US and Iran meet in New York over the Strait of Hormuz

US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met an Iranian delegation in New York on Tuesday. The announcement came from US President Donald Trump. Axios, citing informed sources and several Iranian media outlets, reports that Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, also took part in the talks.

The meeting marks a first step toward reopening the Strait of Hormuz, one of the most important chokepoints for global energy trade. According to available accounts, Iran agreed to the talks in order to present its conditions directly to the United States and test whether room for negotiation exists. Trump called the talks “constructive.” Meeting with representatives of Gulf countries, he spoke of a “strong momentum toward a deal” on Iran's part. According to Bloomberg, he added: “I think Iran will do something good.”

Tehran's conditions

A senior Iranian official told Reuters that the strait could reopen within seven days, but only under specific conditions: a reduction in US military pressure and the lifting of the blockade on Iranian ports. Before moving forward, the United States would need to officially declare its intent to resolve the crisis through diplomacy and agree on a timeline for further negotiating steps. The Iranian proposal was reportedly transmitted to Washington through mediators as early as September 16. The delegation present in New York for the UN General Assembly is said to have full authority to discuss a deal. No direct meeting between Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is planned for now.

In previous weeks, Tehran had also listed other conditions: an end to hostilities, the removal of sanctions, and compensation for damage caused by the conflict. Iran had also discussed with Oman the creation of a maritime corridor through the waters of the two countries, but details on traffic control and the economic management of the passage remain unresolved. The most contentious point concerns navigation rules.

The negotiations remain under the threat of renewed military escalation. Iran's central command says it has information about a possible resumption of US operations with the support of some countries in the region, and warns that an attack would trigger a response from Tehran “without limitations.” That is why Iran is demanding not just statements of willingness from the United States but concrete steps showing a will to abandon the military path.

Before the crisis, about one-fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas supplies passed through the Strait of Hormuz. The blockade forced producers and shipping companies to seek alternative routes, driving up transport costs, insurance premiums, and concerns over energy security. Reports alone of a possible deal have already helped ease pressure on oil markets. The resumption, at reduced capacity, of the Saudi East-West pipeline to the port of Yanbu also offered an alternative route to Hormuz and helped push crude prices lower.

The New York meeting does not yet amount to an agreement. But after weeks of threats and mutual accusations, the face-to-face meeting between Trump's envoys and the Iranian delegation opens at least a first political channel.