NEW YORK - The United States and Iran have held their first diplomatic contacts in months, with American envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner communicating with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi through mediators on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Reuters reported Wednesday that the exchanges were the first such contacts since an interim ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran collapsed in July.
The discussions were indirect. Witkoff said mediators moved between the American and Iranian delegations throughout the day rather than the two sides conducting a formal face-to-face negotiating session.
The contacts represent a significant shift after months of military confrontation, threats and stalled diplomacy, but neither Washington nor Tehran has announced an agreement or disclosed any concessions.
Trump calls mediator discussions 'very productive'
President Donald Trump said Witkoff and Kushner held what he described as a 'very productive' meeting with mediators working between the United States and Iran.
Trump emphasized that the contacts were conducted through mediators and said it remains unclear what they will ultimately produce.
He nevertheless said he believes there is momentum toward an agreement.
Trump separately said Tuesday that the United States and Iran had been communicating and that he believed the two countries would eventually reach a settlement.
Those comments followed his address to the United Nations General Assembly, where he called for Iran's economic isolation and said he believed a broader agreement could come after the U.S. midterm elections in November.
The administration's latest comments therefore combine continued economic and military pressure with a newly active diplomatic channel.
Witkoff says mediators shuttled between delegations
Witkoff described the discussions as lengthy and said mediators shuttled between the American and Iranian delegations throughout Tuesday.
He said the round of discussions had been completed and expressed hope that the process would prove constructive.
The mediators are expected to continue communicating between the two sides.
Reuters reported that Qatar played a central role in the indirect contacts.
Qatar has repeatedly acted as an intermediary in Middle East negotiations and has served as a channel for messages between Washington and Tehran during periods when direct diplomatic contact was limited or nonexistent.
The use of intermediaries allows both governments to communicate proposals and conditions without immediately committing to formal direct negotiations.
Iran confirms indirect contact
Iran also confirmed that communication took place through a mediator.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said Tehran engaged with the United States through a Qatari intermediary in New York.
According to Reuters, Iran used the discussions to restate conditions for progress, including an end to the war on all fronts and an end to U.S. military action against Iran.
Tehran has repeatedly said that meaningful negotiations require Washington to demonstrate that it is prepared to reduce military and economic pressure.
Iran has also proposed reopening the Strait of Hormuz within seven days if the United States eases military pressure and lifts its blockade of Iranian ports.
A senior Iranian official said earlier this week that Tehran's delegation at the United Nations had full authority to pursue renewed diplomacy.
No concessions announced
Despite the resumption of communication, neither government has announced that it has changed its core negotiating position.
The United States continues to insist that Iran cannot obtain a nuclear weapon.
Iran continues to demand an end to U.S. military action and changes to the economic and shipping restrictions imposed during the conflict.
No ceasefire, sanctions relief, military withdrawal or agreement concerning Iran's nuclear program has been announced as a result of the New York discussions.
There has also been no announcement that the countries have scheduled formal direct negotiations.
The distinction is important because mediated communication can allow the parties to determine whether sufficient common ground exists before beginning direct talks.
First contacts since July collapse
The New York discussions are particularly significant because they represent the first reported U.S.-Iran diplomatic contacts since an interim ceasefire arrangement collapsed in July.
The breakdown ended an earlier attempt to reduce hostilities and returned the conflict to a period of military pressure and diplomatic deadlock.
In the weeks since, the conflict has affected shipping, energy markets and security throughout the Middle East.
The Strait of Hormuz has remained a central issue because of its importance to global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments.
Iran has tied a potential reopening of the waterway to U.S. concessions, while Washington has maintained pressure on Tehran through military operations and economic restrictions.
The diplomatic contacts in New York now provide a mechanism through which those competing demands can be discussed.
Major disagreements remain
The existence of talks does not mean a settlement is imminent.
Washington and Tehran remain divided over the war, Iran's nuclear program, U.S. military operations, sanctions and restrictions on Iranian ports.
Trump has publicly combined expressions of optimism about a possible agreement with warnings that the United States could escalate militarily if diplomacy fails.
Iranian officials have similarly expressed willingness to negotiate while insisting that they will not accept an agreement reached under continued military pressure.
Those positions leave significant obstacles between the initial mediated discussions and any comprehensive settlement.
What happens next
The immediate question is whether mediators can convert the New York exchanges into another round of discussions and eventually formal negotiations.
Trump says he sees momentum toward a deal, while Iran has confirmed that a diplomatic channel is operating but continues to insist on an end to U.S. military action.
No timeline for another round of talks has been publicly announced.
The return of diplomatic contact is nevertheless the clearest indication in months that Washington and Tehran are again exchanging substantive messages about how the conflict could end.
Whether those contacts produce a ceasefire or broader agreement will depend on whether either side is willing to modify positions that remain publicly far apart.