Iran's Araghchi meets Trump's son-in-law, aide Witkoff even as US President threatens 'hell'

Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi held talks with US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday.

The three-hour discussions came hours after US President Donald Trump , in his UN speech, said he was weighing whether to pursue a deal with Iran or “annihilate them.”

The Iranian side was represented by Araghchi, while Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Kushner participated for Washington. Iranian officials said the talks were mediated, with Qatar among those helping facilitate contact between the two sides.

Witkoff later said mediators moved between the American and Iranian sides throughout the day.

“Today, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, we engaged in lengthy talks with the Iranian delegation through the mediators,” Witkoff said on X. He described the discussions as “constructive and promising” and said the mediators would continue their work.

The meeting was believed to be the first direct US-Iran contact at this level in about three months. The previous face-to-face discussions took place in June, when US vice president JD Vance met Iranian officials in Switzerland.

The Strait of Hormuz was in focus in the latest discussions. Araghchi conveyed Tehran's conditions for reopening the strategic waterway, Iranian state media reported. These included lifting the US naval blockade, returning frozen Iranian assets and ending the war on multiple fronts.

The demands come as the prolonged US war on Iran continues to affect energy supplies and fuel prices. The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most important routes for oil shipments.

A senior Iranian official also indicated that Tehran could consider reopening the strait within a week if Washington took reciprocal steps to reduce military and economic pressure, according to The Guardian.

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