TEHRAN— Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has used a series of meetings, diplomatic engagements and media appearances on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly to lay out Tehran’s positions on negotiations with Washington, the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s nuclear program, regional security, sanctions and the future of multilateral cooperation.

Across his remarks, Araghchi presented diplomacy as Iran’s preferred avenue for resolving disputes, while insisting that negotiations must be conducted on the basis of sovereign equality, international law and reciprocal commitments rather than military pressure or coercion.

His comments also linked the security of the Strait of Hormuz to the wider regional situation, while outlining a specific seven-day mechanism for restoring normal maritime traffic if the United States accepts Tehran's conditions previously conveyed to Washington.

Diplomacy remains open, but Iran rejects coercion

Speaking to reporters outside the UN Security Council, Araghchi said Iran remained committed to international law, the UN Charter and diplomacy, pointing to the negotiations that led to the 2015 nuclear agreement and Iran’s subsequent diplomatic efforts.

He said Tehran had repeatedly kept the door to negotiations open over the past two years, but argued that Washington had responded in bad faith and repeatedly chosen military action and pressure over diplomacy.

According to Araghchi, this history has created deep distrust in Tehran over the prospect of simply returning to negotiations without credible guarantees against a repetition of military action.

He said Iran would not accept threats, intimidation or pressure as a substitute for diplomacy.

“The UN Charter is not optional. Sovereignty is not conditional. Diplomacy does not mean surrender. And peace cannot be built through threats of destruction,” Araghchi said.

Iran sets out seven-day framework for reopening Hormuz

The Strait of Hormuz emerged as one of the central issues in Araghchi’s discussions in New York.

The foreign minister said Iran had conveyed, through Qatar, a specific seven-day plan to the United States. Under the proposal, he said, the process of restoring normal maritime traffic could be completed within seven days if Washington accepted the necessary conditions.

Araghchi subsequently provided additional details, saying the seven-day period would begin immediately once the United States accepted the plan.

He said the technical implementation could be completed within four or five days, allowing the strait to reopen on the sixth day, followed by US entry into a final agreement on the seventh day.

The measures required from Washington, he said, had already been communicated to the United States and were incorporated into the Islamabad memorandum of understanding.

“If there is sufficient seriousness on the American side, this will happen, and the Strait of Hormuz will reopen,” Araghchi said.

He stressed that Iran’s proposal should be understood within the framework of reciprocal commitments rather than as a unilateral concession.

Islamabad memorandum and the Oman track

Araghchi said that following mediation efforts by Pakistan and Qatar, Iran and the United States signed the Islamabad memorandum on June 17.

Under Article 5 of the memorandum, Iran committed to making the necessary arrangements to facilitate the safe passage of ships.

Iran, he said, immediately began technical discussions with Oman to implement that commitment and restore maritime traffic to pre-war levels.

According to Araghchi, maritime traffic reached approximately 60 percent of its pre-war level within two weeks of implementation.

He said subsequent unilateral US measures and military action halted the implementation of the memorandum, arguing that Washington had chosen military action instead of using the dispute-resolution mechanism contained in the agreement.

Iran, he emphasized, had nevertheless continued to keep diplomatic channels open.

Tehran links Hormuz security to regional stability

Araghchi reaffirmed Iran’s commitment to safe and secure shipping, but rejected the idea that maritime security could be restored through additional military deployments, threats, blockades or economic pressure.

He said the Strait of Hormuz had remained open until February 28, 2026, and argued that the subsequent disruption of maritime traffic was, from Tehran’s perspective, a consequence of the conflict and military actions against Iran.

“A country cannot be bombed, threatened with destruction, subjected to a naval blockade and coercive measures, and at the same time be expected to automatically restore security and shipping to normal,” he said.

Araghchi also criticized the role of certain regional states, arguing that some had allowed their territory, military bases, airspace, logistical infrastructure or intelligence facilities to be used in connection with military operations against Iran.

In his meetings with regional counterparts, however, he emphasized Iran’s preference for regional security mechanisms based on cooperation among neighboring states.

Iran and Saudi Arabia: Focus on regional security cooperation

In a meeting with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan, Araghchi emphasized Tehran’s determination to strengthen mutual trust and promote regional security through cooperation among countries in the region.

He briefed his Saudi counterpart on the understanding reached between Iran and Oman regarding safe maritime routes through the Strait of Hormuz.

The two ministers also discussed bilateral relations and ways of expanding cooperation in areas of mutual interest.

Araghchi called for greater participation by influential regional states in security arrangements, while referring to the experience of the past seven months and the use of the territory and facilities of some regional countries in military operations against Iran.

The meeting underscored Tehran’s emphasis on the principle that regional security should be addressed collectively by regional states.

Iran briefs India on Hormuz and diplomatic efforts

Araghchi also held talks with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in New York, discussing bilateral relations, regional developments and international issues.

The Iranian foreign minister briefed his Indian counterpart on Iran’s talks with Oman over establishing safe maritime routes through the Strait of Hormuz.

He also outlined Tehran’s position regarding US violations of previous commitments and military actions against Iran, including a maritime blockade and attacks on Iranian commercial shipping.

Araghchi said the international community had a responsibility to hold those responsible for aggression accountable.

The two ministers also discussed efforts by mediators to convey the conditions and essential elements required for a return to the diplomatic process.

They agreed on the importance of using available diplomatic capacities to prevent further escalation and discussed implementation of existing bilateral economic and trade understandings.

Tehran calls for greater Iran-Arab dialogue

In a separate meeting with Arab League Secretary General Nabil Fahmy, Araghchi called for increased dialogue and interaction between Iran and Arab countries.

He described regional security as an integrated and indivisible issue requiring shared responsibility and constructive engagement.

The two sides discussed regional developments, particularly the situation in Palestine and the escalation of Israeli military actions in Palestine and Lebanon.

Araghchi said stronger interaction among regional countries could help address misunderstandings and concerns that Tehran attributes, in part, to hostile propaganda.

He emphasized Iran’s determination to strengthen mutual trust with neighboring states and called for greater regional cooperation.

Iran defends its nuclear program and NPT commitments

Iran’s nuclear program was another major element of Araghchi’s diplomatic message in New York.

He rejected recent allegations concerning Iran’s nuclear activities as political rather than technical or legal in nature.

Araghchi described claims that Iran was on the verge of acquiring nuclear weapons as false, saying such allegations had been repeatedly raised by Israel and subsequently echoed by the United States and European countries.

He stressed that Iran has been a party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty since 1970 and has been subject to extensive International Atomic Energy Agency monitoring for decades.

From Tehran’s perspective, Araghchi argued, it is contradictory for Washington to claim to support the international nonproliferation regime while targeting peaceful nuclear facilities operating under IAEA safeguards.

He characterized attacks on such facilities as inconsistent with international obligations and argued that technical and legal mechanisms, rather than military action, should determine the future of nuclear verification.

Iran accuses US of economic pressure and “economic terrorism”

Araghchi also devoted significant attention to the impact of unilateral sanctions on Iran.

He accused Washington of using economic deprivation as an instrument of political pressure and said sanctions had affected access to trade, financial resources, medicines, technology, education and scientific cooperation.

In his address to the Global Development Initiative, he argued that the consequences of such measures extend beyond governments and directly affect ordinary people.

He described the humanitarian consequences of sanctions as “economic terrorism” and called on the United Nations to oppose unilateral coercive measures and demand their complete and unconditional removal.

He also linked the sanctions issue to the broader question of sustainable development, arguing that developing countries require greater access to finance, technology, knowledge and international cooperation rather than additional economic restrictions.

Development, South-South cooperation and multilateralism

At the fifth anniversary meeting of the Global Development Initiative, Araghchi placed development at the center of Iran’s broader foreign-policy agenda.

He said developing countries continue to confront poverty, hunger, inequality, debt burdens, financing shortages, technology gaps and environmental challenges. These pressures have been exacerbated by conflicts, protectionism, unilateral coercive measures and the use of force.

Araghchi welcomed the initiative launched by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2021 and highlighted its work in poverty reduction, food security, development financing, green development, industrialization and the digital economy.

Iran, he said, attaches particular importance to the initiative’s potential to strengthen South-South cooperation by mobilizing the knowledge, technology and capabilities of developing countries.

He called for international solidarity to be translated into concrete development outcomes and said the voices of developing countries should have a greater role in global development governance.

ECO as a platform for regional integration

Araghchi also addressed the 27th Informal Meeting of the Economic Cooperation Organization Council of Ministers in New York, calling for stronger regional cooperation and solidarity among ECO member states.

He said ECO could play a greater role in promoting peace, stability, connectivity and sustainable development.

The foreign minister highlighted recent progress within the organization, including the resumption of ministerial meetings, the five-year roadmap for mining cooperation, the ten-year strategy for sustainable and resilient transport, and efforts to amend the ECOTA trade agreement.

He also pointed to expanding transport corridors and links with major cargo and logistics hubs, including routes connected to China, as an important factor in strengthening the region’s role in international trade and transit.

Tourism, intra-regional trade, energy, agriculture, industry, human resources and environmental cooperation, he said, should remain among ECO’s key priorities.

Iran is scheduled to host the 18th ECO Summit in Tehran on December 3–4, 2026.

Iran’s account of the conflict and civilian impact

Across his statements in New York, Araghchi repeatedly referred to US and Israeli aggression against the country.

He said thousands of Iranians had been killed, including women and children, and accused the United States and Israel of targeting civilian and critical infrastructure.

Among the examples cited by the foreign minister were the killing of 168 students and teachers at a school in Minab, an attack on the Lamerd sports complex, damage to the Pasteur Institute of Iran and attacks on residential areas and other civilian facilities.

Araghchi argued that these incidents should be investigated within the framework of international law and that accountability should apply regardless of political alliances.

He also criticized efforts to portray the conflict in a manner that reverses the positions of victim and aggressor.
 

A consistent message from NY

Taken together, Araghchi’s meetings and public statements in New York presented several interconnected themes in Iran’s foreign-policy position.

At the diplomatic level, Tehran says it remains open to negotiations but wants guarantees against a recurrence of military action and insists that diplomacy cannot take place under coercion.

On the nuclear issue, Iran continues to emphasize its NPT membership, cooperation with international monitoring mechanisms and opposition to military action against nuclear facilities.

On the Strait of Hormuz, Tehran has presented a concrete seven-day framework for restoring maritime traffic, linking implementation to conditions already communicated to Washington and incorporated into the Islamabad memorandum.

At the regional level, Iran is calling for security arrangements based on dialogue and cooperation among neighboring countries, while seeking closer engagement with Saudi Arabia, India, Arab states and other regional partners.

And at the global level, Araghchi has called for stronger multilateralism, sovereign equality, South-South cooperation and an international development agenda free from unilateral coercive measures.

The common thread running through his remarks was that Iran considers diplomacy and international law essential to resolving disputes, but rejects attempts to use military, economic or political pressure to dictate the terms of that diplomacy.