US and Iran hold mediated UNGA talks on ending war, opening Strait of Hormuz

September 23, 2026 at 09:42 AM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

US and Iranian delegations held indirect talks through mediators on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, with US special envoy Steve Witkoff confirming mediators shuttled between the sides throughout Tuesday. President Donald Trump said Witkoff and Jared Kushner met directly with Iranian officials for three hours, describing the meeting as productive. Tehran linked further diplomatic progress to lifting shipping blockades and unfreezing Iranian assets.

Key Facts

US special envoy Steve Witkoff said mediators shuttled between the American and Iranian delegations throughout Tuesday at the UN General Assembly.
President Donald Trump said Witkoff and Jared Kushner held a three-hour meeting with Iranian officials, which he described as very good and productive.
Iranian state media confirmed a meeting between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Witkoff, held at the request of the American side.
Iranian conditions for ending the war include lifting the US naval blockade, releasing frozen Iranian assets, and ending the war on what Tehran calls the resistance fronts.
A senior Iranian official told Reuters that Tehran's delegation in New York had full authority to pursue diplomacy and described the UN gathering as a golden opportunity for Washington to return to negotiations.

Mediated Talks

The United States and Iran engaged in hours of indirect talks through mediators on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, but accounts differed over whether officials from the two countries met directly. US special envoy Steve Witkoff said mediators had shuttled between the American and Iranian delegations throughout Tuesday. Witkoff posted on X that the mediators successfully completed a round of discussions that he hoped would prove constructive and promising. President Donald Trump gave a more direct account, saying Witkoff and Jared Kushner had held a three-hour meeting with Iranian officials. Trump told reporters at the UN that the meeting was very good and very productive, and that he believed there was a lot of momentum towards an agreement.

Iranian Conditions

Iranian state media confirmed a meeting between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Witkoff after weeks without direct contact. The meeting was held at the request and insistence of the American side, and was aimed at conveying Iran's messages and conditions, particularly around reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian state media said those conditions included lifting the US naval blockade, releasing frozen Iranian assets, and ending the war on what Tehran describes as the resistance fronts. An Iranian security source told Al Jazeera there could be room for further diplomatic engagement if Washington met Iran's conditions and commitments.

Diplomatic Context

The contacts came after a senior Iranian official told Reuters that Tehran's delegation in New York had full authority to pursue diplomacy. The official described the UN gathering as a golden opportunity for Washington to return to negotiations. Al Jazeera's Kimberly Halkett reported from Washington that Trump's initial comments had created confusion over who had participated. The White House later clarified that Trump had not attended and that Witkoff and Kushner represented the US side.