IRAN SETS CONDITIONS FOR REOPENING HORMUZ

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IRAN SETS CONDITIONS FOR REOPENING HORMUZ

The meeting between Iran and US at the UN also saw Iran convey its conditions for reopening the strategic Strait of Hormuz, according to Iranian state media.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, with Tehran demanding the immediate lifting of the naval blockade, the release of frozen Iranian assets and an end to the war across all "resistance" fronts, the report said.

The world may have become inured to Trump’s dire threats to send Iran “to the stone age” or end its civilization – so often have they been issued, only to sometimes be followed by a ceasefire or negotiations. But hearing them voiced in a forum created in the aftermath of the second world war, with the explicit aim of preventing future conflicts, was disconcerting.

Iran was the focal point of much of Trump’s speech, which began with a catalogue of familiar boasts of his supposed achievements that seemed better fitted to a domestic audience.

Whether or not the latest threat should be taken literally, little of what he said about Iran seemed reassuring. He appeared to play fast and loose with the facts, consciously or otherwise.

Trump had asked Jared Kushner and Witkoff to comment on the meeting but did not confirm exactly who attended. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Araghchi are in New York as part of Iran's core delegation for the 81st session of the UN General Assembly.

Witkoff, speaking to reporters after the meeting, said: "I feel very good right now."

Trump later echoed that assessment, saying: "They had a very good meeting, and we'll see how it turns out. But certainly, it's to their advantage to make a deal."

The comments came shortly after Trump met British Prime Minister Andy Burnham at the United Nations in New York. Speaking after that meeting, Trump said Iran had continued communicating with the US.

"They want to talk to us. They have been talking to us, even today they've been talking to us, and the relationship is developing."

"But we can't let them -- and they understand that -- we can't let them have a nuclear weapon," he added.

The issue of Iran's nuclear capability remains at the centre of Trump's position. 

Throughout his comments, the US President made clear that any potential agreement would have to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. The meeting therefore comes at a critical moment. 

The UN General Assembly has brought the leaders of the two countries into the same city, creating a rare opportunity for direct or indirect diplomacy despite the absence of a formal breakthrough.

[The General Assembly in 2026 has provided a potential diplomatic opening at a time when the conflict is approaching its seven-month mark. For months, negotiations between Washington and Tehran have remained stalled, while the war has disrupted energy markets and choked the shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had said earlier on Tuesday that Trump was open to meeting Iranian representatives in New York because he believes direct engagement can help resolve difficult disputes. 

Rubio told NBC that Trump was open to such a meeting "because he believes that engaging with people is important if you're going to solve problems."

At that stage, however, Rubio said no meeting had been scheduled.

Trump will also meet representatives of nine Arab countries on Tuesday to discuss the war.

 Reuters reported that several of those countries were expected to press the US President to reduce tensions with Iran and pursue a diplomatic agreement. 

The Gulf states have a direct interest in ending the disruption because the conflict has affected shipping and energy supplies across the region.

Trump's comments followed a combative speech at the UN General Assembly in which he presented the Iran issue as a stark choice. Earlier in his speech, the US President said he had a "big decision to make."

"Will a deal be made with Iran that lets them rebuild and create a far greater country than it ever was before, maybe one of the greatest in the Middle East or even the world," he said. 

"Or do I annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly, never giving them a chance to kill and destroy people and countries again."

Trump said he believed a deal could eventually be reached with Tehran. He also suggested that Iran may be watching the outcome of the US midterm elections before deciding how to proceed.

"They're waiting to see how I do in the midterm election. What they don't realize is that I'm not running. I did that already, and won in a landslide," he said, noting that he still has two and half years more in his term.

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