US President Donald Trump on 23 September 2026 reaffirmed his administration's support for the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), framing the ambitious connectivity project as a strategic alternative for routing energy and goods away from Iranian-controlled chokepoints. The remarks were made during a multilateral meeting with leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Trump's Case for the Corridor

'Iran's terrorist attacks on commercial shipping and neighboring countries have shown the need to shift Middle East energy infrastructure away from the Iranian checkpoints,' Trump said, according to reports from the UN meeting. He added: 'That's why my administration strongly supports the India, Middle East, Europe economic corridor.'

Trump also referenced pipelines and alternative overland routes as part of a broader push to reduce the region's dependence on maritime passages vulnerable to Iranian disruption. The President claimed the US had escorted more than one billion barrels of oil out of the Gulf in the recent period, asserting: 'We now have more oil flowing through the strait than at any point by far since the conflict began.'

Iran Deal or Swift End: Trump Issues Warning

Beyond the corridor, Trump issued a stark warning to Tehran, signalling that the nuclear standoff would be resolved through diplomacy or force. 'We're going to make a deal or it's going to end very, very quickly,' he said.

He disclosed that his special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner had held what he described as a productive meeting with mediators dealing with Iran. 'I think there's a lot of momentum for them to make a deal,' Trump said, expressing confidence that both men carried credibility with the Iranian side. Trump also claimed that US military action had crippled Iran's navy, eliminated its air force and destroyed much of its weapons infrastructure, while Operation Economic Outcast was intensifying financial pressure on Tehran.

Gulf Partners, Gaza and Regional Unity

Trump thanked GCC leaders for their partnership and investments in the United States, describing them as 'some of Washington's closest friends, allies and partners.' He also praised their role in what he characterised as efforts to end the Gaza war, crediting many of the same leaders with helping secure a peace agreement, the return of hostages and international support for a 20-point Gaza peace plan. 'We continue to stand together. We are all together very much united,' he said.

What Is IMEC and Where Does It Stand

The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor was announced at the G20 Summit in New Delhi in September 2023. The founding signatories — India, the United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the European Union, France, Germany and Italy — signed a memorandum outlining its objectives. The proposed corridor connects India with the Gulf through maritime links, and then links the Gulf to Europe through rail and shipping networks. Its stated goals include reducing transport time, improving trade flows and strengthening energy connectivity across Asia, the Middle East and Europe.

Notably, Trump's endorsement at the UN comes more than three years after the corridor's G20 launch, lending fresh geopolitical momentum to a project that had stalled amid regional conflict. This is the first time Trump has publicly championed IMEC within an explicit anti-Iran strategic frame, connecting corridor progress directly to maritime security and nuclear negotiations — a framing that could accelerate bilateral engagement on the project's implementation.