US-Iran talks raise hopes for progress in Middle East war

The first indirect negotiations between the United States and Iran in months have raised hopes for progress toward ending the Middle East war, though neither side has signaled a shift in its positions. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner communicated through mediators on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, marking the first such contact since a provisional ceasefire deal failed in July. President Donald Trump called the meeting "very productive," while Iran's spokesman said Tehran conveyed conditions including ending the war on all fronts and suspending US "acts of aggression." The diplomatic opening helped keep oil prices near two-week lows, with Brent crude just below $100 per barrel. The war, launched by Trump in February alongside Israel as "Operation Epic Fury," has lasted nearly seven months, killing thousands and spreading to Lebanon and Yemen. Trump has suggested the conflict could end around November's US midterm elections.