US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said Tuesday that he held lengthy discussions with the Iranian delegation through intermediaries on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meetings in New York.
In a post on X, Witkoff confirmed that the round of discussions had been successfully completed, expressing hope that they would prove “constructive and promising.”
He said the mediators would continue their efforts between the two sides in the coming period.
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei told the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) that Tehran had communicated with the United States in New York through a Qatari mediator and conveyed conditions that included ending the war on all fronts and halting what Iran described as “US acts of aggression.”
Baghaei added that Iran’s conditions also included ending the naval blockade and economic warfare and releasing Iranian assets.
US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that “very productive” talks had taken place between Iranian and US officials on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, hours after threatening to “eliminate” Iran if an agreement was not reached.
Following the announcement of the meeting, Iran’s IRNA reported hearing an explosion near Iran’s Qeshm Island. It said the “sound came from the sea” and that there were no impacts or damage inside the island itself.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also met with Witkoff on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York and conveyed Tehran’s conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iranian media reports.
Iran’s state broadcaster quoted Araghchi as telling Witkoff that Tehran’s demands included “the immediate lifting of the US naval blockade, the urgent release of all frozen Iranian assets, and an end to the war on all fronts.”
The developments followed a speech by Trump to the UN General Assembly, in which he focused particularly on the ongoing war with Iran.
Trump said the meeting lasted nearly three hours, describing it as “very good and very productive,” while confirming that further talks were expected “in the very near future.”
Trump announced the resumption of dialogue with Tehran during a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Witkoff, who was present alongside Trump, said he felt “very optimistic” about the talks.
Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, was also in the room. Kushner had previously taken part in negotiations with Tehran before they were suspended in June.
Earlier, during his address to the United Nations, Trump said he faced two options: either “eliminate” Iran or reach an agreement. He expressed confidence that a diplomatic solution could be found after the US congressional elections scheduled for November.
