Persistent US-Iran hostilities, including an ongoing conflict that began in February 2026, have kept direct presidential engagement off the table despite brief diplomatic signals. During the late September UN General Assembly, Trump voiced openness to a New York meeting with Pezeshkian while indirect talks via mediators addressed ceasefire proposals and Strait of Hormuz access, yet Iranian officials explicitly ruled out a leader-level encounter, citing eroded trust and unmet conditions. No face-to-face meeting occurred as the UNGA window closed. With midterms approaching and prior memoranda having collapsed, trader consensus assigns only an 8% chance of a summit before year-end, reflecting structural barriers to high-level diplomacy.