U.S. ambassador to the U.N. discusses Trump's address at UNGA

Accessibility links Skip to main content Keyboard shortcuts for audio player Open Navigation Menu Newsletters NPR Shop Get NPR+ Close Navigation Menu Home News Expand/collapse submenu for News National World Politics Business Health Science Climate Race Culture Expand/collapse submenu for Culture Books Movies Television Pop Culture Food Art & Design Performing Arts Life Kit Gaming Music Expand/collapse submenu for Music Tiny Desk New Music Friday All Songs Considered Music Features Live Sessions Podcasts & Shows Expand/collapse submenu for Podcasts & Shows Daily Morning Edition Weekend Edition Saturday Weekend Edition Sunday All Things Considered Up First Here & Now NPR Politics Podcast Featured Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me! Fresh Air Wild Card with Rachel Martin It's Been a Minute Embedded Get NPR+ More Podcasts & Shows Search Newsletters NPR Shop Get NPR+ Tiny Desk New Music Friday All Songs Considered Music Features Live Sessions About NPR Diversity Support Careers Press Ethics Mike Waltz on Iran talks, Venezuela and Trump’s U.N. address Deals, threats and oil are all on the table as the president's foreign policy takes center stage. World U.N. Ambassador Mike Waltz on Iran, Venezuela and Trump's foreign policy Updated September 23, 202610:11 AM ET Originally published September 23, 20266:48 AM ET Heard on Morning Edition By Steve Inskeep , Majd Al-Waheidi From left, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, first lady Melania Trump, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer listen as President Trump addresses the 81st United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York on Tuesday. Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images hide caption State of the World from NPR What role does the United Nations play now? 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. 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. NPR does not offer or accept money for coverage or interviews. Anyone who makes such an offer or request is not an NPR employee and does not represent NPR. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor