Level 1 — Absolute Beginner
The United States and Iran have been at war for six months. This week, US President Donald Trump said he is now in “deciding mode” about what to do next.
Trump said he sees three choices. Iran's economy could get weaker and weaker. Iran's leaders could lose power. Or the two countries could make a deal.
Iran's president, Masoud Pezeshkian, flew to New York this week. He went for a big United Nations meeting. Trump said he might meet with him there.
Iran also sent a list of seven requests to the United States. Iran wants the attacks to stop. Iran wants its frozen money back. Iran wants ships to move freely through the Strait of Hormuz again.
- war
- A fight between two countries.
- choice
- One thing you can pick from two or more options.
- leader
- A person who is in charge of a country or group.
- deal
- An agreement between two sides.
- meeting
- A time when people come together to talk.
- request
- Something you ask for.
- money
- What people use to buy and sell things.
- ship
- A large boat that carries people or goods.
Level 2 — Elementary
President Donald Trump said this week that he has entered “deciding mode” on the war between the United States and Iran, which has now lasted about six months. He told reporters that big decisions are coming soon.
Trump described three possible paths forward. Iran's economy could continue to “rot,” Iran's leadership could be removed by force, or the two sides could reach a peace deal. He said “very big things” would happen in the near future.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi traveled to New York this week for the United Nations General Assembly. Trump said he would “probably be open” to meeting Pezeshkian while he is there.
Through mediators in Qatar, Iran sent the United States a list of seven conditions for ending the war. Iranian official Mohsen Rezaei confirmed three of them publicly: an immediate stop to all attacks on Iran, the return of Iran's frozen funds, and an end to the naval blockade of Iran's ports and the Strait of Hormuz. The other four conditions remain secret.
- mediator
- A person or country that helps two sides talk and agree.
- condition
- Something that must happen before an agreement is reached.
- blockade
- The act of blocking ships or goods from entering or leaving a place.
- reporter
- A person whose job is to find and share news.
- ceasefire
- An agreement to stop fighting for a period of time.
- official
- A person who holds a position of authority in a government.
- foreign minister
- A government official in charge of relations with other countries.
- economy
- The system of money, business, and trade in a country.
Level 3 — Intermediate
President Donald Trump signaled a turning point this week in the six-month conflict between the United States and Iran, telling reporters he has entered what he called “deciding mode.” He outlined three possible outcomes: Iran's economy could continue to weaken, its leadership could be removed, or negotiators could reach a settlement, adding that “very big things” were likely in the near future.
His comments came as Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in New York for the United Nations General Assembly's high-level session. Trump indicated he would be open to a face-to-face meeting with Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the gathering, a notable shift after months of open hostility.
Behind the scenes, Iran transmitted a list of seven conditions to Washington through Qatari intermediaries, seeking to formalize an end to the fighting. Iranian Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei disclosed three of them publicly: an immediate halt to all military action against Iran, the release of the country's frozen sovereign funds, and the lifting of the naval blockade on Iranian ports and the Strait of Hormuz. The remaining four conditions were withheld pending a US response.
The diplomatic overture follows roughly nine days without new missile or drone strikes, suggesting a fragile pause has held even as both sides continue to posture publicly. Analysts caution that the gap between Trump's rhetoric of ultimatums and Iran's demand for a full lifting of the blockade leaves considerable room for the talks to collapse before any agreement is finalized.
- intermediary
- A person or party that acts as a link between two sides in a negotiation.
- sovereign funds
- Money and financial assets that belong to a national government.
- ultimatum
- A final demand that, if rejected, will lead to serious consequences.
- posture (verb)
- To behave in a way meant to create a particular impression, often for show.
- fragile
- Easily broken or likely to fail under pressure.
- disclose
- To make information known that was previously secret.
- hostility
- Strong unfriendliness or aggression between people or countries.
- negotiator
- A person who takes part in formal discussions to reach an agreement.
Level 4 — Advanced
President Donald Trump's declaration that he has entered “deciding mode” on the six-month war with Iran marks a rhetorical escalation layered atop the most substantive diplomatic movement the conflict has seen in weeks. Framing the choice in stark terms, economic strangulation, forcible removal of Iran's leadership, or a negotiated settlement, Trump left deliberately ambiguous which path he now favors, even as he promised that “very big things” loomed.
The statement landed just as Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi touched down in New York for the United Nations General Assembly's high-level week, an itinerary that Washington reportedly constrained to a narrow security perimeter around the Iranian delegation. Trump's suggestion that he would be “probably open” to a sideline meeting with Pezeshkian represents a meaningful softening in tone, whatever the eventual outcome.
More consequential than the theater in New York is the back channel running through Doha, where Iran has transmitted a seven point list of conditions for ending hostilities. Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, has confirmed only three publicly: an unconditional cessation of attacks on Iranian territory, restitution of Tehran's frozen sovereign assets, and the lifting of the naval blockade constraining traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. The remaining four conditions are being withheld, a common negotiating tactic that keeps Washington guessing about the true scope of Iran's demands.
Whether this moment produces a durable settlement or merely another pause in a war now in its seventh month remains genuinely uncertain. The roughly nine day lull in missile and drone exchanges offers a fragile foundation, but the gulf between Trump's talk of ultimatums and Iran's insistence on a complete, verifiable end to the blockade suggests the parties remain far apart on the substance even as they edge closer on process.
- rhetorical
- Relating to the persuasive or expressive use of language rather than its literal content.
- strangulation
- Here, the gradual economic suffocation of a country through pressure such as sanctions.
- restitution
- The act of restoring something that was taken or lost to its rightful owner.
- cessation
- A formal or complete stopping of an action, especially fighting.
- constrain
- To severely restrict the scope, freedom, or movement of someone or something.
- perimeter
- The outer boundary of an area, often used for a secured or restricted zone.
- durable
- Able to last a long time without breaking down or failing.
- substantive
- Having a real, meaningful basis rather than being superficial or symbolic.
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