Top US and Iranian officials have held their first talks since June, as President Donald Trump threatened to “annihilate” the Islamic Republic if a deal cannot be reached.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York and was mediated by Qatar. It involved Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US envoy Steve Witkoff.
No breakthrough was reported after the meeting. Witkoff said the discussions had been completed and could prove “constructive and promising.”
“They successfully completed a round of discussions that we hope will prove constructive and promising. The mediators will continue their work.”
Iran said through a Qatari mediator that it wanted an end to the war on all fronts and to what it called US acts of aggression.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei, quoted by state broadcaster IRNA, said Tehran’s conditions had been communicated during the talks.
The discussions are the first direct diplomatic contact between senior US and Iranian officials since a ceasefire broke down in June.
The US and Israel launched air strikes on Iran on 28 February. Iran responded with attacks on Israel and US bases in the Gulf and on Arab Gulf states allied with Washington.
The conflict also led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key global energy route through which about 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas had previously passed.
The disruption has caused major fluctuations in energy prices and increased pressure on Trump to find a way to end the conflict.
Trump used his address to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday to defend the US military campaign against Iran.
He said the conflict had prevented Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and argued that it demonstrated what he described as peace through strength.
Trump then presented Iran with a choice between reaching a deal and facing further military action. “Will a deal be made with Iran that lets them rebuild and create a far greater country than it ever was before?”
“Or do I annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly, never giving them a chance to kill and destroy people and countries again? Do I drive them into hell?”
Trump also said he believed a deal with Iran could come after the US Congressional elections in November.
Later, he told reporters that American officials had held a “very productive” three-hour meeting with the Iranian delegation.
Iranian state television confirmed that Araghchi had met Witkoff.
Witkoff later said the talks were conducted through mediators who moved between the two sides during the day. “Through the mediators, who shuttled between the two sides throughout the day.”
Since the June ceasefire collapsed, the US and Iran have intermittently exchanged fire.
Iran has attacked vessels it says attempted to cross the Strait of Hormuz without authorisation.
The US has also attacked Iranian sites around the strait and Iranian tankers off Iran’s coast.
Washington has maintained a blockade of Iranian ports, disrupting trade and putting further pressure on Iran’s economy.
Trump has also threatened sanctions against countries that continue trading with Iran as part of efforts to pressure Tehran into accepting a deal.
Iran has shown no indication of changing its position. Tehran continues to demand an end to the US and Israeli military campaign, including Israeli attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon, an Iran-backed Shia group.
The conflict has also drawn in Yemen’s Houthi movement, another Iran-aligned group.
The Houthis have intensified attacks targeting oil shipping from Saudi Arabia, prompting further military confrontation with Riyadh.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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