The United States and Iran have held hours of mediated discussions on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, as diplomatic efforts continue to find a possible way to end the ongoing war and address the disruption surrounding the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.
The discussions took place on Tuesday, September 22, as world leaders gathered in New York for the annual UN General Assembly. US special envoy Steve Witkoff said American and Iranian representatives engaged in lengthy discussions through mediators who moved between the two delegations.
“Today, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, we engaged in lengthy talks with the Iranian delegation through the mediators, who shuttled between the two sides throughout the day,” Witkoff said. He described the discussions as “constructive and promising” and indicated that the mediators would continue their efforts.
US President Donald Trump gave a more direct description of the engagement, saying his Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and White House official Jared Kushner had met with Iranian representatives for about three hours.
“It was a meeting that lasted for three hours,” Trump told reporters in New York. He later described the discussions as “a very good meeting” and said he believed a settlement could eventually be reached.
The talks come against the backdrop of a prolonged conflict between Washington and Tehran, with the Strait of Hormuz emerging as one of the central issues in the negotiations. The narrow waterway is a major international energy route, and uncertainty surrounding its accessibility has raised concerns about global oil supplies, shipping and energy prices.
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Iran has indicated that it could reopen the Strait of Hormuz if the United States reduces military pressure and lifts its blockade of Iranian ports. A senior Iranian official said Tehran was prepared to reopen the waterway within a week under those conditions. Iran has also delivered proposals through mediators aimed at ending the hostilities.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is in New York for the UN General Assembly, where he is expected to address the gathering. Iranian officials have presented the UN meeting as an opportunity to revive diplomatic efforts, although significant differences remain between Tehran and Washington.
Trump, meanwhile, has maintained that the United States will not allow Iran to obtain nuclear weapons. Speaking at the UN General Assembly, he defended his administration’s approach to the conflict while also indicating that negotiations were continuing.
“We’re talking, and we’ll see what happens,” Trump said, while expressing confidence that an eventual settlement could be reached.
The latest diplomatic engagement follows months of military confrontation and previous attempts to negotiate a settlement. The two sides remain divided over several major issues, including Iran’s nuclear programme, sanctions, military pressure and the future of the Strait of Hormuz.
The discussions have also attracted attention from energy markets because any agreement that restores normal shipping through the Strait could affect the supply of oil and other energy products. Oil prices moved lower on Wednesday as markets assessed the possibility of progress in the US-Iran discussions.
Regional countries have also been involved in efforts to reduce tensions. Qatar and other Gulf states have played roles in diplomatic contacts between Washington and Tehran, while Iran has continued to communicate its conditions for ending the conflict.
Despite the latest talks, there is no final agreement between the United States and Iran. The discussions remain part of an ongoing diplomatic process, and both sides still face major disagreements over the conditions for ending hostilities.
The meetings in New York represent another attempt to use diplomacy to address the conflict, while the future of the Strait of Hormuz and the wider security situation in the Middle East remain closely watched by governments, businesses and international markets.
