Senior US and Iranian officials have held their first talks since a ceasefire collapsed in June, meeting through Qatari mediation at the United Nations in New York. No breakthrough was reported after the discussions, which came as President Donald Trump again raised the prospect of overwhelming action against Iran if the conflict is not resolved.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with Steve Witkoff, Trump’s envoy, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, according to Iranian state television. Witkoff said the sides had completed a round of discussions through mediators who moved between the delegations during the day.
In a post on X, Witkoff said the talks had been “constructive and promising” and that mediators would continue their work. Trump later described the three-hour engagement with the Iranian delegation as “very productive.”
Iran sets conditions
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman, Esmail Baghaei, said Tehran had conveyed its conditions through the Qatari mediator. These included an end to the war on all fronts and to what Iran calls US “acts of aggression.”
Addressing the UN General Assembly, Trump defended the conflict, arguing that it had stopped Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. He said a potential agreement could allow Iran to rebuild, but also asked whether he should “annihilate the Islamic Republic” if no deal were reached. Trump said he believed an agreement would come after November’s congressional elections.
The United States and Israel began air strikes on Iran on 28 February, according to the report. Iran then attacked Israel, US bases in the Gulf and US Arab Gulf allies, while also blocking the Strait of Hormuz. The waterway had previously carried about 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas, and its closure has been linked to sharp price swings.
Conflict continues after ceasefire collapse
Since the June ceasefire unravelled, the two sides have exchanged fire intermittently. Iran has attacked vessels it says tried to pass through the Strait of Hormuz without authorisation, while the US has struck Iranian sites in the strait and Iranian tankers off the country’s coast.
The US has also maintained a blockade of Iranian ports, severely disrupting Iran’s economy, and Trump has threatened sanctions against countries that continue to trade with Tehran. Iran has shown no indication of changing course and has continued to demand that the US and Israel end the wider war, including Israeli attacks against the Iran-backed Hezbollah group in Lebanon.
Source: BBC News
