United States and Iranian officials resumed indirect communications through mediators in New York on Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026. The shuttle talks, held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, represent the first diplomatic contact between the two nations since an interim ceasefire agreement collapsed in July. While U.S. President Donald Trump described the meetings as productive, neither nation has publicly announced changes to their official positions regarding the conflict in the Middle East.
The war began in February 2026 when Trump launched "Operation Epic Fury" alongside Israel. The conflict has since expanded to include Lebanon and Yemen. A previous interim agreement signed in June by Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian offered the lifting of financial sanctions and unfreezing of assets in exchange for talks on limiting Iran’s nuclear program. However, that deal failed within weeks due to disputes over shipping rules in the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran sought to exert greater control and collect transit fees.
During the New York talks, U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner communicated with mediators, while Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi met with the prime minister of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei stated that Tehran’s conditions for a deal include an end to the war on all fronts and a halt to U.S. "acts of aggression." Trump stated he believes there is "momentum" for a deal, though he previously told the General Assembly he was deciding between a diplomatic agreement or to "annihilate" the country.
The resumption of talks follows disruption to global energy markets and the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas passed before the war. With approximately one-third of Gulf oil estimated to be missing from global supplies, shortages have hit refined products such as diesel. These shortages have contributed to inflation and higher interest rates. Shipping companies have paid fees as high as 25% of a cargo's value to navigate the strait with transponders disabled.
The conflict has killed thousands since February. In the United States, the energy disruption is influencing the political environment ahead of the November midterm elections. Trump’s administration has imposed a blockade on Iranian ports, which has deepened an economic crisis in Iran. Meanwhile, recent advances by Houthi fighters in Yemen have threatened the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, an alternative Red Sea export route used by Saudi Arabia.
Diplomatic progress is currently tied to the price of Brent crude, which fell toward $100 a barrel following news of the shuttle talks after previously spiking due to Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia. While Saudi Arabia has managed to sell 60 million barrels of oil for delivery off the coast of Oman this month, global supply remains constrained. President Pezeshkian was scheduled to speak at the UN General Assembly on Wednesday. Trump has suggested the war could end by the November elections, though no specific mechanism for a new ceasefire has been established.