’s oil minister resigned, saying the country has “no economy, no oil, and nothing else.”