New York, 23 September, (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is in New York to address the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday, putting the Iran President UN speech at the centre of international diplomacy as Washington and Tehran explore possible negotiations to end their nearly seven-month conflict. Pezeshkian arrived in New York on Tuesday ahead of his appearance at the UN.
Iran President UN speech comes amid diplomatic talks
Pezeshkian’s UN appearance follows a significant shift in diplomatic activity between Iran and the United States.
Trump said on Tuesday that talks with Tehran were continuing and expressed confidence that a settlement could ultimately be reached. Speaking after meeting British Prime Minister Andy Burnham in New York, Trump said discussions with Iran had taken place that day.
The comments followed much tougher language in Trump’s General Assembly address, where he warned Iran of devastating consequences if no peace agreement was reached and called on countries to economically isolate Tehran.
Iran’s delegation in New York has authority to pursue negotiations, according to a senior Iranian official cited by Reuters. Pezeshkian, however, was not planning a direct meeting with Trump.
Iran links Hormuz reopening to U.S. measures
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the most important issues surrounding the negotiations.
A senior Iranian official told Reuters that Tehran was prepared to reopen the waterway within seven days if the United States reduced military pressure and lifted its blockade of Iranian ports. Iran submitted a proposal aimed at ending hostilities through mediators on 16 September.
Shipping disruption remains severe. Preliminary data showed only two commodity vessels crossed Hormuz on Monday, compared with a pre-war average of about 125 large commercial ships each day. Some vessels may not appear in tracking data because ships can turn off their transponders.
UN leaders call for Middle East de-escalation
The wider Middle East crisis is a major focus of this year’s General Assembly, whose general debate began on Tuesday and runs through 28 September, with no session scheduled on Sunday.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres used his opening address to call for restraint as conflicts spread across the region.
“Across the Middle East, conflicts are cascading,” Guterres said, urging leaders attending the high-level week to maximise opportunities for “de-escalation and dialogue”.
Pezeshkian address could clarify Iran’s position
Pezeshkian’s address gives Tehran a prominent international platform to set out its conditions for ending the war, explain its position on Hormuz and respond to Washington’s demands.
The immediate diplomatic focus will be whether discussions in New York produce concrete progress. Trump has publicly maintained that Iran cannot obtain a nuclear weapon while saying negotiations are continuing. Iran, meanwhile, has tied movement on Hormuz to specific changes in U.S. military and economic measures.
