New York diplomacy unlikely to bridge US-Iran divide this week

US President Donald Trump threatened to "annihilate" Iran during a UN General Assembly speech on Tuesday, even as indirect US-Iran talks occurred in New York, with analysts doubting a diplomatic breakthrough this week. US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi for three hours Tuesday, which Trump called "very good," while Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian arrived in New York Wednesday. Gulf states are mulling a Qatari security framework proposal, and China's Xi Jinping will meet Trump in Washington. Analysts say core disagreements remain unresolved, with Iran's hardliners needing to approve any deal and the Strait of Hormuz closure being a key sticking point. Gulf mediators and China may encourage compromise, but ultimately Washington and Tehran must settle directly.