Updated September 23, 2026 at 10:50 AM EDT
Three hours of direct talks between U.S. and Iranian officials on Tuesday produced no announced breakthrough. With negotiations still unfolding, President Trump's ambassador to the United Nations offered a narrow window Wednesday into what happened at the table. Trump has said the talks are continuing and that he believes a settlement can be reached.
"We're literally internalizing what they brought to the table," Mike Waltz told Morning Edition.
Waltz would not describe Iran's proposal. Asked whether Tehran had offered to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for an easing of U.S. economic pressure, he called the talks "significant" because they marked the first direct contact between the two countries since the ceasefire broke down. He added that Iran would have to "come to the table in good faith."
He also invoked international law, adding that Iran could not choke off one of the world's most important shipping routes as leverage.
"Imagine if Spain or Morocco choked off the Straits of Gibraltar because of a dispute with another country," Waltz said.
Iran has said it is prepared to reopen the strait if Washington eases military pressure and lifts its blockade on Iranian ports.
Waltz, a former Green Beret and three-term Florida congressman, moved to the U.N. after being pushed aside as Trump's national security adviser over the Signal chat scandal, in which he mistakenly added a journalist to a discussion of planned U.S. strikes in Yemen.
Trump addressed the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday with a message that paired diplomacy with the threat of force — a combination that has shaped much of his second-term foreign policy. On Iran, he spoke of a deal that could allow the country to rebuild while also threatening to "annihilate" it if no agreement is reached.
Trump also turned to Venezuela, where a U.S. military operation removed Nicolás Maduro, declaring that "to the victor belong the spoils" as he discussed access to the country's oil.
The foreign policy message comes as voters are giving Republicans lower marks on the issue. An NPR/PBS News/Marist poll released Wednesday found registered voters preferred Democrats over Republicans on handling foreign policy, 42% to 36%. Trump's overall job approval stood at 39%.
Listen to the full interview by clicking the blue button above. The digital version was written by Majd Al-Waheidi and edited by Suzanne Nuyen.
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