Donald Trump has branded the Strait of Hormuz “Trump Strait” as he reportedly dismissed an Iranian proposal to reopen the vital waterway within a week.
In a post on his Truth Social platform in the early hours of Saturday UK time, the US president shared a picture of a map, with Hormuz labelled with his own name, in a taunt aimed at Tehran.
It comes as Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi had presented the seven-day plan to American negotiators on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. It stated that Tehran would reopen the key waterway and resume talks on its nuclear programme but only if the US lifts its naval blockade, waives oil sanctions and observes a ceasefire that includes Lebanon.
Araghchi told reporters at the United Nations: “The choice now rests with the United States.”
The White House said it was engaged in “constructive discussions” via mediators, but a Wall St Journal report cited US officials as saying Trump was sceptical that Iran would meet his demands.
The report said Trump told his staff that he sees a renewed bombing campaign as likely, and that he expects to resume hostilities after the November midterm elections.
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Key Points
- Trump calls Hormuz 'Trump Strait' in Truth Social post
- Iran offers US deal to reopen Strait of Hormuz within a week
- Saudi coalition says it intercepts Houthi missiles and drones
- Iranian and Omani minister discuss Hormuz passage
- Gaza faces ‘worst economic crisis in history’, says UN report
Recap: Iran awaits US move after report says Trump rejects peace plan
09:00 , Dan HaygarthIran on Saturday awaited an official US response to its proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end fighting in the wider Middle East war after the Wall Street Journal reported that Donald Trump had rejected the deal.
Iran raised the diplomatic initiative at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, saying it had been transmitted to the Americans via Qatari mediators and could reopen the strategic waterway and put an end to hostilities in the region within seven days.
The Iranians also engaged Saudi Arabia regarding the strait, underscoring the stakes of a seven-month-old conflict that has disrupted oil flows through one of the world's most critical shipping lanes and taken a toll on the global economy.
Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araqchi told reporters at the United Nations on Friday the deal would trigger a seven-day countdown to reopening the strait and a pause in regional fighting.
"If there is seriousness on the US side to come to a deal and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, everything is now prepared," Araqchi said.
If the US were to agree, the warring parties could start wider talks "on mutually agreed subjects," Araqchi said.
That could potentially include discussions of Iran's nuclear program. Trump has vowed that Tehran will never acquire a nuclear bomb, while a senior Iranian official told Reuters that Iran will show no flexibility over its nuclear program even if the United States accepts its peace deal.
Iran would grant no concessions over its rights, including enriching uranium or shipping its highly enriched uranium out of the country, the official said. Even so, Iran had put forward a plan that would halt hostilities on all fronts, including Lebanon. The plan in turn would require the United States to lift its blockade on Iranian ports, release Iran’s frozen funds, and waive its oil sanctions, Araqchi said.
A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, had previously called discussions through mediators "positive and constructive."
But Trump was privately skeptical that Iran would meet his demands, the Journal report said, and he told his staff that he sees a renewed bombing campaign as likely.
Saudi Arabia says it intercepted a missile fired by Houthis
08:30 , Dan HaygarthSaudi Arabia’s military spokesperson, Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki, claimed early on Saturday that a ballistic missile launched by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in neighbouring Yemen was intercepted and destroyed.
He said it was fired toward the southwestern city of Khamis Mushait.
A regional body representing Arab Gulf states, the Gulf Cooperation Council, condemned the latest Houthi attacks as a “grave escalation and threat to regional security” and urged the international community to respond.
Watch: US drivers react to soaring gas prices
08:00 , Dan HaygarthComment: Netanyahu’s humiliation at the UN shows his days are surely numbered
07:45 , Dan HaygarthAt this point, it is Netanyahu against the world, says Chris Stevenson – and, as this unconvincing rant and another UN delegate walkout in New York showed, the man once known as ‘Mr Security’ looks close to cracking up.
Netanyahu’s humiliation at the UN shows his days are surely numbered
Trump calls Hormuz 'Trump Strait' in Truth Social post
07:43 , Dan Haygarth
In a Truth Social post, Donald Trump has ‘renamed’ the Strait of Hormuz, after reportedly dismissing an Iranian proposal to reopen the vital waterway within a week.
Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi had presented the seven-day plan to American negotiators on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. It stated that Tehran would reopen the key waterway and resume talks on its nuclear programme but only if the US lifts its naval blockade, waives oil sanctions and observes a ceasefire that includes Lebanon.
Araghchi told reporters at the United Nations: “The choice now rests with the United States.”
The White House said it was engaged in “constructive discussions” via mediators, but a Wall St Journal report cited US officials as saying Trump was sceptical that Iran would meet his demands.
Iranian and Omani minister discuss Hormuz passage
07:30 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarIranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi met with his Omani counterpart, Badr Albusaidi, to discuss safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
The Omani foreign ministry said the talks were held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.
It added that both diplomats discussed guaranteeing freedom of passage through the strait to support international trade.
Iranian official says Tehran won't make nuclear concessions
07:11 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarIran will show no flexibility over its nuclear programme even if the US accepts its proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a senior Iranian official said.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters that the waterway would remain closed until “all of Iran’s conditions are met” by the US.
In a meeting with journalists on Thursday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian said he hoped a deal with Washington to end the hostilities could be reached before the US midterm elections on 3 November.
Gaza faces ‘worst economic crisis in history’, says UN report
06:30 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarGaza is suffering from the worst economic crisis ever recorded, a UN report has found.
Unemployment and poverty have surged across the strip leaving 90 per cent of working-age Palestinians jobless, leading them into “multidimensional poverty”.
The assessment, released by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, found that Israel’s military action in Gaza since 1967 has led to a “spiralling crisis” for the population that has severely worsened since Hamas attacks on 7 October.
More here.
Gaza faces ‘worst economic crisis in history’, says UN report
71,000 children displaced in Yemen conflict
06:00 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarOver 133,000 people have been displaced due to mounting violence along old front lines in recent weeks, including around the southwestern city of Taiz, as the Houthis swept south along the Red Sea coast.
Over the past three weeks, around 71,000 children have been forced from their homes due to the conflict, the United Nations children's agency said.
Unicef reported a rise in acute malnutrition among children in Yemen, including in the most severe cases, as fighting disrupts access to healthcare and treatment centres.
In pics: Thousands displaced in Yemen
05:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Iran awaits US response over Strait of Hormuz deal
05:00 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarIran awaited an official US response to its proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end fighting in the wider Middle East war after the Wall Street Journal reported that US president Donald Trump had rejected the deal.
Iran raised the diplomatic initiative at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, saying it had been transmitted to the Americans via Qatari mediators and could reopen the strategic waterway and put an end to hostilities in the region within seven days.
Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araqchi told reporters on Friday the deal would trigger a seven-day countdown to reopening the strait and a pause in regional fighting.
If the US were to agree, the warring parties could start wider talks "on mutually agreed subjects," Araqchi said.
Trump rejects Iranian peace proposal - report
04:30 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarUS president Donald Trump has rejected Iran's proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and halt regional fighting within seven days, and told aides he expects to resume bombing after November elections.
Trump was skeptical that Iran would meet his demands and told his staff that he sees a renewed bombing campaign as likely, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing unnamed US officials.
A US official had told Reuters that the US and Iran were having "positive and constructive discussions through the mediators", according to Reuters.
Saudi coalition says it intercepts Houthi missiles and drones
03:52 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarYemen's Saudi-led coalition said early this morning that it had intercepted two ballistic missiles and two drones launched by the Iran-backed Houthis towards the kingdom.
The coalition said in posts on X that the missiles were headed towards Khamis Mushait and the drones towards the capital, Riyadh, adding that it was monitoring the missile threat and drones launched at the kingdom, without providing further details.
The Saudi civil defence had sent alerts overnight for Khamis Mushait and Abha but not for Riyadh.
The Houthis, who control the most populous parts of Yemen and much of the north, have been launching attacks against Saudi Arabia since declaring a naval blockade against Riyadh in July, with strikes targeting Saudi vessels in the Red Sea.
Watch: Trump offers Xi state dinner guests first-ever tour of ballroom construction site
03:00 , Rebecca WhittakerNetanyahu tries to claim Israel’s war in Gaza is ‘opposite of genocide’ in ranting UN speech
02:00 , Rebecca WhittakerBenjamin Netanyahu launched an incendiary attack against Israel’s critics at the United Nations on Thursday as he defended his military action in Gaza.
Dozens of delegates walked out of the address as the Israeli leader branded those departing “moral cowards”.
He claimed that Israel’s war in Gaza is not a genocide and is in fact “the opposite of genocide”. The country faces allegations of genocide in a pending case at the International Court of Justice brought by South Africa.
Read more here:
Netanyahu claims Israel’s war in Gaza is ‘opposite of genocide’ in ranting UN speech
Recap: Iran offers new hope Strait of Hormuz will reopen – under these conditions
01:00 , Rebecca Whittaker- Iran has proposed reopening the Strait of Hormuz within seven days under a plan submitted to the White House.
- Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi stated the demands align with the Islamabad Memorandum signed by Trump.
- Araghchi met UK foreign secretary Ed Miliband, who urged freedom of navigation and consular access to detained Britons.
- Negotiators are considering a phased arrangement to lift the US blockade and unfreeze Iranian assets in exchange for reopening the waterway.
- It came after Benjamin Netanyahu condemned delegates who walked out during his UN General Assembly address as moral cowards, describing the decision to attack Iran as one of his easiest.
Watch: US military roll out red carpet for Xi’s arrival
Saturday 26 September 2026 00:00 , Rebecca WhittakerIran offers US deal to reopen Strait of Hormuz within a week
Friday 25 September 2026 23:17 , Rebecca WhittakerIran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, has presented a seven-day plan that would see the Strait of Hormuz reopened within a week.
Under the proposal, Tehran would reopen the the Strait of Hormuz and resume talks on its nuclear programme but only if the US lifts its naval blockade, waives oil sanctions and observes a ceasefire that includes Lebanon.
He told reporters at the United Nations: "The choice now rests with the United States."
"If the necessary conditions are met, the strait can be reopened and a normal maritime passage restored within seven days.”
The seven-day clock will begin when the US accepts the plan, Araghchi added.
The White House has said it is having constructive conversations with mediators, but US president Donald Trump has said he is in no rush to reach a deal.
Pictured: President of China Xi Jinping visits
Friday 25 September 2026 23:00 , Rebecca Whittaker
Ed Miliband warns Iran minister UK will not ‘tolerate intimidation’
Friday 25 September 2026 22:00 , Rebecca WhittakerBritain will "not tolerate intimidation, threats or hostile activity on UK soil" from groups connected to Iran, foreign secretary Ed Miliband told Abbas Araghchi during a face-to-face meeting.
The encounter with Iran’s foreign minister took place on Thursday on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
According to the Foreign Office, discussions focused on the war in the Middle East, reopening the Strait of Hormuz, alongside the UK’s "unwavering resolve to combat threats from Iranian-linked groups in UK soil".
Read more here:
Ed Miliband warns Iran that UK will not ‘tolerate intimidation’
Watch: Trump faces flurry of shouted questions next to Xi after being forced to let media back into White House
Friday 25 September 2026 21:00 , Rebecca WhittakerGaza faces ‘worst economic crisis in history’, says UN report
Friday 25 September 2026 20:30 , Rebecca WhittakerGaza is suffering from the worst economic crisis ever recorded, a UN report has found.
Unemployment and poverty have surged across the strip leaving 90 per cent of working-age Palestinians jobless, leading them into “multidimensional poverty”.
The assessment, released by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) on Thursday, found that Israel’s military action in Gaza since 1967 has led to a “spiralling crisis” for the population that has severely worsened since Hamas attacks on 7 October.
Gaza faces ‘worst economic crisis in history’, says UN report
EU warns of energy 'price crisis' due to Iran war
Friday 25 September 2026 20:15 , Rebecca WhittakerThe European Union is facing an energy price crisis as a result of the Iran war fallout in oil and gas markets, the bloc's energy chief said on Friday in a letter, which urged countries to consider measures to curb energy demand.
"We are facing a price crisis linking to a supply crisis," EU energy commissioner Dan Jorgensen said in a letter to EU countries' energy ministers.
While the EU is better prepared now than it was in winter 2021 when Russia squeezed Europe's gas supplies by reducing deliveries, governments must step up preparations for this winter, he said.
"I invite you to consider taking or continuing to take measures that can sustain [gas storage] injections or reduce gas and electricity demand for as long as necessary," Jorgensen said.
Watch: US walks out at UN after Iran accuses them of 'terrorism'
Friday 25 September 2026 20:00 , James ReynoldsIran will make no nuclear concessions, Iranian official says
Friday 25 September 2026 19:30 , Rebecca WhittakerIran will show no flexibility over its nuclear program even if the United States accepts its proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which calls for steps including the lifting of a US naval blockade on Iranian ports, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Friday.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the waterway would remain closed until “all of Iran’s conditions are met” by the US.
Under Irans proposal, Tehran has offered to reopen the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz. Within seven days, hostilities would end on all fronts, including Lebanon, the US would lift its blockade on Iranian ports, release Iran’s frozen funds and waive its oil sanctions, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Thursday.
What escalating Saudi-Houthi war means for Trump in Iran
Friday 25 September 2026 19:00 , James ReynoldsWashington has largely ignored the lingering disruption created by the Houthis around the Red Sea. But a wider conflict with Saudi Arabia could force them to intervene:
What the escalating war between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis means for Trump in Iran
Allies unite behind Saudi Arabia as more Iranian flights restricted
Friday 25 September 2026 18:00 , James ReynoldsSaudi, Turkish and Pakistani military chiefs are to discuss help for Saudi Arabia as it faces attacks by Yemen's Houthis, while Iraq further curtailed Iranian flights on Friday, in line with US pressure, and an Iranian official threatened retaliation.
The Houthis have launched strikes on the Saudi-backed government in Yemen and repeatedly fired into Saudi Arabia, disrupting oil flows from the world's largest energy exporter, as part of a wider Middle East war that began with US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28.
The military escalation continued this week despite a push during the UN General Assembly in New York to revive diplomacy to end the conflict, which quickly spread to Lebanon and the Gulf in March before escalating in Yemen in recent weeks.
With talks stalled and during a lull in direct fire by the US and Iran, Washington had shifted tactics to extend financial sanctions by targeting companies from third countries that do business with Iranian firms through "secondary sanctions".
Recap: Trump says his meeting with President Xi was 'very productive'
Friday 25 September 2026 17:15 , Rebecca WhittakerUS President Donald Trump has said Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit has been “very productive” in a post on Truth Social.
Trump also praised Xi for “accurately” naming AI “SUPER INTELLIGENCE” during a meeting.
Xi has also called the visit “very successful” and said they are “very satisfied”.
He expressed his thanks for the treatment he and his wife, Peng Liyuan, have received so far.
Xi thanked Trump and the first lady for “everything” they did for him and his wife.
It comes as Trump told Xi that Chinese help for Iran was “totally unacceptable” during their summit in the United States this week.
8 sailors in USS Lincoln group attempted suicide on extended deployment, Navy leader says
Friday 25 September 2026 17:00 , James ReynoldsEight sailors attempted suicide while deployed with the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group, which spent a record-setting uninterrupted time at sea supporting the Iran war, the Navy's top civilian leader said this week.
Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao provided the information to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand in a letter dated Tuesday after the New York Democrat inquired last month about the strike group's crew of thousands.
The Lincoln's extended deployment drew the nation's attention following reports of crew stress and poor mental health, as well as supply shortages, including food and hygiene products.
In full:
8 sailors in USS Lincoln group attempted suicide on extended deployment, Navy leader says
Yemen’s civil war returns and overwhelms hospitals with 'a very dangerous situation'
Friday 25 September 2026 16:20 , James ReynoldsTarek al-Salami, aged 7, sat in a diaper, looking frail. Normally, the malnutrition and diarrhea that weakened his tiny frame would have been treated within a few days, but nothing is normal in Yemen anymore.
Tarek's father carried him on foot from the southwestern city of Mokha as Iran-backed rebels swept in this month, bringing a return to civil war. The boy reached a hospital two days later in the government-held city of Aden, 270 kilometers (170 miles) away but it said it had no beds. Like others, it was overwhelmed by the wounded. They finally found a therapeutic feeding center.
The boy arrived in “acute crisis” after the delay in care, according to the center's director, Dr. Arwa Atef, and he only began walking again on Wednesday, over a week later.
Read the full story:
Yemen’s civil war returns and overwhelms hospitals with 'a very dangerous situation'
Britain warns Iran it will not tolerate hostile activity on UK soil
Friday 25 September 2026 15:40 , James ReynoldsBritain's foreign minister met his Iranian counterpart on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York and told him his country would "not tolerate intimidation, threats or hostile activity on UK soil" from groups linked to Iran.
British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi also discussed the war in the Middle East, the importance of reopening the Strait of Hormuz and Britain's "unwavering resolve to combat threats from Iranian-linked groups on UK soil," a Foreign Office statement said.
"The Foreign Secretary reiterated the UK's unwavering resolve to combat threats from Iranian-linked groups on UK soil, including attacks on the British Jewish community," it said.
In July, Britain banned support for Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and a linked group following a series of antisemitic attacks, using new legal powers designed to stop the use of state-sponsored proxies.
Netanyahu tries to claim Israel’s war in Gaza is ‘opposite of genocide’ in UN speech
Friday 25 September 2026 15:00 , James ReynoldsBenjamin Netanyahu launched an incendiary attack against Israel’s critics at the United Nations on Thursday as he defended his military action in Gaza.
Dozens of delegates walked out of the address as the Israeli leader branded those departing “moral cowards”.
He claimed that Israel’s war in Gaza is not a genocide and is in fact “the opposite of genocide”. The country faces allegations of genocide in a pending case at the International Court of Justice brought by South Africa.
Netanyahu claims Israel’s war in Gaza is ‘opposite of genocide’ in ranting UN speech
The latest: Iran suggests Strait of Hormuz could reopen within a week
Friday 25 September 2026 14:20 , James ReynoldsIranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said in New York on Thursday that his country’s mediators have submitted a plan to the White House that would pave the way for the Strait of Hormuz to reopen within a week.
“We have introduced a plan to the United States through the mediators that if certain conditions are met ... the strait will be open in seven days”, he said.
Should both sides reach an agreement, they could restart negotiations for a final deal, Araghchi added.
Reuters reportedly separately on Thursday that US and Iranian negotiators were exploring a possible ‘phased’ solution to the crisis, prioritising the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and an end to the US blockade on Iranian ports.
A senior Iranian official said the most plausible way to end the impasse would be a phased arrangement, with Iran allowing navigation through Hormuz in return for the US lifting its economic blockade and Tehran potentially gaining access to frozen assets.
Iran’s motivation to end the crisis is a recognition of the economic cost of prolonged confrontation, officials said, noting that neither side wants to be the first to back down.
Turkish parliament speaker expects Pakistan, Saudi Arabia defence pact to be submitted for approval next month
Friday 25 September 2026 13:40 , James ReynoldsA joint defence pact between Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan has not yet been submitted to the Turkey's parliament for approval, Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus said on Friday, adding he expected the agreement to be formally submitted when parliament returns from recess next month.
The regional powers signed the "Mecca Joint Defence Agreement" in August, weeks before Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis launched attacks against Saudi Arabia amid the war in Iran. Similar to NATO's Article 5, the pact stipulates that an attack on one ally constitutes an attack on all.
"For international agreements to come into effect, parliamentary approval is needed. The meetings held as part of the agreement at the moment are preparatory meetings," Kurtulmus told reporters in Ankara.
UK food exports tumble amid high costs and Middle East impact
Friday 25 September 2026 13:00 , James ReynoldsUK food and drink exports plunged by more than a 10th over the first half of the year because of increased costs and the conflict in the Middle East, according to new figures.
Data from the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) trade organisation also revealed that high levels of food imports resulted in a widening trade deficit for the industry compared with other nations.
The organisation’s latest trade snapshot report showed that food and drink exports from the UK declined by 11.7% in the first half of 2026 compared with the first half of last year, dropping to the third lowest level on record.
UK food exports tumble amid high costs and Middle East impact
France to deploy troops to Saudi Arabia as Houthi crisis flares
Friday 25 September 2026 12:20 , James ReynoldsEmmanuel Macron said on Thursday that France plans to send troops to Saudi Arabia to help protect a refinery and an oil pipeline on the Red Sea amid a burgeoning crisis with the Yemeni Houthi rebels.
The French president said in a TV interview that France would send military assets including soldiers, radar systems and defence systems to protect the assets in Yanbu.
He stressed that France was “not getting involved in any conflict”. Asked if France could deploy its Rafale fighter jets to help protect the site, he said it would depend on how the situation develops.
Watch: Susan Sarandon and Hannah Einbinder arrested at anti-Netanyahu protest in New York
Friday 25 September 2026 11:40 , James ReynoldsPolice arrested at least 30 people including actors and politicians as they protested outside United Nations headquarters on Thursday against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of his speech at the General Assembly.
Oscar-winning actor Susan Sarandon, Emmy winner Hannah Einbinder, Democratic congressional candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier and New York City council member Chi Osse were among those arrested.
“What’s being done to Gaza, the obliteration of an entire society, in our name, with our tax dollars, this is our responsibility to speak out against, and Netanyahu has no right to use the platform of the United Nations to justify these atrocities,” said Manijeh Moradian, a 50-year-old university professor of Iranian and Jewish heritage, who took part in the protest.
How a crisis unfolded on the USS Lincoln after 250 days at sea
Friday 25 September 2026 11:00 , James ReynoldsThere were eight suicide attempts among US sailors on board the Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group during its extended 286 consecutive-day deployment at sea, the Pentagon told a lawmaker in a written response to questions.
The nuclear-powered Lincoln, with roughly 5,000 personnel, was involved in the US naval blockade and combat operations in the war with Iran and — according to Democratic lawmakers — set a modern-day record for consecutive days at sea.
Typically naval deployments are for between six and nine months but can be extended during times of conflict. Mental health issues on long deployments have long plagued the US Navy.
Here’s what sailors and their families have said about the conditions on board:
Crisis unfolds on Trump’s warship in the Middle East
Top story: 8 sailors in USS Lincoln group attempted suicide on extended deployment, Navy leader says
Friday 25 September 2026 10:20 , James ReynoldsEight sailors attempted suicide while deployed with the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group, which spent a record-setting uninterrupted time at sea supporting the Iran war, the Navy's top civilian leader said this week.
Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao provided the information to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand in a letter dated Tuesday after the New York Democrat inquired last month about the strike group's crew of thousands.
The Lincoln's extended deployment drew the nation's attention following reports of crew stress and poor mental health, as well as supply shortages, including food and hygiene products.
Read the full story:
8 sailors in USS Lincoln group attempted suicide on extended deployment, Navy leader says
Recap: Netanyahu calls UN delegates ‘moral cowards’ during mass walkout
Friday 25 September 2026 09:40 , James ReynoldsDelivering a defiant address to the United Nations on Thursday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mounted a firm defence of Israel's regional military actions, attempting to push back against deepening global isolation ahead of upcoming domestic elections.
As he approached the podium inside the General Assembly hall, several delegations staged a walkout in protest, prompting the Israeli leader to label those departing "moral cowards."
Throughout the address, he directed sharp criticism at New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani for branding him a war criminal, condemned Western European governments for capitulating to "antisemitic mobs", and accused Qatar and Turkey of disseminating falsehoods regarding Israel.
In full:
UN delegates walk out of Netanyahu speech as he labels them ‘moral cowards’
Britain warns Iran that UK will not tolerate hostile activity on British soil: report
Friday 25 September 2026 09:00 , James ReynoldsBritish Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband told Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi in a meeting that Britain will "not tolerate intimidation, threats or hostile activity on UK soil" from groups linked to his country, Sky News reported on Thursday.
Miliband and Araqchi met on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the report said, citing Britain's foreign office.
It marked the first meeting between Iranian and British ministers in a year.
Miliband and Araghchi discussed the war in the Middle East, the importance of reopening the Strait of Hormuz and Britain's "unwavering resolve to combat threats from Iranian-linked groups in UK soil", the report added.
Britain's National Cyber Security Centre said last week Iranian state-linked cyber actors had used a spyware family known as "CHOSEN BRICK" to steal emails, messages and other sensitive information through "spear-phishing" campaigns on messaging platforms including WhatsApp and Telegram.
Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey discuss aid for Riyadh in New York
Friday 25 September 2026 08:20 , James ReynoldsThe foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey met on the sidelines of the UN general assembly to plan a meeting to discuss aid for Riyadh in its fight with the Houthis, the Saudi Gazette reported on Friday.
The ministers were said to have reviewed ongoing preparations for a chiefs of staff meeting, which will look at their respective responsibilities under their defence pact.
And Turkey’s defence ministry said on Friday that the military chief of staff was heading to Saudi Arabia for a meeting with peers.
The Iran-backed Houthi rebels have ramped up attacks on Saudi ships and infrastructure in recent weeks, seizing land on the Red Sea coast to squeeze the Bab el-Mandeb strait, through which Riyadh exports oil with the Strait of Hormuz closed.
Saudi Arabia has a joint defence pact with Pakistan and Turkey - under which an attack on one is considered an attack on all - but neither have yet offered material support.
The latest: Iran suggests Strait of Hormuz could reopen within a week
Friday 25 September 2026 07:40 , James ReynoldsIranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said in New York on Thursday that his country’s mediators have submitted a plan to the White House that would pave the way for the Strait of Hormuz to reopen within a week.
“We have introduced a plan to the United States through the mediators that if certain conditions are met ... the strait will be open in seven days”, he said.
Should both sides reach an agreement, they could restart negotiations for a final deal, Araghchi added.
Reuters reportedly separately on Thursday that US and Iranian negotiators were exploring a possible ‘phased’ solution to the crisis, prioritising the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and an end to the US blockade on Iranian ports.
A senior Iranian official said the most plausible way to end the impasse would be a phased arrangement, with Iran allowing navigation through Hormuz in return for the US lifting its economic blockade and Tehran potentially gaining access to frozen assets.
Iran’s motivation to end the crisis is a recognition of the economic cost of prolonged confrontation, officials said, noting that neither side wants to be the first to back down.
A phased agreement would involve Donald Trump accepting another temporary fix after the interim Islamabad Memorandum collapsed in July.
A central challenge facing the negotiators is not just to sketch out a deal but also to ensure any concessions are durable enough for both sides to trust, the sources said.
Yemeni VP says weapons, technology should be kept from rebels' hands
Friday 25 September 2026 07:02 , Namita SinghArguing that protecting the strait "is the responsibility of every economy that depends on secure supply chains, energy security and freedom of navigation," Yemen’s vice president Abdullah Abdulkader al Alimi-Bawzer urged the international community to keep weapons and technology from getting into the rebels' hands.
For years, the UN Security Council has imposed an arms embargo on the Houthis and an asset freeze and travel ban on their leaders and top officials.
Iran denies arming the Houthis, but smuggled Iranian weapons and parts have been seized from numerous shipments bound for Yemen, and a report by UN experts in 2024 documented extensive military ties between the Houthis, Iran and its other allies.
Al Alimi-Bawzer contended on Thursday that the rebels wouldn't have been able to maintain their position for a dozen years without Iranian weapons, expertise and military technologies.
The Houthis claimed on Thursday to have fired dozens of ballistic missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia's southwestern Jazan province. A Saudi military spokesperson, Major General Turki al-Malki, said the kingdom intercepted six ballistic missiles targeting its Red Sea port of Yanbu and the southwestern city of Taif, blaming the Houthis.
His statement followed alerts by Saudi civil defence authorities, who later noted the danger had passed.
Yemen tells UN that Houthi rebels' moves on key strait threaten global economy
Friday 25 September 2026 06:41 , Namita SinghYemen's internationally recognised government pressed world leaders anew on Thursday for help defeating the Houthis, saying that their new perch along one of the world's busiest waterways presents an international economic risk.
The Houthis — who have controlled Yemen's capital, Sanaa, and much of the country's north for over a decade — stormed down Yemen's coast this month and seized the crucial port city of Mokha and key Red Sea islands.
That gives them better surveillance of ships passing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, at the sea's southern end. About 12 per cent of the world's trade usually passes through the waterway.
The rebels have declared a blockade on Saudi shipping. While asserting there's no other threat to commercial shipping on the Red Sea, they have warned other nations not to get involved.
But the vice president of the internationally recognised government council urged world leaders at the UN General Assembly not to trust the Houthis' assurances and to see a bigger picture in the strife around the strait.
Russian, Iranian foreign ministers say only diplomatic solution to conflict around Iran
Friday 25 September 2026 06:23 , Namita SinghRussian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov and his Iranian counterpart met on Thursday and Moscow said both agreed that only a diplomatic settlement could end tension in the Middle East sparked by the US-Israeli war against Iran.
"Current regional and international issues were discussed with emphasis on the situation around Iran," Russia's foreign ministry said in a statement after Lavrov and Iran's Abbas Araqchi met in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
"It was stressed that there is no alternative to a diplomatic settlement of the crisis provoked by the illegal actions of the United States and Israel."
Russian president Vladimir Putin and his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian signed a strategic cooperation partnership in 2025 which provides for a deepening of bilateral ties and closer defence cooperation, but includes no mutual defence clause.
Each side has provided the other with military know-how and equipment.
Pezeshkian thanked Putin earlier this month for Moscow's position on the Iran war and said together, Moscow and Tehran can resist what he called US "unilateralism".
Netanyahu praises Trump during his UNGA speech
Friday 25 September 2026 05:38 , Namita SinghBenjamin Netanyahu was making a short visit to the US for his UN address and, unusually, without a planned meeting with US president Donald Trump, whom he praised during his speech.
"We will continue to defend our state. We will continue to win because we have no other choice. In this battle against the barbarians, we've had no greater partner than President Trump. I thank him. I thank him for his bold leadership," he said.
