Divisions emerge in Tehran over US-Iran talks in New York

The Iran-US talks in New York have revealed internal divisions within Iran over the authority of negotiators to make concessions. Iran International reported that critics emerged inside Tehran after Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi's contacts with US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Tasnim news agency, linked to the Islamic Republican Guard Corps (IRGC), reported that the interaction had not been authorized by Iran's policymaking bodies.

Despite these divisions, Iranian officials have defended diplomacy, stating that the New York contact was through Qatari mediation and aimed at communicating Iran's conditions. US President Donald Trump claimed his envoys had a "very good" three-hour meeting with Araghchi, noting "a lot of momentum" towards a deal. Witkoff later said there was potential for constructive and promising discussions.

Iran's demands include an end to US military action and naval blockade, the release of frozen Iranian assets, and arrangements for shipping to resume through the Strait of Hormuz. This raises two key questions: can Washington and Tehran agree on the sequence of steps to end the conflict, and do Iranian negotiators have sufficient domestic support to deliver an agreement?

Iran has proposed a 60-day regional ceasefire roadmap, but Tehran will not enter talks with the US unless certain provisions are fulfilled. Despite tensions sparked by Trump's remarks, Iran and the US reportedly made encouraging progress in high-stakes peace talks during Geneva talks.