Iran and US held direct UN talks, with Islamic Republic's terms to reopen Hormuz hardening

Iran and the United States held direct UN talks, with Iran's terms for reopening the Hormuz Strait hardening, according to a senior Iranian official. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with US special envoy Steve Witkoff on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York City on Tuesday. The meeting, the first of its kind in months, aimed to discuss terms to end the ongoing war.

Gulf states facilitated the meeting, which follows the collapse of a June ceasefire extension. Iran's terms include an immediate lifting of the US naval blockade, release of $24bn in frozen Iranian assets, and the ending of the war across all "resistance" fronts. Iran has also demanded the release of the full $24bn in frozen assets up front, rather than in stages, as well as a lifting of the Saudi blockade on Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.

These terms are a significant shift from Iran's previous demands, which linked a ceasefire with Israel stopping its attacks on Lebanon.