Indirect diplomacy in New York

United States envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held three hours of indirect discussions with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in New York on Tuesday. The shuttle talks, conducted through Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani at the United Nations headquarters, were the first official contacts between Washington and Tehran since a ceasefire framework broke down in July. Speaking after the session, US President Donald Trump stated that the exchanges had yielded positive momentum, while repeating remarks to the UN General Assembly that he faced a choice between reaching a negotiated pact or destroying the Islamic Republic. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio separately indicated on NBC's Today show that Trump remained open to a direct meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian during the summit.

“Steve and Jared had a very productive meeting today with mediators of Iran, merely mediators. Let's see what happens with that.”

Tehran's conditions and Hormuz transit

Iranian officials stated that the New York sessions did not alter Tehran's established negotiating demands. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei confirmed that Qatari intermediaries relayed a list of seven preconditions required before formal negotiations could resume. Tehran demanded a complete cessation of American military operations, the lifting of the naval blockade on Iranian ports, an end to economic sanctions, and the release of frozen overseas assets. Iranian representatives indicated that commercial navigation through the Strait of Hormuz could resume within seven days if Washington accepts these terms, under a proposed routing plan where commercial vessels operate primarily inside Iranian-controlled territorial waters. Current maritime traffic through the chokepoint has dropped below five identifiable tankers a day.

“The interaction that took place with the American side was through Qatari mediation. This interaction was aimed at conveying Iran's conditions, including the end of the war in all its dimensions, the cessation of American aggressive actions, the naval siege, and the economic war, the release of Iranian assets and so on.”

Energy markets and regional tensions

The diplomatic contacts coincided with Brent crude oil prices dropping below $100 a barrel for the first time in two weeks. Energy markets had seen price increases earlier in September following an offensive by Houthi forces in Yemen that involved missile and drone strikes into Saudi Arabia. Regional military engagements continued alongside the talks, including the downing of a Saudi armed reconnaissance drone over the coastal city of Al-Mukha in Yemen's Taiz province. In Tehran, the Iranian General Staff responded to Trump's UN address through the Mehr news agency, characterizing American rhetoric as strategic desperation and warning that Iranian armed forces remained prepared to execute retaliatory strikes against US and Israeli targets.

Diplomatic engagements and next steps

Broader diplomatic maneuvering continued across New York and Washington on Wednesday. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian arrived in New York to deliver an address to the UN General Assembly, representing the first time an Iranian head of state visited the United States during active military hostilities between the two nations. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani met with Araghchi on the sidelines of the assembly to discuss navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb strait, urging Tehran to exercise diplomatic restraint in Lebanon and Yemen. Meanwhile, Trump held consultations with leaders from the Gulf Cooperation Council and Jordan regarding regional security frameworks, while Chinese President Xi Jinping prepared to arrive in Washington for direct talks with Trump on Wednesday evening.