Araghchi departs for New York for UN General Assembly, with stop in Qatar

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi departed Tehran for New York on Sunday to take part in the United Nations General Assembly. The news was reported by Iranian state media, according to which the head of Iranian diplomacy will make a short stop in Qatar before continuing his journey to the United States.

The visit comes at a critical moment of the US–Iran war, which has entered its seventh month, while the General Assembly week is seen as a possible diplomatic window. US President Donald Trump himself said on Sunday that he is open to a meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the UN, presenting it as an alternative to Iran’s “complete disappearance” or its “economic decay.”

Meanwhile Qatar has confirmed that its officials are moving between capitals to mediate the resumption of US–Iran talks. Araghchi’s stop in Doha before New York may be part of these diplomatic efforts.

Tehran has made known its conditions for ending the war: the cessation of hostilities on all fronts, the unfreezing of frozen Iranian assets, the lifting of the US naval blockade and the easing of sanctions. Iranian officials are expected in New York during the week.

Source: Al Jazeera