US and Iran hold sideline talks at UN as aviation sanctions take effect

Sideline diplomacy on Iran and the Strait of Hormuz

US special envoy Steve Witkoff held three hours of direct talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in New York on Tuesday, mediated by Qatari diplomats on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. The meeting represented the first formal contact between the two governments since Vice President JD Vance met an Iranian delegation in Switzerland in June. Following the discussions, an Iranian official stated that Tehran offered to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within a week if the United States eases economic and military pressure. The proposal, forwarded to Washington on 16 September, received approval from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and Iran's Supreme National Security Council. Speaking during his address to the assembly, US President Donald Trump stated that a broader settlement would occur following the November midterms.

I believe we'll make a deal right after the election because it doesn't make sense for them not to. They're waiting to see how I do in the midterm election.

Sanctions pressure and aviation restrictions

The diplomatic contacts coincided with an escalation in economic enforcement against Iranian transport networks. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that secondary sanctions targeting service providers for Iranian airlines take effect on 23 September, seven months after the start of the conflict. In response, Iraq ordered its civil aviation authority to suspend Iranian flights to Baghdad International Airport starting at midnight on Wednesday, while exploring options to reroute traffic to Najaf. Iranian carriers also canceled routes between Tehran and Muscat, with airport authorities in Oman barring Iranian passengers from entry. Bessent detailed the scope of the banking penalties to broadcasters:

you cannot provide them with fuel, you cannot provide them with landing services, you cannot sell them tickets, or you will be knocked out of the dollar system.

General Assembly addresses and institutional deadlock

Inside the General Assembly hall, Trump delivered a 37-minute speech covering the conflict with Iran, artificial intelligence, and regional security. Most of the Iranian delegation walked out after Trump described their government as the principal source of regional terror. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is scheduled to address the assembly on Wednesday. The session also featured the final General Assembly address by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, whose second five-year term concludes on 31 December. Guterres called on member states to establish multilateral oversight for artificial intelligence risks and demanded reforms to address persistent institutional gridlock.

Those countries leading this technological revolution must share information on emerging safety risks, cooperate on testing and evaluation - and work towards common safeguards that protect us all.

Diplomatic absences and bilateral agendas

The assembly opened amid debates over institutional financing and member state participation. The United States preserved its voting privileges by paying $725 million toward the UN regular budget the preceding week, though it maintains over $1 billion in unpaid dues. Several world leaders skipped the New York gathering, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, who travels to Washington for bilateral talks with Trump on Thursday, as well as the leaders of Germany, India, and South Africa. Alongside the multilateral sessions, Trump scheduled meetings with leaders of Denmark and Greenland to discuss expanded US military access, and arranged talks with representatives from the six Gulf Cooperation Council states: Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.