Mediators to hold separate US-Iran talks Monday or Tuesday

Talks will center on a revised 7-day Iranian proposal discussed at the UNGA, according to people informed about the discussions

Published Monday, September 28, 2026 at 8:10 AM ET · Updated Monday, September 28, 2026 at 9:55 AM ET

Mediators plan separate meetings with the US and Iran on Monday or Tuesday, with Iran's Araghchi and Qatari mediators remaining in the US. The discussions will focus on a revised seven-day proposal from Iran raised at the UN General Assembly, according to people familiar with the talks.

The mediation follows a breakdown announced by Iran's New York delegation, which ruled out further talks with the US. Crude futures rose more than 4% in pre-market trading today, touching $96.44 a barrel, after Iran said it would not continue the talks.

The move contrasted with recent weeks, when crude had been falling on hopes that technical talks were entering a more positive phase. Iranian officials had called those talks increasingly positive before Trump rejected Iran's nuclear proposal. President Pezeshkian said Tehran backs a return to the Islamabad understanding and that talks with US envoys Kushner and Whittaker centered on Iran's rights under international law. A senior Iranian official reiterated conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Iran had earlier denied that talks with the US were occurring, calling such reports market management.

Mediation resuming with a structured format and a concrete proposal moderately improves the odds of progress after Trump's rejection and Iran's denials had left talks stalled, though the gap between US confidence in its negotiating position and Iran's insistence on preconditions remains wide. Oil's earlier 4% jump on the stalled talks suggests markets see this round as a modest de-escalation rather than a step toward near-term resolution.