[Anchor]
The United States and Iran have held a surprise meeting in New York, where the UN General Assembly is underway. This marks the first meeting in three months since the talks on ending the war held in Switzerland last June. Connecting to New York, let us find out more details on whether we are moving closer to an end to the conflict.
Correspondent Kim Hyunwoo, first, what kind of discussions took place between the US and Iran?
[Reporter]
Because it was held behind closed doors and President Trump made a surprise announcement after the meeting, the specific details of the conversation have not been made public.
[Donald Trump / US President: The meeting lasted for three hours. It was a very good and highly productive meeting. Another meeting is scheduled for the near future.]
The US was represented by Steve Witkoff, Special Envoy for the Middle East, while Iran was represented by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. The delegations did not meet face-to-face, instead exchanging views through intermediaries.
It is reported that Iran conveyed its intent to open the Strait of Hormuz within a week if the US lifts military pressure and economic sanctions.
[Anchor]
Then, can we view this as an agreement between the US and Iran being imminent?
[Reporter]
In his earlier speech at the UN General Assembly, Trump harshly criticized Iran, stating that whether it faces total annihilation or reconstruction depends entirely on his decision.
[Donald Trump / US President: I have to make a major decision on whether we will reach a deal so Iran can rise again and become a much greater nation than before, or whether we will quickly and completely destroy the Iranian regime.]
The Iranian delegation even walked out during this speech.
Even so, the fact that the New York meeting took place and that Trump has previewed another meeting suggests a willingness to pursue a diplomatic solution.
However, following the blockade of waterways intercepting Iranian oil tankers, the US started blocking the skies as well today, preventing aircraft from flying to and from Iran.
This is seen as an effort to ramp up pressure to produce a deal favorable to the US. In response, Iran's military hardliners have pushed back against the US, declaring that "destructive and unpredictable strikes" are ready.
Shortly, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is scheduled to address the UN General Assembly, which will provide a clearer gauge of the future negotiation landscape.
[Anchor]
Also, news has broken that Chinese President Xi Jinping has departed for the US. When is he expected to arrive?
[Reporter]
President Xi Jinping will arrive in the US tomorrow morning, Korean time.
The US-China summit will be held in Washington on the 24th, local time.
While there are many other agenda items such as AI and trade, given China's enormous influence over Iran, the Iranian issue is expected to be a major topic as well.
Reflecting expectations for an end-of-war agreement, international oil prices had been declining before rebounding a short while ago, currently fluctuating around 100 dollars.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
Reported by Lee Hee-hoon | Video by Cho Muhwan
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