“Today, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, we engaged in lengthy talks with the Iranian delegation through the mediators, who shuttled between the two sides throughout the day.” That was US envoy Steve Witkoff, posting on X after Tuesday’s round in New York. Whether anyone from the two countries actually sat across a table is still disputed.
Trump gave the warmer version. Witkoff and Jared Kushner, he told reporters at the UN, had held a three-hour meeting with Iranian officials. “They had a very good meeting, a very productive meeting,” he said, adding that he saw “a lot of momentum” toward an agreement. Al Jazeera’s Kimberly Halkett, reporting from Washington, said his first remarks muddied who had taken part, and that the White House later clarified Trump himself had not attended.
From Tehran, Al Jazeera’s Tohid Asadi said state media confirmed a meeting between Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Witkoff, the first direct contact in weeks. Asadi said it was held at the American side’s request and insistence, to pass on Iran’s messages and conditions, especially on reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
What Tehran wants
Iranian state media listed the conditions: lift the US naval blockade, release frozen Iranian assets, and end the war on what Tehran calls the “resistance” fronts. A senior Iranian official told Reuters the delegation in New York had full authority to negotiate and called the UN gathering a “golden opportunity” for Washington. Iran sent its latest proposal through mediators on September 16, the official said, and could reopen Hormuz within seven days if the US eased military pressure and lifted the blockade of Iranian ports.
An Iranian security source told Al Jazeera there could be room for more engagement if Washington met Iran’s conditions.
Threats and side channels
The talks came hours after Trump’s UNGA speech, which paired the prospect of a deal with a threat. He said he faced a “big decision” between a deal that would let Iran rebuild and a move to “annihilate the Islamic Republic”. Iran’s armed forces command answered in a statement carried by Iranian media, calling the threats proof of “strategic weakness” and promising “more severe, crushing, and unpredictable blows” if attacked again.
Around the main channel, others were busy. Qatar said it was working with Pakistan to lower tensions and protect navigation through Hormuz. Qatar’s prime minister and foreign minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, met Araghchi in New York on Tuesday. Oman has earlier discussed maritime arrangements for the strait with Tehran. Trump met leaders and senior officials from the Gulf Cooperation Council, Turkiye, Jordan, Syria and Iraq the same day. Reuters reported that a Qatari proposal for a common security framework involving Iran and the Gulf states was under consideration, with one regional source saying Tehran was reviewing it.
US officials have claimed progress before, after the June memorandum of understanding collapsed. In early August Trump said the sides had reached parameters for a possible deal, and later described talks over Hormuz as “moving along nicely”, though big differences remained. Witkoff said the mediators would keep working.
