Iranian officials privately told sources they are skeptical Tehran and
Washington can reach a pre-Nov. 3 agreement to end hostile actions and reopen
the Strait of Hormuz. Talks held last week on the sidelines of the UN General
Assembly in New York made limited progress, and Iran assesses the risk of
escalation rises after the U.S. midterm elections. Iran says it remains willing
to pursue diplomacy but does not trust the Trump administration to abide by any
deal; U.S. officials are also described as skeptical. A source said Deputy
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met last week with U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and
Witkoff and remains in the U.S. for further mediator-led discussions.
Semi-official ISNA reported Araghchi will meet mediators Monday morning in New
York to review recent proposals and exchange views, and said the U.S. will not
send representatives to that meeting.
