Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei clarified recent reports concerning high-level diplomatic discussions in New York. He confirmed that interactions between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and American envoy Steve Witkoff occurred entirely through intermediaries. Specifically, Qatari diplomats facilitated the communication exchange between the two opposing national delegations throughout the day. This indirect dialogue took place on the sidelines of the annual United Nations General Assembly gathering.
During these indirect sessions, the Iranian delegation clearly outlined its strategic positions regarding critical regional security matters. Baghaei noted that officials presented Tehran’s explicit conditions for potential future diplomatic engagement with Washington. The primary discussion topics included navigation rights within the strategic Strait of Hormuz and regional stability. Consequently, Iranian representatives utilized their presence at the global summit to deliver firm diplomatic messages.
American officials also offered public commentary regarding the extensive mediated conversations held in New York. US President Donald Trump initially characterized the overall three-hour engagement as a very constructive meeting.However, he subsequently clarified that key advisers Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met only with intermediaries. Addressing regional partners, Trump confirmed that American representatives engaged exclusively through regional third-party diplomats.
Writing on social media, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff confirmed that length discussions took place indirectly. He explained that neutral mediators continuously shuttled between the two separate diplomatic delegations during negotiations. Furthermore, Witkoff described the completed round of talks as promising, constructive, and overall successful. Observers view these indirect exchanges as a vital communication channel despite deep ongoing geopolitical divisions.