U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff held three hours of talks with Iranian representatives on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, mediated by Qatari diplomats. U.S. President Donald Trump said the next meeting between the sides is expected to take place soon, The Guardian reports.
According to Trump, Witkoff was very pleased with the results of the talks. However, no details were provided about the content of the discussion or any possible agreements.
Iranian officials confirmed that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi took part in the meeting with the U.S. special envoy. Qatari diplomats acted as mediators.
This was the first direct contact at this level since U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance met with an Iranian delegation in Switzerland in June. At that time, the sides agreed on a memorandum of understanding.
Conditions Regarding the Strait of Hormuz
A senior Iranian official said Tehran is prepared to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within a week if the United States takes corresponding steps to ease military and economic pressure on Iran.
Iran had previously set out seven conditions for lifting the blockade of the strait. These included ending the war “on all fronts” and a U.S. commitment to halt all aggressive actions against Iran, including sanctions.
According to the unnamed official, Tehran’s new position involves softening some of the previously stated demands. He also said it had been approved by Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and the country’s Supreme National Security Council.
At the same time, some Iranian media outlets close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps denied that Iran had adopted any new position on reopening the strait.
Military and Economic Pressure
The U.S. operation against Iran, which began in February, has heightened tensions in the Middle East. According to the report, its consequences are affecting the global economy through fluctuations in oil prices, disruptions to international trade, and growing geopolitical uncertainty.
In early July, the United States resumed strikes against Iran in response to attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. In August, the United States launched a large-scale economic campaign aimed at isolating five key sectors of the Iranian economy.
According to the report, the purpose of this initiative is to cut off the economic channels that support the Iranian regime and bring Tehran back to negotiations.
