US president Donald Trump on Sunday said he had no objection to Gulf countries holding talks with Iran, saying such meetings were “up to them” and “fine”. His comments came as UAE Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in New Delhi.Asked about the meeting, Trump said, “I don’t care. That’s up to them. It’s fine.”Trump reiterated that he expects the war with Iran to end this year, possibly shortly after the US midterm elections in November, saying an end to the conflict would lead to a sharp fall in oil and gasoline prices.“Iran will end right after – maybe before – but it’ll end right after the midterms. Gasoline’s going to drop like a rock,” Trump told reporters at the Irish Open golf championship.Trump also said Iran was seeking a deal but stressed that any agreement would have to meet his expectations.“I will tell you this: Iran wants to make a deal so bad. They are calling constantly. They want to make a deal. They’ve got to make the right deal. I’m not going to make a deal that’s no good,” he said.The comments came as Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian met UAE Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Saturday on the sidelines of the Brics Summit in New Delhi.The two leaders held talks during the meeting.In an X post, Iran in India wrote, “H.E. Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, held a meeting and talks with H.H. UAE crown prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit.”Pezeshkian also said Iran had no problems with the UAE or other regional countries, distinguishing Tehran’s relations with its neighbours from its opposition to the presence of US military bases in the region.Pezeshkian on Sunday said Tehran’s objection was directed at the use of territory in neighbouring countries by the United States rather than at the Gulf states themselves.“So this is the US that has come here and established bases, and from those bases they martyr our children, they attack our infrastructure and bomb, and they target our leaders, commanders and people,” he said.Earlier, Brics leaders unanimously adopted the New Delhi Declaration 2026, expressing deep concern over the escalating tensions in West Asia and calling for maximum restraint to prevent further deterioration of the situation.The declaration called for the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states, and greater efforts through dialogue and diplomacy to achieve lasting peace and stability.
