NEW YORK: The United States and Iran held their first indirect talks in months on Wednesday, raising hopes of renewed diplomacy to end the Middle East war.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner communicated through mediators on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
The contacts marked the first such engagement since an interim ceasefire agreement collapsed in July. However, neither side publicly announced a change in its position.
US President Donald Trump said Witkoff and Kushner had a productive meeting with Iranian mediators.
“I think there’s a lot of momentum for them to make a deal,” Trump said.
Trump had earlier told the UN General Assembly that he faced a choice between reaching a deal with Iran and taking military action against the country.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said Tehran communicated its conditions through a Qatari mediator.
Iran wants an end to the war on all fronts and a halt to what it describes as US “acts of aggression”.
No Direct Meeting Between US, Iranian Officials
Some Iranian state media initially reported that Araqchi and Witkoff had met directly.
Iranian officials later clarified to Reuters that the two did not hold a face-to-face meeting.
Araqchi instead met Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, who has played a key role in previous mediation efforts.
The latest diplomatic contacts followed months of fighting and stalled negotiations.
Iran has also indicated that it could reopen the Strait of Hormuz if Washington reduces military pressure and lifts its blockade on Iranian ports.
Hardliners Oppose Diplomatic Contacts
The renewed contacts faced criticism from Iranian media outlets associated with hardliners.
An opinion article published by semi-official Tasnim news agency criticised Araqchi’s contacts with Witkoff and Kushner.
Iranian sources also told Reuters that the delegation had been instructed not to meet US officials face-to-face by the Supreme National Security Council.
The diplomatic engagement came as Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian prepared to address the UN General Assembly.
Pezeshkian later said Iran would not surrender to US pressure but maintained that Tehran still believed in diplomacy.
Strait of Hormuz Remains Key Issue
The Strait of Hormuz remains a major point of disagreement between Washington and Tehran.
Iran has sought conditions for shipping through the strategic waterway, while the United States has opposed Tehran’s efforts to impose control over maritime traffic.
Shipping through the strait has fallen sharply during the conflict. Preliminary data showed that only two commodity vessels crossed the waterway on Monday, compared with an average of around 125 large commercial ships per day before the conflict escalated.
Several vessels have also come under attack in recent days.
The British maritime security agency UKMTO reported that a vessel was hit by a projectile in the strait, causing a fire and forcing its crew to evacuate.
The disruption has affected global energy supplies and pushed oil prices sharply higher in recent weeks.
Brent crude remained around $100 a barrel on Wednesday as investors assessed the latest diplomatic developments and the continuing risks to regional energy shipments.
The latest US-Iran contacts have opened a new diplomatic channel, but major disagreements remain over the war, sanctions, maritime access and Iran’s nuclear programme.
