Trump to Meet Gulf Leaders as Iran War Widens

President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet with Persian Gulf leaders on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, as wars involving Iran and Yemen's Houthis continue to roil the region with no resolution in sight. The talks come as Gulf Arab states, which host U.S. forces, have absorbed much of Iran's retaliation since the U.S.-Iran war began more than six months ago. Iranian missiles and drone strikes have hit U.S. military sites and critical infrastructure across the region, including a U.S. naval base in Bahrain, according to reporting on the conflict. Iran's effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has disrupted energy exports for Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, while Saudi Arabia has diverted shipments through the Red Sea. A second front has opened in Yemen. Houthi forces struck Riyadh with missiles and drones on Saturday, September 19, attacked Saudi oil facilities, and captured territory near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a waterway Saudi Arabia relies on for oil exports.