Pezeshkian’s UN trip fuels diplomacy talk as US-Iran war enters critical phase
Iran’s UN outreach collides with tanker attacks and threats to expand the battlefield
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s arrival in the US for the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has drawn fresh attention to possible diplomacy with Washington, even as the Tehran regime keeps the Strait of Hormuz restricted and warns it could widen the war if the US escalates.
Pezeshkian, 71, has flown to New York, reflecting the heightened political symbolism around Pezeshkian’s visit as both Washington and Tehran search for a way to prevent another escalation, according to Press TV.
Iran lays out Hormuz conditions
Iran’s position remains that the Strait of Hormuz will not fully reopen until Washington meets Tehran’s terms.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met US special envoy Steve Witkoff on the margins of the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, according to reports citing Iranian state media.
Tehran’s conditions include:
Ending the US naval blockade on Iranian ports.
Releasing frozen Iranian assets.
Ending the conflict across what Iran calls all “resistance fronts.”
A senior Iranian official told Reuters that Iran could reopen Hormuz within seven days if the US eases military pressure and lift the naval blockade.
US officials have not publicly confirmed accepting the terms.
Iran’s parliament speaker has separately said the strait will remain "closed" until Washington meets Iranian conditions and fulfills commitments Tehran says were made under a June agreement.
Diplomacy meets battlefield risk
The diplomatic opening remains fragile.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard warned Monday that it would “change the geography of the war” if the US escalated, language suggesting Tehran could expand its targets, tactics or weapons beyond the current theatre.
The warning followed reports of attacks on tankers in Hormuz and rising risks to commercial shipping.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency said a vessel was struck by an unknown projectile while entering the strait, with two crew members reported injured.
dMeanwhile, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said airports and companies servicing Iranian airlines could face sanctions pressure from Sept. 23.
Why Pezeshkian’s trip matters
Pezeshkian’s travel to New York is politically significant because it puts Iran’s leadership closer to US officials at a moment when direct communication has been scarce and often mediated through third countries.
A UN official told The Associated Press that the United States and Iran requested space at UN headquarters for a Tuesday meeting, though it did not confirm who would attend or whether senior officials would meet face to face.
No breakthrough has been announced.
For Tehran, reopening the strait is leverage. For Washington and Gulf states, safe passage is a global economic priority.
The UN gathering may het offer one of the few remaining channels to stop the conflict from deepening.
