Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi engaged in discussions with US special envoy Steve Witkoff and senior adviser Jared Kushner during the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday. The three-hour meeting occurred shortly after US President Donald Trump hinted at a potential shift in policy towards Iran in his UN address, stating he was weighing options between negotiating a deal or taking a more aggressive stance against the country. This dialogue marks a significant moment in US-Iran relations, reflecting ongoing tensions and the complexities of international diplomacy.
Iran was represented by Araghchi, while Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, represented the United States. The meeting is considered the first direct US-Iran contact at this level in roughly three months. The previous face-to-face talks took place in June, when US Vice President JD Vance met with Iranian officials in Switzerland. The Strait of Hormuz featured prominently in the latest talks. These included ending the US naval blockade, unfreezing Iranian assets, and terminating the multi-front war.
Iranian officials said that the discussions were conducted through intermediaries, with Qatar among those facilitating contact between the two sides. “Today, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, we engaged in lengthy talks with the Iranian delegation through the mediators,” Witkoff said on X, describing the discussions as “constructive and promising. He further said the mediators would continue their work. Araghchi outlined Tehran’s conditions for reopening the strategic waterway, according to Iranian state media.
