State media: Iran FM to visit Qatar for talks before UN assembly as Hormuz straits tensions continue

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is scheduled to visit Qatar for talks ahead of attending the United Nations General Assembly, according to state media. He departed Tehran on Sunday evening for New York, with a brief stop in Doha to discuss the latest regional developments, reported IRNA. The stop in Doha is significant as Iranian officials have reiterated Tehran's conditions for lifting the blockade of the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a central issue in the ongoing Middle East conflict.

Iran now requires vessels to secure authorization to pass through the strait, citing security and sovereignty concerns, and is contemplating a mechanism to impose service fees. The US has retaliated by imposing a blockade of Iranian ports, keeping the conflict unresolved.