US and Iran hold first shuttle talks in months on UN sidelines, via mediators

The United States and Iran held their first shuttle talks in months on Wednesday on the UN General Assembly sidelines in New York, raising hopes of progress towards ending their war, Reuters reported.

Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araqchi and US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner communicated through mediators — the first such contacts since an interim ceasefire collapsed in July. Foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said Tehran had engaged through a Qatari mediator; Pakistan has also been mediating between the sides.

Some Iranian state media had reported that Araqchi and Witkoff met face to face, but Iranian officials clarified to Reuters that was wrong — the exchanges were indirect. Witkoff said on X the sides held “lengthy talks” through mediators who “shuttled between the two sides throughout the day”.

Donald Trump called the session “very productive”, telling reporters there was “a lot of momentum” for a deal — while repeating in his UN address that he must decide whether to make a deal with Iran or “annihilate” the country.

Baghaei told state news agency IRNA that Tehran’s conditions included an end to the war on all fronts and a halt to US “acts of aggression”, plus an end to the naval blockade and economic warfare and the release of frozen assets.

The talks came as Treasury secretary Scott Bessent’s aviation sanctions deadline hit: from 23 September, he told CNBC, all Iranian airlines would be shut down worldwide. Brent crude held near two-week lows, just below $100 a barrel.

Sources

• Reuters — “Hope for progress after US, Iran hold first shuttle talks in months”: https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/hope-progress-after-us-iran-hold-first-shuttle-talks-months-2026-09-23/
• AnewZ — “UNGA: Key highlights on 23 September 2026”: https://anewz.tv/world/world-news/24679/unga-key-highlights-on-23-september-2026/news
• The Express Tribune — “All Iranian airlines to shut down worldwide by Sept 23, US Treasury chief says”: https://tribune.com.pk/story/2630516/iran-and-us-trade-threats-after-houthi-attacks-escalate-regional-conflict
• The Express Tribune — “Iran says it conveyed conditions for end to war to US through Qatari mediator, IRNA reports”: https://tribune.com.pk/story/2630941/iran-says-it-conveyed-conditions-for-end-to-war-to-us-through-qatari-mediator-irna-reports
• Al Jazeera — “US, Iran hold mediated UNGA talks on ending war, opening Strait of Hormuz”: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/23/us-iran-hold-mediated-unga-talks-on-ending-war-opening-strait-of-hormuz