Pezeshkian left for New York as Iraq and Georgia joined Turkey in barring Iranian aircraft under the U.S. deadline, a move China called illegal, while domestic outlets framed the UN trip as a tribune to defend Iranian rights.

G7 foreign ministers demanded Tehran stop arming the Houthis and halt strikes on Saudi Arabia, as Britain approved defensive refueling for Riyadh, keeping the previous days' Riyadh airport strikes in the frame.

At the General Assembly, Rubio said Washington was ready to talk with no meeting scheduled, then Trump warned Iran would be destroyed without a deal, predicted agreement after the midterms and insisted Tehran would never get a nuclear weapon.

Hours later Trump claimed U.S. officials had held three hours of talks with Iran's delegation. The General Staff and IRGC answered that readiness did not preclude negotiation but response would come in the field.