Rubio: Washington Open to Meeting with Iran at the United Nations
Agencies2 min read
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The United States has expressed openness to holding a meeting with Iran in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meetings, coinciding with granting Tehran its delegation in New York the authority to revive the diplomatic path and negotiate an end to hostilities.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Washington is open to holding a meeting with Iranian officials at the United Nations, while a senior Iranian official informed that Iran's delegation in New York is fully authorized to revive diplomacy with the United States.
The official added that Tehran is ready to discuss the details of an agreement to end hostilities through mediators in New York, noting that a new proposal in this regard was delivered to the United States through mediators on September 16.
According to the official, Iran offered to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 7 days if Washington eases military pressure and lifts the blockade on Iranian ports. He confirmed that the initiative was approved by the Supreme Leader and the Iranian National Security Council.
In contrast, an Iranian official ruled out a meeting between President Masoud Barzani and his US counterpart Donald Trump, but said that progress towards an agreement is still possible.
These developments coincide with Iranian statements affirming that openness to negotiation does not mean abandoning the military option. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said that diplomacy does not mean surrender, describing negotiations as 'another battlefield'.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard said that Tehran will negotiate if it serves its national interest, while affirming that it will not directly communicate with the United States as a military institution.
The Revolutionary Guard warned that any American or Israeli strike will be met with multiple responses in different arenas and ways, while saying that its estimates indicate that Washington and Tel Aviv are not prepared to wage a new war, while affirming its readiness for any escalation.
These positions indicate Tehran's adherence to a dual path that combines keeping the door of negotiation open and maintaining the option of military confrontation, while the United Nations General Assembly meetings provide an opportunity to resume indirect communications between the two sides.
