U.S. and Iran hold first talks since June as Trump threatens annihilation

The United States and Iran held their first direct talks since June on Tuesday, meeting on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York, according to U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff. The discussions came as President Trump threatened to "annihilate" Iran if no deal is reached to end the nearly seven-month war. Iran confirmed the talks occurred via Qatari mediators, with President Masoud Pezeshkian saying Tehran would "firmly defend" its positions. Trump called the meeting "very good" and said another is scheduled, while also claiming he believes a settlement will be reached, possibly after the November midterm elections. The Houthi rebels in Yemen separately threatened to target U.S. interests in the Middle East if Washington intervenes in support of Saudi Arabia, warning they would close the Bab el-Mandeb strait to American ships. Iranian officials dismissed Trump's U.N. speech as "a sign of desperation."