According to Reuters, he said the two governments communicated through mediators who moved between the American and Iranian sides throughout the day.
The Jerusalem Post similarly reported that Araghchi, Witkoff and Kushner communicated through intermediaries rather than describing the event simply as a conventional face-to-face negotiating session.
For that reason, the talks are most accurately described at this stage as mediated or shuttle negotiations.
Trump nevertheless expressed optimism, saying there was momentum towards reaching an agreement.
Iran sets out conditions
The negotiations centre on two interconnected issues: ending the conflict and restoring navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said Tehran communicated its conditions to Washington through Qatari mediators.
According to Iranian statements reported by The Jerusalem Post, Tehran wants an end to U.S. military action, the naval blockade and sanctions, along with the release of frozen Iranian assets.
A senior Iranian official separately told Reuters that Tehran could reopen the Strait of Hormuz within days if Washington eased military pressure and lifted its blockade on Iranian ports.
Iran's willingness to discuss the waterway is especially important because of its significance to international energy markets.
Before the current disruption, roughly one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies normally passed through Hormuz, according to Reuters. The narrow waterway between Iran and Oman provides a crucial maritime route for major exporters including Saudi Arabia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Iraq and Qatar.
Reports of broader Iranian proposal
Additional details have emerged about what Tehran may be offering, although some have not been officially confirmed by either government.
The National, citing regional sources briefed on the negotiations, reported that Iran presented a broader road map involving a region-wide ceasefire lasting as long as 60 days, a gradual reopening of Hormuz and an eventual end to the U.S. blockade.
The proposal reportedly also includes stopping attacks on Arab neighbours and establishing a timetable for more substantial negotiations.
However, those details were attributed to unnamed regional sources. Neither Washington nor Tehran had publicly confirmed the entire proposal at the time of publication, meaning they should not yet be treated as agreed terms.
The National also reported that Qatar, Pakistan and Egypt were involved in mediation.
Tough rhetoric continues despite diplomacy
The diplomatic activity has unfolded alongside sharply confrontational public statements.
During his September 22 UN address, Trump said he was weighing whether an agreement could be reached with Tehran or whether the United States would escalate its campaign against Iran.
Iran's armed forces responded by rejecting Trump's statements and warning that they remained prepared to retaliate against further attacks.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian struck his own defiant tone during his UN address on Wednesday, saying Iran would not surrender to the United States while maintaining that Tehran still supported diplomacy. He also repeated Iran's position that it was not seeking nuclear weapons.
The combination of private diplomatic engagement and hostile public rhetoric illustrates the substantial distance that still separates Washington and Tehran.
Strait of Hormuz remains central to negotiations
Restoring shipping through Hormuz has become one of the most consequential elements of any possible settlement.
Reuters reported that shipping through the waterway fell dramatically following the outbreak of the conflict. Because so much of the world's energy trade normally moves through the strait, disruptions have affected oil markets and shipping throughout the Gulf.
Regional governments therefore have a strong interest in a negotiated solution.
Trump also met Middle Eastern leaders during the UN gathering, with Reuters reporting that countries in the region are seeking the restoration of shipping while simultaneously considering the security implications of any agreement with Tehran.
The negotiations are taking place almost seven months after the conflict began with joint U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran in late February, according to Reuters. The fighting has since expanded across the region, affected global energy prices and drawn neighbouring states into the crisis.
No breakthrough announced yet
Despite the renewed communication, reports suggesting that a peace agreement has already been reached would be premature.
Reuters reported Wednesday that the first shuttle talks appeared to have produced no publicly announced concessions from either side.
Iran continues to demand an end to what it describes as U.S. aggression and economic pressure, while Washington continues to seek Iranian concessions before easing key measures.
The immediate significance of the New York talks is therefore not a completed peace agreement but the reopening of a diplomatic channel after months of stalled negotiations.
Whether that channel produces a ceasefire and a lasting arrangement over the Strait of Hormuz remains unresolved.
For now, mediators have returned to the centre of efforts to prevent another escalation — with the economic and security consequences extending well beyond Washington and Tehran.Foreign Affairs
US-Iran Talks at UN Raise Hopes of War Breakthrough as Hormuz Negotiations Intensify
NEW YORK — The United States and Iran have reopened high-level diplomatic communication through mediators at the United Nations General Assembly, putting an end to months without such contacts and raising cautious hopes of progress toward ending the Middle East conflict and restoring normal shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
The discussions took place on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, where world leaders have gathered for the organisation's annual high-level meetings.
U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner communicated with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi through intermediaries, according to multiple reports. Qatar has played a prominent role in the mediation effort.
The talks are particularly significant because they represent the first such contacts in months following the collapse of an interim ceasefire agreement in July.
But despite renewed diplomacy, there was no indication as of Wednesday that Washington or Tehran had accepted the other's main conditions for bringing the conflict to an end.
Conflicting descriptions of how talks occurred
One detail requiring caution is precisely how the negotiations were conducted.
U.S. President Donald Trump described American officials as having held a roughly three-hour discussion involving Iran and said the talks had gone well. Al Jazeera also reported Trump describing the meeting as "very good."
However, Witkoff's description was more specific.
According to Reuters, he said the two governments communicated through mediators who moved between the American and Iranian sides throughout the day.
The Jerusalem Post similarly reported that Araghchi, Witkoff and Kushner communicated through intermediaries rather than describing the event simply as a conventional face-to-face negotiating session.
For that reason, the talks are most accurately described at this stage as mediated or shuttle negotiations.
Trump nevertheless expressed optimism, saying there was momentum towards reaching an agreement.
Iran sets out conditions
The negotiations centre on two interconnected issues: ending the conflict and restoring navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said Tehran communicated its conditions to Washington through Qatari mediators.
According to Iranian statements reported by The Jerusalem Post, Tehran wants an end to U.S. military action, the naval blockade and sanctions, along with the release of frozen Iranian assets.
A senior Iranian official separately told Reuters that Tehran could reopen the Strait of Hormuz within days if Washington eased military pressure and lifted its blockade on Iranian ports.
Iran's willingness to discuss the waterway is especially important because of its significance to international energy markets.
Before the current disruption, roughly one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies normally passed through Hormuz, according to Reuters. The narrow waterway between Iran and Oman provides a crucial maritime route for major exporters including Saudi Arabia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Iraq and Qatar.
Reports of broader Iranian proposal
Additional details have emerged about what Tehran may be offering, although some have not been officially confirmed by either government.
The National, citing regional sources briefed on the negotiations, reported that Iran presented a broader road map involving a region-wide ceasefire lasting as long as 60 days, a gradual reopening of Hormuz and an eventual end to the U.S. blockade.
The proposal reportedly also includes stopping attacks on Arab neighbours and establishing a timetable for more substantial negotiations.
However, those details were attributed to unnamed regional sources. Neither Washington nor Tehran had publicly confirmed the entire proposal at the time of publication, meaning they should not yet be treated as agreed terms.
The National also reported that Qatar, Pakistan and Egypt were involved in mediation.
Tough rhetoric continues despite diplomacy
The diplomatic activity has unfolded alongside sharply confrontational public statements.
During his September 22 UN address, Trump said he was weighing whether an agreement could be reached with Tehran or whether the United States would escalate its campaign against Iran.
Iran's armed forces responded by rejecting Trump's statements and warning that they remained prepared to retaliate against further attacks.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian struck his own defiant tone during his UN address on Wednesday, saying Iran would not surrender to the United States while maintaining that Tehran still supported diplomacy. He also repeated Iran's position that it was not seeking nuclear weapons.
The combination of private diplomatic engagement and hostile public rhetoric illustrates the substantial distance that still separates Washington and Tehran.
Strait of Hormuz remains central to negotiations
Restoring shipping through Hormuz has become one of the most consequential elements of any possible settlement.
Reuters reported that shipping through the waterway fell dramatically following the outbreak of the conflict. Because so much of the world's energy trade normally moves through the strait, disruptions have affected oil markets and shipping throughout the Gulf.
Regional governments therefore have a strong interest in a negotiated solution.
Trump also met Middle Eastern leaders during the UN gathering, with Reuters reporting that countries in the region are seeking the restoration of shipping while simultaneously considering the security implications of any agreement with Tehran.
The negotiations are taking place almost seven months after the conflict began with joint U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran in late February, according to Reuters. The fighting has since expanded across the region, affected global energy prices and drawn neighbouring states into the crisis.
No breakthrough announced yet
Despite the renewed communication, reports suggesting that a peace agreement has already been reached would be premature.
Reuters reported Wednesday that the first shuttle talks appeared to have produced no publicly announced concessions from either side.
Iran continues to demand an end to what it describes as U.S. aggression and economic pressure, while Washington continues to seek Iranian concessions before easing key measures.
The immediate significance of the New York talks is therefore not a completed peace agreement but the reopening of a diplomatic channel after months of stalled negotiations.
Whether that channel produces a ceasefire and a lasting arrangement over the Strait of Hormuz remains unresolved.
For now, mediators have returned to the centre of efforts to prevent another escalation — with the economic and security consequences extending well beyond Washington and Tehran.
According to Reuters, he said the two governments communicated through mediators who moved between the American and Iranian sides throughout the day.
The Jerusalem Post similarly reported that Araghchi, Witkoff and Kushner communicated through intermediaries rather than describing the event simply as a conventional face-to-face negotiating session.
For that reason, the talks are most accurately described at this stage as mediated or shuttle negotiations.
Trump nevertheless expressed optimism, saying there was momentum towards reaching an agreement.
Iran sets out conditions
The negotiations centre on two interconnected issues: ending the conflict and restoring navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said Tehran communicated its conditions to Washington through Qatari mediators.
According to Iranian statements reported by The Jerusalem Post, Tehran wants an end to U.S. military action, the naval blockade and sanctions, along with the release of frozen Iranian assets.
A senior Iranian official separately told Reuters that Tehran could reopen the Strait of Hormuz within days if Washington eased military pressure and lifted its blockade on Iranian ports.
Iran's willingness to discuss the waterway is especially important because of its significance to international energy markets.
Before the current disruption, roughly one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies normally passed through Hormuz, according to Reuters. The narrow waterway between Iran and Oman provides a crucial maritime route for major exporters including Saudi Arabia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Iraq and Qatar.
Reports of broader Iranian proposal
Additional details have emerged about what Tehran may be offering, although some have not been officially confirmed by either government.
The National, citing regional sources briefed on the negotiations, reported that Iran presented a broader road map involving a region-wide ceasefire lasting as long as 60 days, a gradual reopening of Hormuz and an eventual end to the U.S. blockade.
The proposal reportedly also includes stopping attacks on Arab neighbours and establishing a timetable for more substantial negotiations.
However, those details were attributed to unnamed regional sources. Neither Washington nor Tehran had publicly confirmed the entire proposal at the time of publication, meaning they should not yet be treated as agreed terms.
The National also reported that Qatar, Pakistan and Egypt were involved in mediation.
Tough rhetoric continues despite diplomacy
The diplomatic activity has unfolded alongside sharply confrontational public statements.
During his September 22 UN address, Trump said he was weighing whether an agreement could be reached with Tehran or whether the United States would escalate its campaign against Iran.
Iran's armed forces responded by rejecting Trump's statements and warning that they remained prepared to retaliate against further attacks.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian struck his own defiant tone during his UN address on Wednesday, saying Iran would not surrender to the United States while maintaining that Tehran still supported diplomacy. He also repeated Iran's position that it was not seeking nuclear weapons.
The combination of private diplomatic engagement and hostile public rhetoric illustrates the substantial distance that still separates Washington and Tehran.
Strait of Hormuz remains central to negotiations
Restoring shipping through Hormuz has become one of the most consequential elements of any possible settlement.
Reuters reported that shipping through the waterway fell dramatically following the outbreak of the conflict. Because so much of the world's energy trade normally moves through the strait, disruptions have affected oil markets and shipping throughout the Gulf.
Regional governments therefore have a strong interest in a negotiated solution.
Trump also met Middle Eastern leaders during the UN gathering, with Reuters reporting that countries in the region are seeking the restoration of shipping while simultaneously considering the security implications of any agreement with Tehran.
The negotiations are taking place almost seven months after the conflict began with joint U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran in late February, according to Reuters. The fighting has since expanded across the region, affected global energy prices and drawn neighbouring states into the crisis.
No breakthrough announced yet
Despite the renewed communication, reports suggesting that a peace agreement has already been reached would be premature.
Reuters reported Wednesday that the first shuttle talks appeared to have produced no publicly announced concessions from either side.
Iran continues to demand an end to what it describes as U.S. aggression and economic pressure, while Washington continues to seek Iranian concessions before easing key measures.
The immediate significance of the New York talks is therefore not a completed peace agreement but the reopening of a diplomatic channel after months of stalled negotiations.
Whether that channel produces a ceasefire and a lasting arrangement over the Strait of Hormuz remains unresolved.
For now, mediators have returned to the centre of efforts to prevent another escalation — with the economic and security consequences extending well beyond Washington and Tehran.Continue with Tokenpress
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