Iran sends US terms for deal via Qatari mediators at UN

Iran has transmitted its conditions for a deal to the United States via Qatari mediators in New York, demanding an end to war "on all fronts," a halt to US military actions and the naval blockade, and the release of Iranian assets, according to foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei. The contacts with the US side occurred through the Qatari intermediary and served to communicate Tehran's conditions, Baghaei told the Irna agency. US special envoy Steve Witkoff confirmed a new round of talks concluded on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, with mediators shuttling between the two delegations throughout the day. The development follows heightened regional tensions, including French President Emmanuel Macron's statement that France is ready to join an international operation in the Strait of Hormuz with a clear, purely defensive mandate, while declining to confront Iran directly.