US open to Iran talks at UN as Tehran denies Strait of Hormuz deal reports

The United States is open to meeting Iran at the UN General Assembly, according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, as conflicting reports emerge from Tehran over a potential deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days. Unnamed Iranian officials told Reuters and Kyodo that the proposal was conveyed to Washington via mediators, aiming for a permanent end to the war, but Iran's semi-official Fars news agency denied the reports as unreliable. Rubio said no meeting is scheduled but the US is open to talks, emphasizing Iran must never have a nuclear weapon. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian departed for New York to attend the UN assembly, vowing to firmly defend Iran's positions. The strategic strait, through which one-fifth of the world's oil passed before the war, remains central to negotiations, with Iran demanding an end to US military and economic pressure.