U.S. and Iran hold first shuttle talks in months, raising hopes for progress

The United States and Iran held their first shuttle talks in months via mediators at the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, raising hopes for progress toward ending the West Asia war, though neither side reported a change in positions. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi communicated with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner through Qatari mediators, with Tehran reiterating conditions including an end to the war and a halt to U.S. aggression. President Donald Trump said there was "a lot of momentum" for a deal, while oil prices held near two-week lows. The talks follow the collapse of an interim ceasefire in July over shipping rules in the Strait of Hormuz. The war, launched in February, has killed thousands and disrupted global energy supplies, with about a third of Gulf oil missing from markets and a U.S. blockade deepening Iran's economic crisis.