Iran reviewing U.S. response to proposals, senior Iranian official says

Tehran was reviewing Washington's response to its proposals, a senior Iranian official said. Those proposals include lifting the U.S. naval blockade on Iranian ports and reopening the Strait of Hormuz; the official described a review of the response.

The UN facilitated the first indirect talks between American and Iranian officials since a ceasefire collapsed in July. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner communicated through mediators.

An agreement did not appear imminent. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio cautioned that reaching a deal would require hard work over time.

Rubio also met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. After their talks, Rubio said Ukraine and Russia had both expressed interest in a limited ceasefire covering grain and energy-related targets.

Ukraine and its allies are seeking limited agreements covering energy infrastructure and Black Sea shipping before winter, amid fears of renewed Russian attacks on power and heating facilities.

President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran would not submit after almost seven months of war with the U.S. and Israel. He also said the country remained ready for a diplomatic solution to the conflict.

Pezeshkian set a condition for any agreement: an end to the U.S. blockade that prevents Iranian ships from using a key Gulf waterway. He said a deal would have to include that change.

Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz by attacking commercial vessels in the Gulf, the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. A fifth of global oil and gas shipments normally pass through the strait. The U.S. imposed a blockade of Iranian ports and ships in April.

On Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff held indirect talks through Qatari mediators on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

Iran's president rejects submission while leaving diplomacy open

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