Iran and United States remain far apart on peace talks, senior Iranian official says
A senior Iranian official said diplomatic talks continue despite major gaps with the United States over ending the conflict, while President Masoud Pezeshkian warned Tehran will not yield to U.S. pressure at the UN General Assembly.
Iran and the United States remain far apart on how to end their war, but diplomatic contacts are ongoing, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Wednesday. The official, who asked to remain anonymous, said Tehran is reviewing Washington's response to its peace proposals that call for lifting a U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports and reopening the Strait of Hormuz. "There are still many differences between the Iranian and US positions, but diplomacy is continuing," he said.
President Masoud Pezeshkian addressed the 193-member UN General Assembly, condemning what he described as a "bullying mentality" from the United States and rejecting any US pressure. He highlighted the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which carries about one-fifth of global oil and LNG shipments, and said Iran will not bow to pressure.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters that any agreement would require extensive work over time and noted that President Donald Trump also retains military options. The United States announced secondary sanctions on any country that permits Iranian flights, while Iran’s Supreme National Security Council secretary Mohsen Rezaei warned that neighboring airports could be shut down if they stop Iranian flights.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner exchanged messages through a Qatari mediator, conveying Tehran’s conditions for ending the war on all fronts, halting U.S. “acts of aggression,” and releasing frozen Iranian assets. The contact sparked criticism from hard-line Iranian media, which accused the foreign minister of giving a “major gift to Trump.”
The conflict, launched by the United States in February, has entered its seventh month, causing thousands of deaths, disrupting energy supplies and spreading to Lebanon and Yemen. Recent attacks in the Strait of Hormuz have resulted in casualties and vessel damage, though traffic through the waterway has begun to recover. Oil prices rose about 2% on Wednesday as markets reacted to the statements from Tehran and Washington.