Iran has offered to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days if the US eases its military pressure on the Islamic Republic.
A delegation of senior Iranian officials arrived in New York on Tuesday to attend the UN General Assembly, with a mandate to try to restart peace talks with the US after their fragile agreement expired last month.
A senior Iranian official said it was seeking a reduction in US military pressure and the lifting of a naval blockade on its ports, and was prepared to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which Tehran shut in retaliation for American and Israeli strikes.
Tehran presented a plan to Qatari mediators on Sept 16 and hopes to negotiate through intermediaries rather than face to face, the official said.
Masoud Pezeshkian, the president of Iran, is given a ceremonial sendoff at Mehr Abad airport in Tehran before leaving for New York with the delegation – EPA/Shutterstock/Iranian Presidential Office Handout
One official told The Telegraph from Tehran: “The main goal would be to tell world leaders about American crimes, and there are no plans to have any meeting with Americans.”
“The delegation has full authority,” the first Iranian official said, calling the New York trip a decisive moment, and insisting Iran’s core demands “have not changed”.
Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, told NBC on Tuesday that the US was open to speaking with Iranians but no meeting had been arranged.
“We’re open to that,” Mr Rubio said. “I don’t think anything is scheduled at this point, but we’re certainly open to something like that, especially if it has the prospects of leading to something positive and ultimately achieving the goal of what this is all about.
“And that is the fact that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon. They just simply can’t.”
A Thai bulk carrier on fire after a missile strike in the Strait of Hormuz, where hostilities have crippled global shipping – via AP/Noppadon Wongsuvan
The conflict began in late February, when US and Israeli forces launched a military campaign against Iran.
The strikes killed civilians, including schoolchildren in Minab. Iran responded by closing the Strait of Hormuz and drawing warships into a standoff that has throttled shipping, hampering global trade.
Masoud Pezeshkian, Iran’s president, is heading the delegation to the UN and is due to address the General Assembly on Wednesday, his first turn on the world stage since the war began.
Citing a push to cut costs, he trimmed his delegation to a handful of aides, including Haji Mirzaei, his chief of staff, Mehdi Tabatabai, his deputy for communications, Mehdi Sanaei, a political adviser, and Abbas Mousavi, his protocol chief.
Abbas Araghchi, the only cabinet member included, flew ahead and spoke by phone with António Guterres, the UN secretary-general.
Abbas Aragchi, the foreign minister of Iran, arriving for the UN General Assembly session in New York on Tuesday – AFP via Getty Images/Charly Triballeau
Mr Araghchi will receive a security detail from the US diplomatic service during the visit because of threats against him, Axios reported.
During a planned five-day stay, Mr Pezeshkian is expected to meet foreign leaders, address Iranians living in the US and confer with think tank analysts, his office said.
Before leaving Tehran, the president said: “We came out with our heads held high,” and vowed to “defend our positions resolutely” at the UN.
However, the trip has already been clouded by a dispute over access.
Habibollah Abbasi, the presidency’s public relations chief, said Washington refused visas to Mr Pezeshkian’s press team, leaving Iranian state journalists at home.
He called the move “a blatant violation of media protection and an open admission of fear of the truth”.
The negotiations also face resistance inside Iran.
Hardliners have long cast discussions with Washington as capitulation, and critics have questioned why Mr Pezeshkian would set foot in the country bombing Iran.
Reformists, meanwhile, warn that the war has narrowed his room to manoeuvre. State-aligned commentators countered that abandoning the UN podium would only hand Iran’s adversaries the microphone.