Thursday, September 24th

What happened

The U.S. delegation walked out as Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian addressed the U.N. General Assembly. Israel’s delegation boycotted the speech. The confrontation followed President Trump’s warning a day earlier that he was weighing whether to “annihilate” Iran if no deal was reached. It was an unusual moment because Pezeshkian led a country actively at war with the United States and Israel. Pezeshkian accused both governments of illegal attacks on Iranian civilians and infrastructure. He held up photos of children he said were killed, while U.S. officials have rejected Iran’s account. He said Iran would resist pressure but remained open to diplomacy. More sideline talks are expected soon.

What happened

Harvey Weinstein was sentenced in Manhattan to 15 years in prison for sexually assaulting former production assistant Miriam Haley in 2006. The sentence followed a 2024 reversal of his original New York conviction and a 2025 retrial that again found him guilty of a first-degree criminal sexual act against Haley. Weinstein has already served more than six years while the case moved through appeals, retrials and mistrials. Haley told the court the assault and backlash felt like a “life sentence.” Weinstein apologized to people he may have hurt, but denied the allegations. Judge Curtis Farber called him a sexual predator. Weinstein remains separately imprisoned on California convictions.

What happened

U.S. and Iranian officials resumed indirect talks on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, their first such contacts since June. Mediators, including Qatar, carried messages between the two sides as President Trump threatened to make a deal with Iran or “annihilate” the Islamic Republic. The talks come during a nearly seven-month war that has disrupted the Strait of Hormuz, keeping shipping below prewar levels and adding pressure to oil markets. Trump said the meeting went “very well” and that another round was scheduled soon. Iran said it used the meeting to press for an end to U.S. aggression, sanctions pressure and frozen assets. A senior Iranian official said Tehran could reopen the strait within days if Washington eases military pressure.