Seven months after narrowly escaping the US-led Israeli airstrike that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, Iran’s top diplomat walked the streets of Manhattan this week, escorted by the US Secret Service.
As leaders gathered in New York for the United Nations General Assembly, Abbas Araghchi and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian seized the opportunity to make their case to the world, positioning the Islamic Republic as a country that abides by international law against “bullies” who do not.
Araghchi met with more than 20 diplomats, including diplomats from more than 10 European countries and the foreign minister of Jordan, which was attacked by Iran. More importantly, he held an unusual face-to-face meeting with U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and told Western media that Iran had put a new offer on the table.
In a speech at a United Nations gathering, Mr. Pezeshkian said the Islamic Republic would never “bow down.” That line was well received by hardliners at home, some of whom had opposed the visit at a time when wartime sanctions and a U.S. naval blockade were straining Iran’s economy.
On Thursday, Mr. Pezeshkian sat with Western journalists and think tank analysts at a New York hotel to explain the government’s thinking. It’s a far cry from the morning of February 28, when he went missing for several hours amid a wave of American and Israeli attacks and was feared dead.
Iran’s performance at the United Nations General Assembly has garnered attention for the past few decades, but the shadow of war made this year’s visit the main event. Tehran officials strategically planned the trip with both international and domestic attention in mind.
Iranian hardliners initially criticized Mr. Pezeshkian and Mr. Araghchi’s diplomatic overtures to Washington, viewing their decision to visit a country actively waging war as a sign of capitulation. Araghchi, in particular, came under fire from conservative Iranian lawmakers for meeting with Witkov.
“Foreign policy and national security are no place for recklessness,” hardline lawmaker Ebrahim Rezaei wrote on Wednesday. “Does the Minister of Foreign Affairs have to explain under what authority the meeting with the enemy’s representative was held?”
But despite the high risk of political failure, Iranian officials staged a successful visit at home, re-established diplomatic relations with their adversaries, proclaimed a message of survival to the world, and made their point known to the American people.
Mr. Pezeshkian declared Iran’s demands from the United Nations podium and held bilateral talks with his partner. In contrast, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who co-initiated the war against Iran, was met with protests in the streets of New York and a mass walkout by the United Nations delegation when he spoke on the floor.
The meeting between Araghchi and Witkoff, aimed at resuming negotiations, was an attempt to break a three-month diplomatic impasse.
Still, U.S. officials were quick to warn that a deal would take time.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters this week that “if we get a deal with Iran…it’s going to be a significant effort over a period of time and it’s going to involve a mediator.”
Iran said it has presented the United States with a proposal to quickly reopen the Strait of Hormuz and resume efforts toward a “final deal” in exchange for the United States lifting its economic blockade against Iran.
Araghchi told reporters that Tehran’s new proposal requires Washington to meet a series of conditions within seven days. He did not elaborate on these terms, but said they were “nothing more than” what was included in the memorandum. The memorandum of understanding was signed between the parties in June, but was an ill-fated agreement that quickly fell apart.
There is no official response. However, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing US officials, that President Donald Trump rejected Iran’s latest offer and told his staff that another bombing campaign was likely after the upcoming midterm elections. Officials said Trump’s views could change in the coming weeks.
Following Araguchi’s comments, a White House official told CNN that they were having “positive and constructive discussions through a mediator.”
“The United States is in a very strong position with sea control in the Strait of Hormuz, so we are in no hurry. Nearly 22 million barrels of oil left the Strait last night,” the official said.
An early reopening of the strait and renewed talks over Tehran’s nuclear program may be appealing to President Trump, but obstacles remain.
Iran’s conditions include the US waiving sanctions on oil sales, lifting the naval blockade and ending other economic sanctions imposed after the deal collapsed in June, regional sources familiar with the talks told CNN.
In further comments, Arraguchi said, “The choice now rests with the United States.”
“This offer is essentially the same deal, but in a very different order,” Sheena Tusi, a senior fellow at the Center for International Policy in Washington, D.C., told CNN. “The United States will first take concrete steps, and only then will Iran ease pressure on Hormuz.”
Under the June deal, which was widely seen as favorable to Iran at the time, the United States agreed to lift the naval blockade, end sanctions on the Iranian regime, establish a $300 billion fund for national reconstruction and accept the Islamic Republic’s role in controlling the narrow waterway through which one-fifth of the world’s oil passes every day.
The deal quickly fell apart after the Trump administration accused the Iranian government of firing on the ship in Hormuz. Meanwhile, Iran accused the United States of its own violations by launching attacks on Iran and refusing to release cash frozen in banks overseas.
“The central message of Mr. Pezeshkian’s visit to New York is that Iran sincerely wants a deal,” Tousi said, adding, “But Iran is no longer willing to strike a deal, first de-escalate tensions, and then simply trust Washington to follow through.”
Iran is also pursuing a separate diplomatic course with Oman, the only country bordering the Strait of Hormuz, over how to manage the waterway. Iran has in the past demanded future payments for control of the strait, but it remains unclear whether that demand is part of Tehran’s new proposal. It is also unclear whether a new framework for Iran and Oman has been presented to the Trump administration. Attempts to bring neighboring Arab countries on board failed last week.
One of the bigger questions is whether Iran will accept new negotiations that Washington could use to extract further concessions.
The two sides are currently locked in a showdown to see who can maintain the status quo the longest. Iran touts its high pain threshold, but President Trump insists that rising gas prices won’t hurt him in the midterm elections.
So while Tehran’s leaders may have had a productive few days, it’s unclear how long that glow will last.
“They’re watching to see how I do in the midterm elections,” Trump said in a speech at the United Nations. “What they don’t realize is that I’m not running. I’m already running and I won by a landslide.”
