Hormuz Diplomacy Amid Expanding Regional Conflict

Iran has proposed a seven-day roadmap to end its conflict with the United States, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told reporters in New York. The plan, reportedly delivered to Washington through mediators, would revive conditions in a June memorandum of understanding (MoU): end hostilities across all fronts, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and begin talks on Iran’s nuclear programme. It also calls for the United States to release at least $12 billion in frozen Iranian assets, waive sanctions on Iranian oil, and lift its naval blockade. The strait would reopen on the final day of the proposed seven-day period. The proposal comes as the war, launched by US and Israeli strikes, approaches its seventh month. The June MoU expired in August after both sides accused each other of violations. A deal brokered by Pakistan and Qatar had allowed 60 days for negotiations, but disputes over control of shipping through Hormuz and renewed attacks led President Donald Trump to declare it over on July 7. The article notes that Iran’s new timetable is much shorter and more ambitious than the previous arrangement. President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran does not want to continue fighting and that Washington must decide whether to end the war. He also said Iran would be willing to reach an agreement within international legal frameworks, while maintaining that Israeli actions had imposed the conflict on Iran. At the UN General Assembly, he had taken a defiant stance, saying Iran would not “bend at the knee” to Washington. US officials described discussions through mediators as positive, though one official said Washington would not rush into a deal. An Iranian security source said further diplomacy could be possible if the US met Iran’s conditions. Analysts, however, assessed that little had changed and that significant progress was unlikely before the US midterm elections in November. Qatar’s foreign minister also spoke with Pezeshkian about de-escalation and conditions for dialogue.

Oil prices rose after Yemen’s Houthi movement claimed it had attacked targets in Saudi Arabia, including facilities belonging to state-owned energy company Aramco. Brent crude gained more than 3 percent on Thursday, briefly topping $108 per barrel before ending above $106.50. Prices eased slightly in Asian trading on Friday, with Brent at $105.77 a barrel at 02:00 GMT. The Houthis said they had launched missile and drone attacks on a “sensitive target” in Riyadh and on Aramco facilities in Yanbu, a Red Sea city, and claimed both operations had succeeded. Saudi-led coalition forces said they intercepted six ballistic missiles aimed at the kingdom. Saudi authorities had not confirmed damage or casualties, and Aramco had not responded to Al Jazeera’s inquiry at the time of publication. The attacks heightened concerns about energy-supply risks amid constraints linked to the US-Israel war on Iran. Aramco supplies roughly 10 percent of global oil demand, while key routes and facilities remain vulnerable. The report also describes renewed US-Iran diplomatic efforts on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said he hoped Washington would return to a memorandum of understanding on ending the seven-month conflict, which had lapsed in August without a peace deal. Market analysts said diplomacy could temper price increases, but uncertainty over a lasting de-escalation and the continuing war was likely to keep oil prices elevated. Tim Waterer of KCM Trade said the market’s upward bias would persist without clearer evidence of de-escalation. June Goh of Sparta Commodities expected oil to remain above $100 a barrel while the war continued, citing a widening gap in global oil inventories.

The article reports that Saudi Arabia has called for an urgent meeting with Turkiye and Pakistan to discuss implementing their Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, after escalating Houthi attacks on Saudi territory. Turkish Chief of General Staff General Selcuk Bayraktaroglu is travelling to Riyadh, and Pakistan’s Field Marshal Asim Munir is expected to arrive, though Pakistan’s military has not confirmed his departure. The agreement, signed on August 7, states that an attack on one of the three countries is to be treated as an attack on all three. Saudi Arabia says its air defences intercepted six ballistic missiles aimed at Taif and Yanbu, following Houthi claims of attacks on Saudi targets, including Riyadh and Aramco facilities. Public accounts of the September 24 meeting among the three countries’ foreign ministers differed: Saudi Arabia described discussions about support under the pact and affirmed its right to self-defence, while Pakistan and Turkiye emphasized institutional arrangements and technical negotiations. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan separately said Turkiye would honour the alliance commitment and could meet some Saudi military needs. Analysts suggest the measured public language may reflect Houthi warnings that Pakistan and Turkiye would face an “iron fist” if they joined the war. They also note practical obstacles: Pakistan is managing security pressures on several fronts, while Turkiye has NATO commitments and an insecure border with Syria. Meanwhile, Houthi territorial advances in Yemen have increased their control of the Red Sea coast and Bab al-Mandeb, a key shipping passage. Saudi religious and political leaders have used increasingly urgent language. The Grand Mufti called for unity against the Houthis, and King Salman condemned what he described as an attempted strike on Mecca. An expert says the religious framing may help mobilize Saudi forces and reinforce solidarity with allies, without changing the formal obligations of Pakistan or Turkiye. A regional diplomat describes the messaging as part of a wider effort to raise public awareness of the threat.

Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan are planning an urgent meeting of their military chiefs to discuss support for Saudi Arabia under the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement. The plan was announced after the countries’ foreign ministers met in New York. The agreement, signed on August 7, treats an attack on any one of the three countries as an attack on all, and the partners have begun creating mechanisms for defence cooperation. Their ministers and military chiefs previously met in Istanbul and agreed to establish a secretariat in Saudi Arabia and deepen military ties. The foreign ministers also condemned attacks on Mecca and Saudi civilian and economic facilities, and affirmed Saudi Arabia’s right to self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter. The diplomatic activity follows renewed attacks from Yemen. Saudi Arabia said its air defences intercepted six ballistic missiles aimed at Taif and Yanbu. The Houthis claimed separate missile and drone attacks on a target in Riyadh and Saudi Aramco facilities in Yanbu. France has offered defensive assistance, with President Emmanuel Macron saying it would send soldiers, radars and defence systems to protect Yanbu. Fighting inside Yemen has also intensified. An AFP tally reported at least 150 deaths among Houthi fighters and forces aligned with Yemen’s internationally recognised government over 24 hours, with clashes around the Kahboub Mountains and between Lahj and Taiz. Houthi advances along the Red Sea coast, including the reported capture of Mocha and strategic islands, have strengthened their position near the Bab al-Mandeb strait, a major shipping route through which about 12 percent of global trade normally passes. Yemen’s government has called for greater international involvement, warning that Houthi control near the strait threatens wider economic interests. The renewed fighting has displaced more than 230,000 people since early September, according to UNHCR, adding to an estimated 5.2 million already displaced within Yemen. Families have fled across several governorates, often at short notice and with few belongings. UNHCR says urgent needs include shelter, food, clean water, healthcare and protection, while host communities and displacement sites are under increasing strain.

Iran says it has proposed a seven-day timetable to the United States for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, with Qatar facilitating indirect communications between the two sides at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the countdown could start once Washington accepts the proposal. The plan reportedly draws on a June memorandum of understanding that briefly reduced hostilities, but changes the order and timing of steps: fighting would stop across all fronts, the United States would lift its naval blockade and oil sanctions and release frozen Iranian assets, and the strait would reopen after seven days. Talks on Iran’s nuclear programme would follow. The June agreement had provided for a halt to military operations and a 60-day period for negotiations, during which Iran would allow ships to transit without tolls. It deferred contentious nuclear questions, but collapsed the following month amid renewed confrontation over shipping. Iran wants the strait and its management to be addressed before broader peace negotiations. Washington, by contrast, wants the nuclear programme discussed as part of a single package and has said it is in control of the waterway. Tehran has also demanded sanctions relief and guarantees against renewed US strikes before broader talks. Analysts cited by Al Jazeera doubt that the proposal will produce a firm peace deal. They say Iran is unlikely to abandon its position on the strait, which it views as essential to economic recovery, while the United States may believe its blockade and sanctions give it leverage to wait for concessions. Publicizing the offer at the UN may also put pressure on President Donald Trump, as disrupted shipping has raised global energy prices and US midterm elections approach. Trump has threatened Iran and denied that the election will shape his policy, while predicting a deal may come after the vote. Recent Qatar-mediated contacts involving Araghchi, US envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were described by Iran as productive, but Secretary of State Marco Rubio cautioned against calling them a breakthrough. The central obstacle remains the two governments’ differing assumptions about leverage and the sequence of negotiations.

Brent crude rose above $105 a barrel as the United Nations General Assembly produced little visible progress toward ending the seven-month war between the United States and Iran. Tensions escalated after President Donald Trump threatened Iran with annihilation and an adviser to Iran’s supreme leader warned that Iran and its Houthi allies could open a new front by targeting Red Sea energy supplies. A commercial vessel was also struck in the Strait of Hormuz, killing one crew member and forcing the evacuation of more than 20 others, according to Oman’s navy. Yemen’s internationally recognized government warned the U.N. that the Houthis’ recent seizure of the port city of Mokha and Red Sea islands gives the rebels greater oversight of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, through which roughly 12% of global trade normally passes. The government said Houthi actions threaten global supply chains and urged other nations to prevent weapons and technology from reaching the group. France, meanwhile, said it would send soldiers, radar and defense systems to help protect Saudi Arabia’s Yanbu oil terminal, which has been targeted by Houthi attacks. The report also describes questions about U.S. military safety in Kuwait. Sources said leaders rejected plans to move troops farther from Iran, despite intelligence warnings, before Iranian drones struck their position. Separately, Iran’s foreign minister said Tehran had delivered a seven-day proposal to U.S. mediators. If its conditions are met, Iran would reopen the Strait of Hormuz after seven days and resume talks toward a broader agreement. U.S. officials have described diplomacy as early and without a breakthrough. In Washington, Senator John Kennedy said the U.S. must decide whether to escalate or leave, while arguing it had achieved most of its objectives. The article also begins an update about Lebanon’s prime minister telling Iran’s president that Lebanon cannot become an arena for regional wars, but the supplied text cuts off before that update is completed.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says Tehran is willing to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and restart nuclear negotiations with the United States within seven days, provided Washington accepts conditions Iran says were included in a June ceasefire memorandum. That agreement, known as the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, collapsed in early July, and the Trump administration has said it will not return to its terms. The offer follows a defiant speech by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian at the United Nations and comes nearly seven months into the U.S.-Israel war against Iran. Oil prices edged lower after Araghchi’s announcement, though shipping through Hormuz—a route that normally carries about one-fifth of global oil supply—had fallen to just nine vessel transits, according to preliminary tracking data cited by Reuters. Diplomacy is also taking place during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Washington. President Donald Trump has sought Beijing’s help in pushing Tehran toward a settlement. U.S. Ambassador to China David Perdue said Trump had warned Xi that any Chinese assistance to Iran, including intelligence, parts, or military equipment, would be unacceptable. Indirect U.S.-Iran talks also resumed on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly. Meanwhile, regional violence continued. Saudi authorities said the Houthis launched dozens of missiles and drones at Saudi targets and that six ballistic missiles were intercepted. Emergency alerts were issued in Mecca, Jeddah, and Yanbu. Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan planned an urgent meeting on support for the kingdom. Pezeshkian said the United States must decide whether to end the war and denied that Iran is at war with Saudi Arabia, saying the Houthis act independently. Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti, by contrast, urged troops to be prepared to fight the Houthis. The article portrays Iran’s diplomatic offer against a backdrop of continued conflict, sharply reduced Hormuz shipping, and efforts by China and regional governments to prevent further escalation.

Oil prices declined Friday as reports of renewed U.S.-Iran diplomacy raised the possibility of a deal to ease the standoff in the Persian Gulf. Brent crude futures for November delivery fell 1% to $93.66 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures declined 0.68% to $105.86. Reuters reported that U.S. and Iranian negotiators in New York were discussing a phased agreement. A senior Iranian official described the most realistic path forward as Tehran allowing navigation through the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for the United States ending its naval blockade. The two countries had agreed to a similar approach in a June 17 memorandum of understanding, but that arrangement quickly broke down and fighting resumed. The article notes that it is unclear what has changed in the current negotiations. According to Al Jazeera, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly that Iran wants the United States to return to the memorandum before the U.S. midterm elections. Trade Nation senior market analyst David Morrison said the two sides were understood to be communicating through mediators. He also cautioned that investors remained concerned about persistent inflation, elevated energy prices, and hostile statements from both countries at the UN gathering in New York. Thus, diplomatic prospects pressured prices, while broader economic and geopolitical risks continued to weigh on investor sentiment.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian used his visit to New York for the UN General Assembly to speak with US media and signal that Iran may be open to concessions in its nuclear dispute with Washington. In a Fox News interview, he said Iran would meet its obligations under international law and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, and rejected the idea that Iran wants a nuclear weapon, citing religious prohibitions. However, the International Atomic Energy Agency has assessed that Iran holds more than 440 kilograms of uranium enriched to up to 60%—a level far beyond typical civilian needs—and Iran has suspended cooperation with the agency since US-Israeli strikes on its nuclear facilities in 2025. Analysts caution that Pezeshkian cannot independently deliver a broad de-escalation agreement, given the influence of Iranian hard-liners and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. His visit could nevertheless support communication between Tehran and Washington and help lay groundwork for future negotiations. The White House says constructive talks are continuing through intermediaries, and Iranian and US delegations have met. The Strait of Hormuz is another source of leverage. Iran has reportedly proposed reopening the waterway within seven days if unspecified conditions are met; past demands have included releasing frozen assets and ending the US blockade. The strait normally carries about one-fifth of global oil consumption. Iran-backed Houthis also hold territory near the Red Sea’s Bab al-Mandab Strait, giving Tehran influence over another major shipping route. Experts expect Iran to combine diplomacy with military pressure, rebuilding damaged infrastructure while retaining the ability to disrupt shipping. The article concludes that Iran has reasons to seek an agreement because military threats, sanctions and economic pressure are not sustainable indefinitely, but any deal will take time. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says negotiations will be difficult and notes that President Donald Trump retains military options.

Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council head Rashad al-Alimi has called for a general mobilization, urging people to support government armed and security forces as fighting with the Iran-backed Houthi movement escalates. In a televised address, al-Alimi described the mobilization as a campaign to restore state institutions and extend government sovereignty across Yemen, including the capital, Sanaa, which the Houthis have controlled since 2014. He said Houthi defectors who join the government will be pardoned under an upcoming amnesty. Addressing people in Houthi-controlled areas, he urged them not to send their children to fight, saying the state regards them as citizens and partners rather than as parties to the conflict. The call follows a major setback for the Yemeni government: the Houthis have reportedly taken control of the country’s entire Red Sea coast in a rapid offensive, giving them control of the strategically important Bab al-Mandab Strait. The development has heightened international concerns about shipping through the narrow passage. The article places the renewed fighting in the context of Yemen’s long-running civil war between the Saudi-backed government and Iran-backed Houthis, which had been largely frozen by a 2022 truce. The conflict has recently intensified amid the wider war involving Iran. The Houthis have stepped up missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia, declared a maritime blockade, and attacked Saudi targets in an effort to disrupt the kingdom’s oil exports. They say Saudi Arabia is besieging areas of Yemen under Houthi control. A Houthi attack on Riyadh over the weekend—the first in years, according to the article—marks a significant escalation. Overall, al-Alimi’s address signals an effort to rally support for government forces as the conflict threatens regional security and international shipping.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has reportedly presented Washington with a seven-day roadmap to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and restart negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program. According to the Associated Press, Araghchi described the proposal at a private gathering on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. Iran’s conditions reportedly include the lifting of the US naval blockade, a waiver of oil sanctions, and a ceasefire that also covers Lebanon. The proposal was conveyed through intermediaries, and Iran would be prepared to implement it if the US accepted the terms. Araghchi said the strait would be open by the seventh day and talks would resume. Participants said the conditions resemble those in a US-Iran memorandum of understanding signed in June that later collapsed. The reports coincided with a drop in Brent crude prices to $105. Iranian military hard-liners in Tehran had not publicly commented on the proposal’s details. Separately, Araghchi met UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband in New York and accused some European countries of supporting US and Israeli military actions against Iran. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian also met Qatar’s prime minister and foreign minister. Qatar is seeking to mediate between Washington and Tehran, including through indirect discussions held at the UN. Qatar said the leaders discussed regional developments, de-escalation, dialogue, and regional security. Former Israeli military intelligence official Danny Citrinowicz assessed that Tehran may see a political opening in Washington, given the approaching US midterm elections and President Donald Trump’s interest in lowering oil prices. He cautioned, however, that Iran’s proposal should not be interpreted as a fundamental strategic retreat.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told Fox News that Iran does not seek a nuclear weapon, citing religious rulings against weapons of mass destruction. In an interview with Brett Baier, he said Tehran would be willing to dilute enriched uranium and submit its nuclear program to international verification. His comments come amid scrutiny of Iran’s uranium enrichment, which has reached levels beyond those typically used for civilian nuclear power. The article notes that President Donald Trump cited Iran’s nuclear program as a central rationale for launching Operation Epic Fury in February. Pezeshkian also said Iran remained willing to pursue an agreement based on a memorandum of understanding signed with Trump in June. He claimed the framework had been agreed and that Iran was prepared to move forward, but said the process broke down after the United States attacked Iran, killed its supreme leader and blocked diplomatic avenues. The article describes the MOU as intended to halt hostilities and establish a broader agreement, including a 60-day process. The Iranian president blamed Washington for the wider conflict and said Iran would defend itself if attacked. He rejected the idea that Iran seeks to kill Americans, while accusing the United States of seeking to kill Iranians. Addressing U.S. military strikes and secondary sanctions, Pezeshkian said Iran would continue resisting and endure economic hardship. The supplied article ends mid-sentence as he begins discussing the possibility of the current U.S. government pursuing an agreement within international legal frameworks.

Saudi Arabia said it intercepted six Houthi ballistic missiles on Thursday, after civil-defence alerts warned residents in several regions—including Mecca—of possible attacks. The Saudi-led coalition said the missiles were aimed at Taif and Yanbu. The alerts were lifted within minutes. France, meanwhile, pledged to send military assets, including soldiers, radars and defence systems, to help protect Yanbu, a major Saudi oil export terminal on the Red Sea. The attacks took place amid renewed fighting in Yemen between the Houthis and forces backing the internationally recognized government. Sources on both sides told AFP that at least 150 fighters and government personnel had been killed in the preceding 24 hours. Clashes included fighting over high ground near the Bab al-Mandab strait, a strategically important passage at the mouth of the Red Sea. The article says Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia have escalated since July, when a fragile truce broke down and the conflict became entangled in the wider Middle East war. The Houthis have also targeted Saudi tankers and territory and taken areas of Yemen’s Red Sea coast, threatening routes important to Saudi oil exports. Saudi Arabia recently accused the Houthis of targeting Mecca with a drone, an allegation the group denied; a later attack on Riyadh marked another escalation. The Houthis claimed to have launched missile and drone attacks against command centres and weapons depots in southern Saudi Arabia, and later said they targeted Aramco infrastructure in Yanbu and a site in Riyadh. Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian denied that Tehran directs Houthi operations, saying the group acts independently. Yanbu is central to Saudi Arabia’s energy infrastructure. It is the kingdom’s main crude export terminal on the Red Sea, connected to eastern oil-producing regions by the East-West pipeline, or Petroline, and contains major storage and refining facilities. Its location gives Saudi Arabia an alternative export route toward European markets.

Iran offered the United States a seven-day plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to maritime navigation, according to the France 24 report published on September 25, 2026. The article says initial reports of a possible offer to lift the naval blockade surfaced on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, but it does not provide details of the plan or describe the US response. It directs readers to a liveblog for a fuller account of the day’s events. The report also recaps several developments from the previous day. British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband told Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi that the United Kingdom would not tolerate intimidation, threats, or hostile activity on British soil by groups linked to Iran. French President Emmanuel Macron said France would send military resources to help protect Yanbu, a key Saudi oil terminal, from attacks by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis. Separately, Chinese President Xi Jinping reportedly told US President Donald Trump at the White House that China supported a return by the United States and Iran to a June agreement intended to end the war and reopen the strait. Taken together, the brief presents the proposed Iranian plan amid ongoing diplomatic efforts and regional security concerns. Its focus is the strategic importance of reopening the Strait of Hormuz, alongside tensions involving Iran, the United Kingdom, France, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, China, and the United States. The report offers no assessment of whether the proposal could succeed, and the supplied page text ends with a notice that the requested content is unavailable.

Yemen’s Riyadh-based President Rashid al-Alimi called on Yemenis to mobilise and join the country’s armed and security forces against the Iran-backed Houthi movement. Speaking as head of the Presidential Leadership Council and Supreme Commander of the Yemeni Armed Forces, Alimi also offered a general amnesty to Houthi members who defect to the government side. The appeal follows major Houthi gains. The group has seized Yemen’s entire Red Sea coast, is fighting government forces, and has escalated attacks on Saudi Arabia, Yemen’s principal backer. The article reports that the Houthis attacked Riyadh over the preceding weekend for the first time in years, ending a period of relative restraint. Saudi, Turkish and Pakistani military chiefs also held talks about supporting Riyadh amid the intensifying attacks. Yemen’s government and Saudi Arabia have sought international assistance. A source in Alimi’s office said he asked US President Donald Trump for support, but Trump made no promise of military help. The New York Times reported that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had again urged Trump to intervene, while Axios had earlier reported that Trump rebuffed a similar request. The conflict has sharply worsened since the Houthis ended a years-long truce in July, declared a maritime blockade, targeted Saudi interests and moved to stifle Saudi oil exports. Yemen’s civil war began in 2014 when the Houthis took the capital, Sanaa. A Saudi-led coalition intervened the following year to support the government. The Houthis now control much of the north, including Yemen’s most populated areas, while the government was forced into exile in Aden, which it considers its temporary capital.

At the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi spoke with a small group of journalists, including NPR’s Steve Inskeep. Pezeshkian said Iran has “no trust” in the United States, citing past U.S. attacks during negotiations. Inskeep reported that Iranian officials appeared pessimistic about talks and that Pezeshkian said Iran was negotiating partly to prevent the U.S. from accusing it of refusing diplomacy or pursuing a nuclear bomb. Araghchi described a three-hour meeting with President Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner. The Iranians said the meeting was supposed to remain secret, but Trump disclosed it, prompting criticism in Iran and claims that Araghchi had exceeded his instructions. The proposal discussed would revive some terms of an earlier failed memorandum: Iran would receive the release of frozen assets and, after several days, reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Inskeep characterized Pezeshkian as a reformer who favors greater openness and improved relations with the U.S. Elected in 2024, he is a heart surgeon rather than a cleric. Pezeshkian linked U.S. sanctions to social hardship, including unemployment and family strain, while also insisting that Iran was finding new trade routes. He challenged the idea that the U.S. could force Iran to surrender and said Iran would permit inspections of its nuclear facilities, questioning what there would be to inspect if, as Trump has claimed, the facilities were “obliterated.” The White House described discussions through mediators as positive and constructive, while saying it was not rushing toward an agreement. Inskeep noted that U.S. officials have said oil continues to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Pezeshkian also told journalists he had met Iran’s supreme leader twice for a total of seven hours and believed the leader appeared healthy, though U.S. officials have said the leader was seriously wounded. The supreme leader, Mojataba Khamenei, has not been seen publicly.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told Fox News anchor Bret Baier that he met Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei roughly a month or six weeks earlier for about seven hours and that Khamenei was “completely” healthy. Khamenei, 56, has not appeared publicly or on video since becoming supreme leader after his father was killed in US airstrikes on Feb. 28. Reports say he suffered severe leg and facial injuries in the attack. Pezeshkian said his administration continues to receive directions from Khamenei and attributed the leader’s absence to security concerns caused by foreign aggressors. Pezeshkian said Iran is seeking an agreement with the United States to end the war and remains willing to pursue a memorandum of understanding signed in Pakistan in June. That agreement collapsed after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps continued attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. The president blamed the failure on misunderstandings and poor coordination over implementation, rather than the IRGC attacks. He also warned that Iran would continue resisting and respond strongly to US attacks, while saying Iran did not want the war and that the United States must decide whether to end it. Asked about reports that Chinese entities supplied the IRGC with satellite images of US bases in the Middle East, Pezeshkian said he was unaware of the purported images and characterized military dealings between countries as their own business. He declined to say whether he thought a deal to end the war could be reached before the end of the year.

US and Iranian negotiators are reportedly discussing a phased cease-fire agreement that would first reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end Washington’s economic blockade of Iran. Delegates met on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, according to Reuters, and are considering an approach resembling a memorandum of understanding reached in mid-June. The phased structure is intended to address each side’s reluctance to give up leverage before negotiations produce an agreement. An Iranian official described ending the blockade and reopening the strait as possible first steps. A US official characterized the talks as positive and constructive, while a White House official argued that Iran’s willingness to negotiate reflected pressure on its economy from the blockade and sanctions. The US official also said President Donald Trump would decide what was best for the United States. Iranian officials disputed the suggestion that Tehran was desperate for a deal, saying they were prepared for any outcome, including war, and blaming US demands for the slim prospects of diplomacy. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said he had offered a new seven-day proposal to reopen the strait if the US met certain conditions. President Masoud Pezeshkian said the strait would remain closed until US sanctions and the naval blockade were lifted. Trump, meanwhile, had threatened to “annihilate” Iran as negotiations stalled. The report also notes recent Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia. Talks about a potential agreement helped ease oil prices on Friday. Brent crude fell 1.1% to $105.46 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate also declined, to $93.56. The article presents the negotiations as uncertain, with diplomatic efforts continuing alongside threats and the possibility of further conflict.

French President Emmanuel Macron said France would send soldiers and military equipment to help protect the Saudi port and oil facility at Yanbu, on the Red Sea, after a new barrage of attacks attributed to Yemen’s Houthi militia. Saudi Arabia reported intercepting missiles aimed at Yanbu and the city of Taif, while the Houthis claimed responsibility for the attacks. In a Thursday television interview with TF1 and France 2, Macron described the planned deployment as a protective mission. The French contribution would include troops, radar systems and other defence systems. He stressed that French forces would not take part in combat or join the wider conflict, but would defend the Yanbu site. The announcement comes amid heightened regional tensions and concerns about the security of Red Sea energy infrastructure. It also coincides with domestic pressure in France over sharply rising fuel prices. Macron attributed the price increases to international conflicts, including the US war in Iran and disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. The article presents France’s pledge as a response to the threat against a strategically important Saudi facility, while distinguishing defensive assistance from direct participation in hostilities. It does not provide details about the size or timing of the French deployment, nor further information about the intercepted missiles or damage to the targeted sites.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran had sent Washington a concrete proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to maritime navigation within seven days, provided necessary conditions are met. He announced the offer on Friday at the United Nations, saying it had been conveyed to the United States through Qatar. The proposal is presented as part of efforts to end the war and restore normal passage through the strategically important energy-shipping channel. The article does not specify the plan’s conditions or provide a detailed account of its provisions. Araghchi had met US President Donald Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, for talks on Tuesday. He had also previously outlined conditions for ending the war and reopening the strait. In his remarks, he said responsibility for the next step now rests with the United States. He also emphasized that Iran would not accept coercion, threats, or intimidation, and would not give up what it regards as its sovereign rights under pressure. The report therefore describes a proposed timeline and a diplomatic offer, while making clear that reopening the waterway depends on agreement to conditions that are not specified in the article. It does not say whether Washington has accepted, rejected, or formally responded to the proposal. The central development is Tehran’s assertion that normal maritime passage could resume within a week if its requirements are met, alongside Araghchi’s insistence that the United States must make the next choice.

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan are preparing an urgent meeting of their military chiefs under the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, following intensified Houthi attacks on Saudi territory and interests. The Houthis said they launched dozens of missiles and drones at Saudi targets; Saudi authorities reported intercepting six ballistic missiles and had issued alerts for areas including Mecca, Jeddah and Yanbu. Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti urged soldiers to be prepared to die fighting the Houthis. The three countries’ foreign ministers condemned attacks on Mecca and other civilian sites and affirmed Saudi Arabia’s right to defend itself. The defence pact says an attack on one party is an attack on all. The developments come amid a broader regional war that began with US and Israeli strikes on Iran in February. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the Houthis were responsible for their own actions, while Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi described a proposal to the United States: Iran would reopen the Strait of Hormuz after seven days if hostilities ended across all fronts, the US lifted its blockade on Iranian ports, released frozen Iranian funds and waived oil sanctions. Oil prices fell as markets considered the possibility of a truce, although shipping through the strait remained sharply reduced. The article describes the wider effects of the conflict on energy and shipping. The Houthis have disrupted traffic at the mouth of the Red Sea, Iran has restricted tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, and an attack by Iran-backed militias temporarily disabled Saudi Arabia’s East-West Pipeline. It also notes debate over how directly Tehran controls the Houthis, alongside accounts alleging Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps guidance for their advance along Yemen’s Red Sea coast. Meanwhile, Washington is expanding sanctions to target third-country companies doing business with Iran. Iranian airlines were barred from the UAE and Oman following new US sanctions, a move that could deepen Iran’s isolation and economic crisis. A Tehran resident described life in the country as being like “an open-air prison.”

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the United States must decide whether it wants to end the war with Iran, while emphasizing that Tehran does not want the conflict to continue. He made the remarks in an interview aired Thursday on Fox News’ “Special Report with Bret Baier,” in response to a question about whether the war could end by the close of the year. The comments followed Pezeshkian’s address to the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday, where he said Iran would not surrender to US pressure. The article describes the two sides as remaining far apart over how to end the conflict. US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he could “annihilate” Iran if no deal is reached, while also suggesting that an agreement might be possible soon. The report notes that Trump has presented changing aims and timelines for the war. The conflict began on February 28, when the United States and Israel attacked Iran. Tehran responded with strikes on Israel and Gulf states that host US bases. US-Israeli strikes on Iran and Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed thousands and displaced millions, according to the article. Trump has identified weakening Iran’s nuclear capabilities as one of the war’s objectives. Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons and says it has the right to develop nuclear technology for peaceful purposes as a party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The article also notes that Iran does not possess nuclear weapons, while the United States is nuclear-armed. Overall, the report presents Pezeshkian’s remarks and the parties’ competing positions without endorsing either side.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi met in New York on Thursday, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. According to a statement from Russia’s Foreign Ministry, they discussed regional and international affairs, focusing on the situation surrounding Iran. Moscow said both sides considered a diplomatic settlement the only way to resolve the crisis and attributed the crisis to what it called illegal actions by the United States and Israel. The report places the meeting in the context of closer Russia-Iran relations. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed a strategic cooperation partnership in 2025, providing for deeper bilateral ties and closer defence cooperation. The agreement does not, however, include a mutual defence clause. The article also says each country has supplied the other with military know-how and equipment. Earlier in September, Pezeshkian thanked Putin for Moscow’s position on the Iran war and argued that the two countries could resist what he described as US “unilateralism”. In an interview published on Thursday, Pezeshkian said the United States would determine when the war ends. He made the comment when asked whether the conflict could conclude by the end of the year. The article reports these statements without offering further details on the meeting or the prospects for a diplomatic settlement.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told Fox News that the United States must decide whether to end the war with Iran, saying Tehran does not want the fighting to continue. His comments followed a defiant address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York, where he said Iran would not “bend at the knee” to Washington. Pezeshkian blamed Israel for helping bring about the conflict and argued that disputes should be resolved through dialogue rather than violence. Pezeshkian said Iran was prepared to reach an agreement with US President Donald Trump, but questioned why a fragile ceasefire had collapsed only two weeks after it was signed. He said Iran would consider a deal reached within international legal frameworks, adding that the timing of any agreement relative to US midterm elections was not important to Tehran. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had met with Trump envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, but the talks produced no immediate breakthrough. The interview also addressed the Houthis’ role in the regional conflict. As fighting intensified between Yemen’s Houthi movement and Saudi Arabia and its Yemeni allies, Pezeshkian denied that Tehran directs the group. He said Iran has contact with the Houthis but no systematic relationship with them, and described their actions as their own. Washington and its allies accuse Iran of supporting the Houthis, who have launched ballistic missiles at Saudi Arabia and fought Saudi-backed forces in Yemen. Saudi Arabia said it intercepted Houthi missiles on Sept 24, after warnings for several regions, including Mecca. The Houthis’ attacks and control of parts of Yemen’s Red Sea coast have disrupted Saudi oil routes and contributed to rising energy prices.

Iran is refusing to resume formal negotiations with the United States unless Washington first lifts its blockade on Iranian ports and eases military pressure. Talks held through mediators on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York have so far amounted to exchanges of positions, not substantive negotiations. Iranian representatives made no concessions and are waiting for Washington to respond to a document setting out Tehran’s demands. Iranian Supreme National Security Council secretary Mohsen Rezaei said Tehran had conveyed seven conditions to the US through regional mediators, including Pakistan and Qatar. He declared that the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed until those conditions were met. President Masoud Pezeshkian also said the US must decide whether it wants to end the conflict. The Iranian stance conflicts with international calls for the strait to reopen unconditionally. Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Abdullatif Al Zayani presented a joint statement at the UN, backed by about 80 countries, demanding the waterway’s urgent reopening and condemning Iranian attacks on regional states and shipping. Meanwhile, European and US officials are drafting a separate UN Security Council initiative to provide political backing for an international maritime mission protecting navigation. They believe it may gain more support from China and Russia than an earlier proposal, though Iran opposes such a mission. The blockade and conflict are adding economic and political pressure. Iran is suffering under sanctions and the blockade, while high energy costs are worrying US voters ahead of November’s midterm elections. The US Senate narrowly rejected a resolution calling on President Donald Trump to end the war or seek congressional authorisation. With polls showing Republicans at risk of losing their narrow congressional majorities, some party members have begun distancing themselves from the conflict.

Iran has proposed a new diplomatic plan to resolve its confrontation with the United States, including a possible transfer of its uranium enriched to 60 per cent to a third party. Sources familiar with Tehran’s position told The National that the uranium would first be diluted and then moved out of Iran through arrangements recognized by the International Atomic Energy Agency. The offer extends beyond President Masoud Pezeshkian’s public statement that Iran was willing to dilute and verify the uranium stockpile. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran had sent Washington, through Qatar, a seven-day proposal to address the standoff over the Strait of Hormuz. Under the plan, the strait could reopen on the sixth day if agreed steps were carried out, after which negotiations on Iran’s nuclear programme and other issues could resume. The countdown would begin only once Washington accepted the proposal. The main obstacle is the order of implementation. Tehran wants the US to meet its conditions before Iran fully reopens the strategic waterway; Washington, according to a source, wants the strait reopened first. Iranian conditions reportedly include a halt to military operations, an end to what Tehran calls an economic war, lifting the maritime blockade, releasing frozen Iranian assets, and ending hostilities in Lebanon. Iran may apply the same principle to Yemen. Iranian officials have said there will be no negotiations or reopening of Hormuz until the conditions are accepted. A source described this stance as reflecting a wider leadership consensus that US promises must be demonstrated through action. The source also warned that military operations could resume if diplomacy fails within the seven-day period. Tehran is awaiting Washington’s response and views the New York meetings as a potentially final flexible opportunity for a diplomatic solution.

The supplied page is a live-news page about the Iran war, updated September 25, 2026, at 11:21 a.m. Its main headline quotes Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian as saying that it is up to the United States to decide whether it wants to end the war. The captured text does not include the full reports behind the headlines, so it provides little detail about the statements, events, or their context. The page’s other headlines describe a widening regional and international crisis. They say Iranian flights are heading to China and Thailand despite US sanctions; France will send troops and defence systems to help protect Saudi Arabia’s port of Yanbu; and Iranian and Ukrainian foreign ministers have met in New York. Other updates report that Saudi air defences intercepted six ballistic missiles launched by the Houthis, according to a coalition, and that an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander was killed in clashes with gunmen in south-eastern Iran. Video captions further highlight the stakes and rhetoric surrounding the conflict. They refer to a sailor killed when torpedoes hit a ship off Oman, a US delegate walking out during Iran’s UN General Assembly speech, and Pezeshkian saying Iran would not bow. Other clips feature calls for security, comments on President Donald Trump’s leverage and deliberations over Iran, and UN Secretary-General António Guterres urging the fighting to stop. Captions also mention Houthi strikes affecting Saudi Arabia and Yemenis fleeing to Djibouti. Overall, the page presents a fast-moving conflict involving Iran, the United States, Gulf states, and other international actors. Because the supplied content consists chiefly of headlines, video captions, and website interface text, it does not establish the underlying details or independently verify the reported developments.

The article excerpt reports that Iran has sent the Trump administration a new proposal intended to advance diplomacy and address the ongoing conflict. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Thursday that the proposal would reopen the Strait of Hormuz and restart talks on ending the broader war within seven days. The statement was made at the United Nations. The proposal therefore appears to link a near-term step concerning the strategic waterway with a renewed diplomatic process about the wider conflict. The excerpt does not provide the proposal’s terms, explain what reopening the Strait would involve, or clarify how the seven-day period would work. It also contains no response from the Trump administration, no assessment from other governments, and no details about the status or history of prior negotiations. The available text does not say whether the proposal has been formally accepted or whether talks have been scheduled. As a result, the report establishes Iran’s stated offer and its proposed timeline, but not whether the initiative will lead to negotiations or an agreement. Because the supplied article text consists of only one reported sentence, the summary is limited to those facts. The headline characterizes the proposal as one for peace talks, while the excerpt itself describes reopening the Strait of Hormuz and restarting discussions about ending the broader war. No further background or analysis is included in the provided material.

Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti, Sheikh Saleh Fawzan Al-Fawzan, has urged soldiers stationed along the kingdom’s borders to be prepared to die fighting the Iran-backed Houthi movement until it is removed from power. The message, published by the Saudi state news agency late on September 24, drew on Quranic verses and sayings attributed to the Prophet Muhammad to frame defending Saudi territory and supporting Yemen’s internationally recognised government as religious duties. The statement comes amid a sharp escalation in fighting. The Houthis have launched missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia, which has responded with air strikes. The violence has prompted speculation about whether Saudi Arabia will undertake a broader operation alongside Yemeni government forces it supports. Those forces recently lost control of the strategically important Bab el-Mandeb waterway to the Houthis, a significant setback for the kingdom. Saudi Arabia has been involved in Yemen’s conflict since 2015, when it began an unsuccessful campaign to oust the Houthis from Sanaa. The latest fighting is part of Yemen’s 12-year civil war, which had been largely frozen since 2022, and is now connected to a wider war involving Iran. In his message, the Grand Mufti prayed for the defeat of the Houthis and their supporters, and told troops to obey rulers and field commanders and carry out orders precisely. The article also describes the statement as part of a growing religiously framed campaign by Saudi authorities to discredit the Houthis, who belong to a different Islamic sect from the kingdom’s conservative Sunni majority. State television has aired footage of an alleged Houthi strike on a mosque in southern Saudi Arabia, while authorities have accused the group of attacking Mecca.

The supplied article excerpt reports that Houthi rebels, after remaining largely on the sidelines for months during a U.S.-led war against Iran, launched a major offensive earlier in September along Yemen’s Red Sea coast. The report characterizes the offensive as “stunning” and says it sent global oil markets reeling, indicating that the fighting had consequences beyond Yemen. The headline frames the offensive as the Houthis capitalizing on the wider war and says fighting is engulfing Yemen. The excerpt provides only an opening sentence and does not explain the offensive’s scale, the parties involved in the fighting inside Yemen, the effect on civilians, or the reasons for the rebels’ timing. It also gives no details about the oil-market reaction, such as price movements or how long the disruption lasted. As a result, the available text supports a concise account of the reported escalation and its stated market impact, but not a fuller assessment of the conflict or its consequences. The summary is limited to the material supplied; no additional article details can be established from this excerpt.