US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that his envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met with members of an Iranian delegation for three hours on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly and that another meeting was set for the “very near future,” hours after threatening to “annihilate” Iran if a deal between the countries is not reached.

“It went very well,” Trump told reporters during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, later adding that the Iranian officials were “not the highest level, but it’s something.”

“I can’t imagine why they wouldn’t want to [make a deal]. It’s potential greatness, or obliteration,” Trump said of Iran’s options, in another thinly-veiled threat against the Islamic Republic.

Asked how he felt about the talks, Witkoff initially refrained from commenting before telling reporters, “I feel very good right now.”

Pressed how he would feel Wednesday, Witkoff responded, “I think very good.”

Witkoff later indicated however that he and Kushner did not meet directly with the Iranians as Trump suggested.

“Today, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, we engaged in lengthy talks with the Iranian delegation through the mediators, who shuttled between the two sides throughout the day,” Witkoff wrote on X.

“They successfully completed a round of discussions that we hope will prove constructive and promising. The mediators will continue their work,” he added.

Confirming the negotiations, Iranian state media said Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi conveyed to Witkoff what Iran’s conditions are for reopening the strategic Strait of........

© The Times of Israel