Indirect talks between Iran and the United States continued in New York under Qatari mediation, in an effort to establish a path to end hostilities and address the dispute over the Strait of Hormuz and the US blockade. The talks coincided with a meeting between Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and UN Secretary-General António Guterres at the organisation’s headquarters on Friday, 25 September 2026.
The developments come on the 101st day since Washington and Tehran signed the memorandum of understanding, and 210 days after war broke out between the two sides, as military and political developments continue on several fronts and regional parties work to create conditions for a return to negotiations.
Phased proposal links Hormuz to lifting the blockade
Sources close to the talks said US and Iranian negotiators were discussing a phased path out of the war, based on reopening the Strait of Hormuz to shipping in exchange for the United States lifting its economic and maritime blockade of Iran. The sources said the strait had become a key bargaining chip, as each side holds on to the means of pressure available to it.
According to a senior Iranian official, one proposed path for addressing the crisis would begin with ending the blockade and reopening the strait, followed by further steps in a gradual sequence. The talks nevertheless face an obstacle over the order of measures, as neither side wants to relinquish its leverage first without guarantees that the other will fulfil its commitments.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran’s proposal included reopening the Strait of Hormuz, with hostilities on all fronts, including the Lebanon front, to cease within seven days. Washington would also lift its blockade of Iranian ports, allow frozen Iranian funds to be released and exempt Iranian oil exports from sanctions.
In contrast, an Iranian official, speaking anonymously, said his country would not show flexibility on its nuclear programme even if the United States accepted the proposal to reopen the strait. He added that the waterway would remain closed until Washington implemented all the Iranian conditions set out in the proposal.
The official said Tehran was ready to enter detailed negotiations on its nuclear programme after the conditions concerning the blockade, frozen funds and sanctions were implemented. He stressed, however, that Iran would not relinquish the rights it insists on, including uranium enrichment, and rejects transferring its stockpile of highly enriched uranium outside the country.
Iran remains committed to its nuclear programme
Pezeshkian said during a meeting with journalists on the sidelines of the General Assembly that he hoped to reach an agreement with Washington to end hostilities before the US midterm elections scheduled for 3 November 2026. He reiterated his country’s call for negotiations while rejecting what he described as the use of force and pressure to impose conditions on Iran.
In his address to the UN General Assembly, the Iranian president said his country was not seeking to acquire a nuclear weapon, but would not accept restrictions being imposed on its civilian nuclear programme. He stressed that Iran was ready for dialogue, diplomacy and negotiations, but would not accept the language of force or submit to pressure.
Washington sets terms for potential agreement
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said contacts had taken place with mediators involved in the process, without disclosing details or the identities of all the mediators. He said any potential agreement with Iran would require intensive work over a period of time, and would need the mediators’ participation to help bring the two sides’ positions closer.
Rubio stressed that the US priority was to ensure Iran did not possess a nuclear weapon, saying this demand was raised in all contacts related to the negotiations. He added that US President Donald Trump remained open to reaching an agreement, but had economic and military options if the talks produced no result.
The US secretary said Washington would continue to defend freedom of navigation and work to keep maritime routes open. He also declined to provide a detailed description of the form of the indirect talks or confirm whether the contacts were limited to mediators carrying messages between the delegations or involved another form of communication. The two sides have differing accounts of the previous memorandum of understanding.
Rubio accused Iran of violating and undermining the memorandum, while Pezeshkian said the collapse of the understanding was linked to coordination problems and a misunderstanding. He explained that the joint team intended to be formed to address the disagreements had not been given an opportunity to begin its work.
Qatar and Pakistan support de-escalation
In the same context, Qatar said it was working with Pakistan to reduce tensions between Iran and the United States, protect freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, and support regional peace and stability. Qatar’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi said successful mediation required maintaining confidentiality, the mediators’ independence and their ability to perform their role impartially.
Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani met Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in New York on 22 September. They discussed developments in the region and efforts to reduce escalation and create suitable conditions for dialogue.
The meeting between Pezeshkian and Guterres took place on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, whose meetings in New York had become a venue for intensive diplomatic contacts over the war between Iran and the United States. It coincided with ongoing regional mediation and efforts to find a formula linking an end to hostilities with freedom of navigation and easing the economic measures imposed on Tehran.
