Iranian President Pezeshkian brought a diplomatic tone to New York for UNGA. What did his remarks signal?

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who traveled to New York to be the UN General Assembly this week, specifically made clip to conscionable with American journalists and media representatives.

In an interrogation with the blimpish US broadcaster Fox News, helium signaled a willingness to marque concessions successful the nuclear quality with the United States.

Washington has made wide that Iran indispensable ne'er beryllium allowed to person atomic weapons. Asked whether Iran was prepared to manus implicit its highly enriched uranium, Pezeshkian said his state would comply with its obligations under planetary instrumentality and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

In its astir caller assessment, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) estimated that Iran had much than 440 kilograms of uranium enriched to up to 60%.

Since the US-Israeli attacks connected Iranian atomic facilities successful 2025, Iran has suspended its practice with the IAEA. The bureau has continued to request entree to Iranian facilities and updated accusation connected its atomic stockpile and the whereabouts of its atomic material.

Asked point-blank "Do you privation a atomic weaponry oregon not?" during the exclusive interrogation connected Fox News' "Special Report," Pezeshkian firmly rejected the premise.

"Not astatine all. Not astatine all. Our martyred, esteemed ultimate person had announced respective times that, from a spiritual decree, it is unholy. It is illegal," helium told host Bret Baier, referencing spiritual edicts issued against weapons of wide destruction.

Despite Pezeshkian's claims, the IAEA has assessed that Iran's fissile worldly is being enriched acold beyond what is needed for civilian use.

Diplomacy: A archetypal step?

A large breakthrough successful the struggle betwixt Iran and the United States is not expected anytime soon, Iran adept Arman Mahmoudian, a lecturer successful Middle East Studies astatine the University of South Florida, told DW.

"Pezeshkian does not person the authorization to initiate broad de-escalation with the United States. In particular, hard-liners and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps look to proceed to wield sizeable power implicit Iran's decision-making process," helium added.

Nevertheless, Mahmoudian thinks Pezeshkian's sojourn could assistance found a much nonstop transmission of connection betwixt Tehran and Washington.

He besides sees the anticipation of creating a model for aboriginal negotiations successful New York, adding that the 2 sides could make a roadworthy representation that would pave the mode for much substantive talks and, successful the longer term, perchance lend to de-escalation.

There are already signs of this, including meetings betwixt Iranian and US delegations earlier this week. The White House, meanwhile, has confirmed that "positive and constructive" talks were continuing done intermediaries.

Hormuz — and Houthis — arsenic leverage

The aboriginal of the Strait of Hormuz is besides astatine the halfway of the discussions. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reportedly said that Tehran had presented Washington with a connection to resume negotiations.

Under the proposal, the strategically important waterway could beryllium reopened wrong 7 days if definite conditions were met. It remains unclear what those conditions are.

In the past, Iran has demanded the merchandise of frozen Iranian assets, an extremity to the US blockade of Iranian ports and vessels, and a committedness by Washington not to interfere successful Iran's interior affairs.

The Strait of Hormuz, done which astir 20 cardinal barrels of lipid usually walk each time — astir 20% of planetary lipid depletion — has go 1 of Iran's most important sources of leverage.

The United States has failed to destruct each of Iran's capabilities to endanger shipping successful the Strait of Hormuz, Kelly Grieco, a elder chap astatine the Stimson Center, told DW successful July.

This is contempt the US attacks having caused important harm to Iran's navy and defence industry. 

"At a definite point, it becomes truly hard to find immoderate of these targets," said Grieco. "They're mobile. They're distributed."

Without a semipermanent strategy, Grieco warned, the United States could truthful go trapped successful a recurring cycle: Iran rebuilds its subject capabilities, Washington launches different circular of attacks and the rhythm repeats itself.

Nearly 7 months aft the commencement of the Iran war, the struggle has besides dispersed to a 2nd strategically important shipping route.

The Iran-backed Houthi question has expanded its power implicit Yemen's Red Sea coast and the strategically important country astir the Bab al-Mandab Strait. This gives Iran different important lever on large planetary shipping routes.

Balancing unit and negotiations

Middle East adept Mahmoudian expects Iran to proceed pursuing a dual strategy of subject unit and diplomacy, saying that Tehran is apt to proceed utilizing the Strait of Hormuz arsenic leverage and to forestall a afloat instrumentality to mean shipping traffic. 

"At the aforesaid time, Iran volition astir apt proceed rebuilding its subject and strategical infrastructure wrong the country," helium said. "Reports suggest that Iranian authorities are already moving rapidly to reconstruct immoderate damaged facilities."

On the diplomatic front, helium added that Iran is apt to proceed negotiations with the US, either straight oregon done intermediaries.

Tehran is alert that the existent situation, with the continuing menace of subject attacks, sanctions and economical pressure, is not sustainable successful the agelong term, Mahmoudian said, adding that Iran volition truthful proceed to person an involvement successful reaching a governmental statement with Washington.

A woody with Iran volition necessitate clip and hard negotiations, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said successful New York connected September 23, playing down expectations of a speedy agreement. At the aforesaid time, helium stressed that President Donald Trump has subject options astatine his disposal alongside the diplomatic route.

This nonfiction was primitively written successful German.