Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is set to meet mediators in New York on Monday or Tuesday as Tehran and Washington seek to keep diplomatic channels open after US President Donald Trump rejected Iran’s latest proposal for ending hostilities.
Qatari mediators are expected to hold separate talks with Araghchi and the US side, according to an official briefed on the negotiations. The discussions are expected to focus on an amended version of a seven-day proposal that Iran presented last week on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
Diplomacy remains open
Araghchi has remained in New York following the UN General Assembly, where Iranian officials continued efforts to engage through intermediaries rather than direct negotiations with Washington. Iran has said it remains prepared for diplomacy while insisting that any agreement must address what it considers its core security and economic concerns.
In a statement on Monday, Araghchi said Iran had not travelled to New York to promote war but to pursue peace. He also maintained that Tehran would stand firm against what it described as aggression, signalling that diplomatic engagement had not altered Iran’s position on the broader conflict.
Trump rejects proposal
Trump said on Saturday that he had rejected Iran’s latest proposal, which had been conveyed to Washington during indirect negotiations in New York. The US president’s rejection came as Qatar and other regional mediators continued efforts to narrow differences between the two sides.
Iran’s proposal had called for reopening the Strait of Hormuz within seven days and resuming nuclear discussions, provided Washington eased military pressure, lifted its blockade on Iranian ports and took other measures sought by Tehran.
The US has rejected Iran’s attempt to link the reopening of the strait to concessions from Washington. American officials have instead pressed Tehran on its nuclear programme and questioned whether Iran’s proposal represented a genuine commitment to negotiations.
Hormuz at centre
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the principal issues in the diplomatic standoff. Iran has said it could reopen the strategically important waterway if the United States reduces military pressure and lifts its blockade of Iranian ports.
The waterway is a crucial route for global energy supplies, and the conflict has sharply disrupted normal shipping activity. Iran has sought to make the reopening of the strait part of a broader arrangement for ending hostilities, while Washington has resisted Tehran’s efforts to make control or access to the waterway a condition of negotiations.
Mediators carry messages
The latest diplomatic effort follows several rounds of indirect contacts involving Qatar and other intermediaries. Earlier talks in New York involved US envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner communicating with Araghchi through Qatari mediation.
Iranian officials have said that Tehran’s proposal was delivered to Washington through mediators and that the UN General Assembly provided an opportunity to revive diplomacy. Tehran has also accused Washington of repeatedly undermining negotiations through military action, a claim rejected by US officials.
Nuclear issue remains
The dispute over Iran’s nuclear programme remains a major obstacle to a broader agreement. Washington has said any durable settlement must address Iran’s nuclear capabilities, while Tehran has maintained that its diplomatic proposals should begin with ending the conflict and resolving issues surrounding the blockade and Strait of Hormuz.
US officials have also questioned Iran’s willingness to make the concessions Washington is seeking. The two sides therefore remain divided over both the sequence of steps and the substance of any potential agreement, even as mediators continue trying to keep talks alive.
New talks expected
The planned meetings in New York are expected to test whether the amended seven-day proposal can provide a basis for further discussions. The mediators’ effort comes as both sides continue to exchange warnings while seeking diplomatic leverage over the terms of a possible settlement.
For now, Araghchi’s continued presence in New York keeps open an indirect channel between Tehran and Washington, but the rejection of Iran’s original proposal and the unresolved disputes over Hormuz, sanctions, military pressure and the nuclear programme remain significant obstacles to an agreement.