USA · updated 1h ago · 3 min read
US and Iran Hold Three-Hour UNGA Talks as Trump Threatens Annihilation
Three-hour talks on UNGA sidelines between U.S. and Iran mediated by Qatar. Trump warned he could annihilate Iran if no deal; described talks as productive.
Whether Iran dropped preconditions.
7 of 8 outlets skipped it: iranian state media said Pezeshkian told UN they were victims of terrorism.
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The Guardian
“Iran has pushed back on claims that it dropped former preconditions for reopening the strait of Hormuz in surprise talks held in New York”Read the original ↗
Reuters
“Tehran could reopen the Strait of Hormuz within days if the US eased military pressure and lifted its blockade on Iranian ports.”Read the original ↗
The Guardian stresses Iran kept preconditions while Reuters stresses fast Hormuz reopening if pressure eases. Others largely confirm talks and mediation.
Mediated UNGA Talks
The United States and Iran held hours of indirect talks through mediators on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, with US special envoy Steve Witkoff saying the mediators “shuttled between” the American and Iranian delegations throughout Tuesday. Witkoff said the sides “successfully completed a round of discussions” and that “The mediators will continue their work,” while US President Donald Trump told reporters that Witkoff and Jared Kushner had held a three-hour meeting with Iranian officials. The talks came after Trump used his UNGA address to frame a “big decision” between reaching a deal that would allow Iran to rebuild and moving to “annihilate the Islamic Republic,” and Iranian forces responded in a statement carried by Iranian media describing Trump’s threats as evidence of “strategic weakness.”
Iranian state media said the meeting was aimed at conveying Iran’s messages and conditions, particularly around reopening the Strait of Hormuz, and 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. Regional diplomacy also moved alongside the talks, with Qatar saying it was working with Pakistan to reduce tensions between Washington and Tehran and safeguard freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, and with Oman involved in maritime diplomacy over the waterway.
Conflicting Accounts
Al Jazeera reported that Trump’s initial comments created confusion over who had participated, and the White House later clarified that Trump had not attended and that Witkoff and Kushner represented the US side. Al Jazeera also reported that state media confirmed a meeting between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Witkoff after weeks without direct contact, and it said Araghchi’s meeting was held at the request and insistence of the American side.
The Guardian described Iran as pushing back on claims that it dropped former preconditions for reopening the strait of Hormuz, and it quoted Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei saying, “The interaction that took place with the American side was through Qatari mediation.” TThe Guardian added that Iran set seven preconditions before returning to talks and said the crucial strait of Hormuz could be reopened within seven days if those conditions were met, while Witkoff said the talks had been “encouraging, constructive and successful.”T
Conditions and Wider Fallout
Iran’s conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz centered on lifting the US naval blockade on Iranian ports, paying frozen Iranian assets, and ending the war on all fronts, with Iranian media quoting Abbas Araghchi telling Weintkop that Tehran’s demands include “the immediate lifting of the U.S. naval blockade on Iranian ports.”
CBS News reported that U.S. soldier Capt. Bianca C. Wilkerson, 37, of Norfolk, Va., died on Sept. 18, 2026, and it said the death is counted on the Defense Casualty Analysis System under Overseas Operations, bringing the total number of U.S. military personnel killed during the war with Iran to 19.
In the Strait of Hormuz itself, CBS News said a cargo vessel was struck by an unknown projectile, leaving the vessel “on fire and adrift,” and it reported that authorities were investigating the incident while vessel traffic slowed as Iran and the U.S. quarreled over control of the strait.
The Guardian tied the reopening timeline to Iran’s preconditions and said the talks lasted three hours, while it also described the US side as under pressure to leverage down oil prices and increase the availability of refined oil before midterm elections in November.T
Fox News Digital reported that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian arrived in New York City for the United Nations General Assembly and that opposition groups announced demonstrations outside U.N. headquarters ahead of his attendance on Wednesday, as the diplomatic process continued.