State Department: Meeting with Iran in New York “went well” — Trump gave Tehran two options: “obliteration or peace”

The U.S. State Department said the meeting held Tuesday in New York with the Iranian delegation went well, and that President Donald Trump presented Tehran with two clear options: continuing “malign activities” with all the consequences that flow from them, or choosing the path of peace and prosperity.

State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott, quoted by Al Jazeera, said Washington believes the path of peace and prosperity is the best option for the Iranian people, and that Trump is determined to prevent Iran from securing nuclear weapons. Washington’s positive assessment comes after the three-hour meeting held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, where U.S. special envoys met with Iranian officials, including Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

Trump himself described the meeting as “very good” and said another round of talks is set for “the very near future.” His tone remained threatening, however: during his UN speech he warned he would “obliterate” the Islamic Republic and “send Iranians to hell” if no deal is reached — “It’s either potential greatness, or obliteration. There are two choices,” he said.

The Iranian side meanwhile confirmed that communication with Washington took place through a Qatari mediator. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told the IRNA agency that Tehran conveyed its conditions to the American side: an end to the war on all fronts, a halt to American “acts of aggression,” the naval blockade and economic warfare, as well as the release of frozen Iranian assets.

The New York meeting is the first known high-level contact between the two sides since the collapse of the ceasefire and memorandum of understanding in July, and comes at a moment when the nearly seven-month war has blocked the Strait of Hormuz and spread the conflict to Yemen and the Red Sea.

Source: Afghan Voice Agency (AVA)