The New York Times defended Farnaz Fassihi after right-wing and pro-Israel accounts called her an Iranian lobbyist for attending a briefing with Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian. The paper said her work was standard newsgathering.
Fassihi and international reporter Pranav Baskar reported on Iran's proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the war. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi detailed the plan at a gathering outside the UN General Assembly in New York. The Times spokesperson said editors and reporters from major US and British outlets attended the briefing.
According to The Times report, Iran was seeking a deal before the US midterm elections. An American official familiar with the proposal said the administration was “not going to rush into a deal.”
