Daijiworld Media Network – New York

New York, Sep 23: US President Donald Trump has said American and Iranian officials held a three-hour meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, describing the discussions as “very good” and “very productive”.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner on Tuesday (local time), according to reports by the Associated Press.

Speaking during a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Trump said the discussions had concluded about an hour earlier and that another meeting was scheduled in the near future.

“The meeting went very well. It ended an hour ago. It was a meeting that lasted for three hours. They had a very good meeting, a very productive meeting — they have another one scheduled in the very near future,” Trump said.

He added that he could not imagine why Iran would not want to reach an agreement, contrasting the possibility of a deal with the consequences of further military action.

Meanwhile, Witkoff said the US had engaged in lengthy discussions with the Iranian delegation through mediators during the UN General Assembly.

“Today, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, we engaged in lengthy talks with the Iranian delegation through the mediators, who shuttled between the two sides throughout the day. They successfully completed a round of discussions that we hope will prove constructive and promising. The mediators will continue their work,” he said.

Iranian state media also confirmed that Araghchi had met American officials on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

According to Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB, the meeting was held at Witkoff’s request. Araghchi reportedly accepted the request to reiterate Tehran’s conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran’s demands include the immediate lifting of the US naval blockade, the release of frozen Iranian assets and an end to the war on all fronts, including Lebanon.

Earlier, Trump had threatened to “annihilate” the Islamic Republic if an agreement was not reached soon to end the nearly seven-month conflict.

Addressing the UN General Assembly, he said he faced a major decision between reaching a deal that would allow Iran to rebuild and launching further military action.

“I have a big decision to make. Will a deal be made with Iran that lets them rebuild and create a far greater country than it ever was before? Maybe one of the greatest in the Middle East or even the world. Or do I annihilate the Islamic Republic, and do it quickly, never giving them a chance to kill and destroy people and countries again?” Trump said.

He added that he believed an agreement could be reached, arguing that it would not make sense for Iran to reject a deal.

Trump also referred to efforts by the US Navy to escort oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, saying more oil was flowing through the waterway than at any point since the start of the war.