Iran media attacks Araghchi over Witkoff talks

Iranian media has attacked Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi over his reported engagement with US envoy Steve Witkoff during the United Nations General Assembly in New York, questioning whether the contact was authorized by Iran’s senior policymaking bodies.

Tasnim News Agency reported Wednesday that Araghchi’s interaction with Witkoff took place without coordination with or approval from relevant institutions, including the Supreme National Security Council.

It rejected claims that the move had been coordinated.

“Accordingly, Araghchi should be held accountable before the relevant institutions and the Iranian people for what the report described as a ‘wrong action’ contrary to the national interests, including explaining what calculations led him to make what it called a ‘major mistake,’” Tasnim News Agency said.

The report cited a recent statement by Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei that Iran’s seven conditions were supposed to be conveyed again through “mediators,” arguing that this indicated Araghchi had no mandate to go beyond that framework and engage directly with Witkoff.

What the meeting was about

The criticism followed reports that Araghchi and Witkoff held contact on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly as part of efforts to end the US-Iran war and address the status of the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian state media reported that Araghchi conveyed Tehran’s conditions for reopening the strategic waterway, including lifting the US naval blockade, releasing frozen Iranian assets and ending the war on all fronts.

Witkoff said the US and Iranian delegations held lengthy discussions through mediators, while Iranian and US accounts have differed over whether Araghchi and Witkoff met directly.

The dispute comes as rifts are reportedly growing between the IRGC hardliners and some “pragmatists” in Iran who seek to end the war through talks.