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Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told state news agency IRNA that the interaction with the American side took place through Qatari mediation during meetings in New York. According to Baghaei, the Iranian delegation conveyed its views and conditions very clearly and explicitly to the US side through the mediators. Iran’s conditions include an end to fighting on all fronts, a halt to US acts of aggression, an end to the naval blockade and economic war against Iran, and the release of Iranian assets. Baghaei added that Iran had conveyed its positions on issues such as the security of the Strait of Hormuz in recent weeks, with the New York gathering providing an opportunity to restate those points directly.
The meetings occurred Tuesday on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, Iranian state media reported. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held separate bilateral meetings with officials from several countries during the UN gathering, according to the ministry. Baghaei emphasized that the contact was not a new development but built on positions Iran had articulated over preceding days. The spokesperson’s comments followed reports of indirect engagement between the two sides amid an ongoing stalemate.
Earlier statements from Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, outlined similar conditions in an interview with Al Jazeera. Rezaei said Iran’s demands centered on an end to the war on all fronts, the release of frozen funds and an end to the naval blockade. He warned that the US would face an Iran better prepared than at the outset of the conflict if the conditions were not met, according to the broadcast interview. Rezaei’s remarks came days before the New York meetings as mediators sought to revive diplomacy after the expiration of a prior memorandum of understanding.
US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff stated on X that the American side engaged in lengthy talks with the Iranian delegation through the mediators, who shuttled between the parties throughout the day. Witkoff added that the discussions on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly successfully completed a round that officials hoped would prove constructive. The mediators would continue their work, according to his post. The US comments aligned with Iranian accounts of indirect contact without direct negotiations between the delegations.
The exchanges unfold against the backdrop of a conflict that began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February 2026, according to multiple regional reports. Iran has maintained a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global oil shipments, while facing US efforts to disrupt its ports and economy. A previous memorandum of understanding between the sides had expired last month, prompting renewed mediation efforts by Qatar and other regional actors, Al Jazeera reported. Iranian officials have signaled openness to diplomacy while preparing for further confrontation if demands remain unmet.
Public statements from both sides have highlighted the role of Qatari mediators in facilitating communication without direct talks. Baghaei noted that Iran’s positions on regional security and the Strait of Hormuz had been shared in advance of the New York session. The latest round reflects persistent efforts to address the multi-front standoff that has drawn in various resistance groups across the region, according to Iranian state television. No immediate breakthroughs were announced following the mediated contact.
