U.S.–Iran talks resumed on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 22, President Donald Trump said. His envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met an Iranian delegation for three hours, and he assessed the encounter positively, The Times of Israel reported.
Iranian state media described the Iran talks in terms of demands over the Strait of Hormuz. According to Reuters’ video report and accompanying text, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi conveyed conditions for reopening the waterway: an immediate end to the naval blockade, immediate release of frozen Iranian assets and an end to war across all of what state media described as resistance fronts.
These are reported negotiating conditions, without an accompanying signed agreement. The accounts do not establish American acceptance, an operating arrangement for shipping or a new ceasefire. Neither side’s public assessment independently verifies the substance of the closed discussions.
Iran talks bring optimism and threats
Trump coupled his favorable assessment with a stark warning. In the remarks carried by Reuters, he portrayed Iran’s alternatives as a deal that could allow the country to prosper or destruction.
The Times of Israel’s Jacob Magid reported the comments from New York as Trump met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Asked about the encounter, Witkoff initially refrained from commenting, then expressed confidence about both the present and the following day.
In his earlier address to the General Assembly, Trump said he believed a peace agreement could come after the November 3 U.S. congressional elections, AFP reported in German. He also expressed confidence that an agreement could be reached quickly.
Iran talks follow public warnings
Iranian officials had publicly emphasized distrust before the Iran talks. Iran International reported that President Masoud Pezeshkian left Tehran for New York on Tuesday saying he would present Iran’s position and discuss suffering in the country. He attributed the deterioration in trust to Washington’s conduct.
Araghchi, who arrived ahead of Pezeshkian, described Iran as remaining at war and criticized the United Nations’ performance in maintaining peace, according to the same report. He said the gathering offered an opportunity to discuss how trust in the institution had been lost and could be restored.
Revolutionary Guard spokesperson Hossein Mohebbi described negotiations as a possible means of pursuing the country’s interests while preparing for combat. He said the force was preparing for a prolonged conflict. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf similarly argued that diplomacy should turn military strength into political gains, Iran International reported.
Separately, The Associated Press reported that Iran’s joint military command responded to Trump’s UN speech by dismissing his threats as domestic messaging and warning of further attacks against the United States and Israel.
Shipping and the Iran talks
The question of whether shipping must wait for a broader political settlement also concerns neighboring states. At a September 21 event in New York, Qatar’s minister of state for foreign affairs, Mohammed bin Abdulaziz bin Saleh Al Khulaifi, argued that safe navigation and the resolution of political disputes should proceed in parallel, according to the Qatari foreign ministry’s account.
Al Khulaifi said disruption through major straits has consequences beyond the countries directly involved, pointing to Qatar’s experience with Hormuz. He called for solutions grounded in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, cooperation between coastal states and users of the waterway, and a supporting role for the International Maritime Organization.
Qatar proposed considering an agreed roadmap with defined stages and timeframes for communication, de-escalation and restoring navigation. Al Khulaifi said its purpose would be to prevent a shipping disruption from developing into a wider international crisis. The ministry’s account presented that approach as Qatar’s position.
For the Iran talks, Trump said another session was scheduled soon. His reported remarks did not give a date or location.
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