International
oi-Gaurav Sharma
US President Donald Trump has said that American and Iranian officials held a three-hour meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, which marks an attempt at new diplomacy in the midst of an escalating conflict between Washington and Tehran.
Trump said the meeting, which was attended by Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi, US envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, was “very good” and “productive”. Speaking alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Trump said the two sides were expected to meet again soon.
US and Iranian officials, including Steve Witkoff and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, held a productive three-hour meeting in New York during the UN General Assembly amidst escalating tensions. Iran reiterated conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, and both sides expect future discussions.
The talks took place shortly after Trump issued a stark warning to Tehran in his UN general assembly address, saying he faced a choice between striking a deal with Iran and launching military strikes against the Islamic Republic.
Witkoff also described the discussions as lengthy, constructive and promising, saying that mediators had been shuttling between the American and Iranian delegations during the negotiations and would continue efforts to facilitate talks.
Iranian state media confirmed that Araghchi met US officials at the behest of Witkoff, saying that Tehran used the meeting to reiterate its conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil shipping route.
Iran’s demands are said to include an immediate lifting of the naval blockade, the release of frozen Iranian assets and an end to military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon.
The diplomatic engagement is said to come months after conflict erupted between the two nations, in the midst of ongoing tension over the Strait of Hormuz. Trump has said that US naval efforts to escort oil shipments through the strategic waterway have increased the flow of oil.
While Washington has signalled a willingness to pursue a deal, Trump’s latest comments also highlight the threat of further military escalation if talks fail.
