US President Donald Trump has confirmed that his envoys, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, held a three-hour meeting with Iranian officials in New York, just hours after he publicly threatened to "annihilate" the Middle Eastern nation.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday while attending the United Nations General Assembly, President Trump described the discussions as a "very good meeting". He added, "I can't imagine why they wouldn't want to. It's greatness, potential greatness, or obliteration."
Earlier on the same day, President Trump delivered a combative speech at the UN, stating he could "annihilate" the Iranian government and "drive them into hell" if a peace deal was not reached. He characterised Tehran as "weak and desperate" and reiterated, "Iran will never have a nuclear weapon."
Despite President Trump’s rhetoric, the White House confirmed that Mr Kushner and Mr Witkoff met with Iranian officials on the sidelines of the annual gathering of world leaders. Mr Trump later clarified that the Iranian officials were "not the highest level, but it's something."
Mr Witkoff confirmed details of the talks in a posting on X, stating that discussions were conducted through mediators who shuttled between the US and Iranian teams. He expressed hope that the effort "will prove constructive and promising."
The Iranian delegation is reported to have walked out of the meeting upon hearing President Trump's threats, according to The Independent’s White House correspondent Andrew Feinberg.
Separately, Iran has conveyed its conditions for peace to the United States through a Qatari mediator in New York. Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told state news agency IRNA that these conditions include an end to fighting on all fronts, a halt to American "acts of aggression," an end to the naval blockade and economic warfare, and the release of Iranian assets.
Amidst these diplomatic exchanges, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Tuesday that Iran is willing to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days if the US lifts military pressure and the blockade on Iranian ports.
In related developments, Iran has made progress in restoring its South Pars gas field, which was damaged in an Israeli attack. Deputy oil minister Ahmad Zeraatkar announced, according to the semi-official Fars news agency, that approximately 50 per cent of the production capacity has been restored. He added that all planned restoration work at the world’s largest natural gas field, jointly operated by Iran and Qatar, would be completed before winter. In late August, Mr Zeraatkar had indicated that about 40 per cent of the damaged capacity had been returned to production. The attack on South Pars occurred on 18 March, weeks after the US-Israeli war reportedly began on 28 February.
The Pentagon has updated its official casualty database to list 19 total US military deaths related to the war with Iran. This change followed the quiet addition of a new fatality: a female Army officer who suffered a fatal medical emergency on Friday while travelling to the Middle East.
Global oil prices experienced a further decline following these developments. Brent crude was trading at $98.77 (£78) a barrel, down 0.48 per cent, having previously fallen below $100 for the first time since 8 September. US West Texas Intermediate crude was last quoted around $90 (£71) a barrel after falling yesterday.
The drop in prices was attributed to Saudi Arabia's resumption of crude flows through a key pipeline to the Red Sea, coupled with hopes of a diplomatic breakthrough between the US and Iran easing fears of a prolonged supply disruption. Saudi Arabia restarted its East-West pipeline yesterday, which had been shut following drone attacks earlier this month. This pipeline connects oil-producing areas in the east of the kingdom with the Red Sea port of Yanbu, offering an alternative export route not entirely reliant on the Strait of Hormuz. The kingdom had been rerouting around 4 million barrels of crude a day, roughly 4 per cent of global oil supply, through this pipeline. However, sources told Reuters that the pipeline resumed at a reduced rate due to damage to three pumping stations, and restoring the system to full capacity could take several weeks.
Domestically in the US, reactions to the conflict and President Trump's approach have been varied. Vice President JD Vance stated that people are "very excited" about the administration’s handling of the Iran war, despite Republican candidates in the midterm election reportedly breaking with President Trump on the issue. When asked about a "growing number of Republicans in battleground states, calling for an end to the Iran war," Mr Vance responded, "I haven't seen what you're talking about. What I've seen is people who are very excited about what we've done. And, frankly, who don’t want to give control of Washington, D.C., over to the far-left Democrats."
Conversely, US Senator Bernie Sanders condemned President Trump's threat to "annihilate" the population of Iran, describing it as a war crime and an act of barbarism. Writing on social media, Mr Sanders stated: "No, Mr President. We should not 'annihilate' the people of Iran. That is a war crime. That is barbarism. And it is something the United States must never be associated with." He further characterised the current conflict with Iran as "illegal and unconstitutional," urging Congress to act immediately to bring it to an end.
Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson, President Trump’s endorsed nominee in Iowa’s Senate race, also publicly called for an end to the Iran war on Monday. This position represented a shift, as Hinson had voted against a War Powers Act resolution to rein in President Trump’s war just last week, prior to Speaker Mike Johnson dismissing the House of Representatives a day early. Two of her Iowa Republican colleagues running for re-election, Reps. Zach Nunn and Mariannette Miller-Meeks, voted for the resolution.
The shift in Republican sentiment is understood to be influenced by growing concerns over fuel costs. Recent polling in Iowa indicates a challenging environment for Republican candidates, with a Marist University poll showing Josh Turek, the Paralympian-turned Democratic nominee for Senate, ahead of Hinson by eight points. A YouGov poll also showed Turek with a one-point lead in Iowa, suggesting a potential political transformation in the historically Republican state.
