The talks, which took place on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, involved Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US President Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff. This marks the first high-level engagement since a June ceasefire collapsed, leading to renewed hostilities.
Witkoff confirmed on X that mediators shuttled between the two sides throughout the day, completing "a round of discussions that we hope will prove constructive and promising." Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei, quoted by state broadcaster IRNA, said negotiations were conducted through a Qatari mediator who communicated Tehran's conditions, including an end to the war on all fronts and an end to US "acts of aggression."
The talks come against the backdrop of significant military escalation. The US and Israel launched air strikes on Iran on February 28. Iran responded by attacking Israel and US bases in the Gulf and Arab Gulf allies of the US, as well as blocking the Strait of Hormuz—a vital waterway through which some 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas used to pass before the war. The closure has caused wild fluctuations in energy prices and increased pressure on Trump to find a way to end the conflict, particularly as the US heads to Congressional elections in November.
In his UN General Assembly address on Tuesday, Trump justified the war with Iran, arguing it had prevented Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and demonstrated the value of "peace through strength"—ultimatums rather than compromise. He questioned whether a deal would be made or whether he should "annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly." Trump said he believed an Iran deal would come right after November's elections.
Trump later told reporters that American officials had a "very productive" three-hour meeting with the Iranian delegation. When leaving the UN building, Witkoff responded to a question about the meetings with a thumbs up.