Iran War Updates: U.S. and Iran hold first talks since June after Trump threatens regime with annihilation

September 23, 2026 / 7:03 AM EDT / CBS News

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei has said that President Trump's remarks to the U.N. were "a sign of desperation."

Speaking to state news agency IRNA, Baqaei also confirmed the talks held between U.S. and Iranian envoys on Tuesday took place via Qatari mediators.

"The Iranian delegation conveyed its views and its conditions very explicitly and clearly to the American side through the mediators," he said.

Addressing Mr. Trump's remarks about his pending "big decision" on whether to make a deal with, or "annihilate" the Iranian regime, Baqaei said: "The impression among diplomats and delegations from many countries here was that these remarks did not stem from strength, but from desperation … Threatening a country with military attack is an admission of the nature of the current U.S. ruling establishment."

U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff said American and Iranian negotiators "engaged in lengthy talks" on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.

In a post on X late Tuesday, Witkoff said the two sides spoke through mediators over the course of the day. He did not describe the substance of the talks, but said they "successfully completed a round of…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/entertainment/