Arabic version: الولايات المتحدة وإيران تعقدان أول محادثات منذ يونيو

According to BBC News, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met US President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff at the United Nations in talks arranged by Qatar. The meeting was the first reported contact since a June ceasefire unravelled, but no breakthrough was reported.

Trump said in an address to the UN General Assembly that he could “annihilate” the Islamic Republic if the conflict remained unresolved. He also said he believed a deal with Iran could come after November’s Congressional elections. Later, Trump described a three-hour meeting with the Iranian delegation as “very productive”.

Witkoff said the discussions took place through mediators who shuttled between the two sides throughout the day. He said a round of talks had been completed that officials hoped would be “constructive and promising”, adding that mediators would continue their work. The BBC reported that Witkoff gave a thumbs up when asked about the meetings as he left the UN building.

Iran repeated its demand for the US to end what it called “acts of aggression”. Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said, through state broadcaster IRNA, that Tehran’s conditions included ending the war on all fronts. Since the collapse of the ceasefire, the US and Iran have intermittently exchanged fire, while the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has disrupted a route that previously carried about 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas.