Iran’s national security chief says ‘no trust whatsoever’ in US
Iran’s national security chief Mohsen Rezaei has said that Tehran has no trust in the United States, urging Washington to take practical steps to rebuild confidence.
He said Iran had “no trust whatsoever” in the United States.
This comes as Donald Trump told reporters that the US is “hopefully toward the end” of its war with Iran, adding that he has spoken with Tehran “directly”.
Stuti Mishra18 September 2026 07:00
US approves visas for Iranian leaders to attend UN meeting despite war stalemate
The Trump administration has granted entry visas to key Iranian figures, including the country’s president and foreign minister, enabling them to attend next week’s UN General Assembly high-level sessions in New York despite an ongoing conflict between the two nations.
On Thursday, the State Department confirmed that visas had been issued for Iran’s core delegation and essential support staff. According to US officials speaking on condition of anonymity due to visa privacy laws, the main delegation features President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
The decision comes amidst an extraordinary backdrop of a military stalemate lasting over six months, with no immediate indications of progress toward reopening the Strait of Hormuz or resuming diplomatic talks regarding Iran’s nuclear program.
Stuti Mishra18 September 2026 06:30
Watch: Trump says Iran conflict ‘hopefully’ nearing end and claims to be in direct talks with TehranTrump says Iran conflict ‘hopefully’ nearing end and claims to be in direct talks with Tehran
Stuti Mishra18 September 2026 06:00
Russia and China end mandate for independent monitoring of UN sanctions on Iran
Russia and China have ended a United Nations Security Council mandate for the independent monitoring of international sanctions on Iran, reviving their argument that all UN measures on Tehran had been removed under a nuclear deal with world powers.
All UN sanctions on Iran were reimposed a year ago after France, Britain and Germany accused Tehran of violating the 2015 nuclear pact meant to prevent it from developing a nuclear weapon. Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons.
This included the return of an independent panel of experts to monitor and report to the 15-member Security Council on violations and recommend further action. However, the council has been operating without a panel of experts on Iran for the past year because it has been unable to agree on their appointment, a move that must be done by consensus.
Russia and China then vetoed on Thursday a resolution that would have extended the mandate for the independent monitoring of sanctions. Eleven council members voted in favour, while Pakistan and Somalia abstained.
“Without an independent panel of experts, this council loses its principal source of impartial, evidence-based reporting on sanctions violations, creating a monitoring gap that only benefits the Iranian regime and those who profit from evading those measures,” deputy US ambassador Jennifer Locetta told the council after the vote.
Stuti Mishra18 September 2026 05:30
Trump says he faces ‘big decision’ on whether to resume major attacks on Iran
US president Donald Trump said he is approaching a decision on whether to restart large-scale military attacks on Iran in a bid to bring the war to a close.
“I have a big decision coming up. Do I want to go in and annihilate them or do I not? It’s a big decision. Anything could happen with me,” Mr Trump told Axios.
The comments come ahead of a planned meeting on Tuesday with leaders from six Gulf countries, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.
Mr Trump said he wanted to hear directly from regional allies about the war’s next steps before deciding whether to resume major combat operations, for which he would need their backing.
“I want to find out where they are and how they are doing. We have been very protective of them,” he said.
Stuti Mishra18 September 2026 04:55
China presses Iran to help rein in Houthis after Saudi appeal, report says
China has privately asked Tehran to help rein in Yemen’s Houthis after an appeal to Beijing by Saudi Arabia, Reuters has reported quoting three Iranian sources familiar with the matter.
Riyadh turned to China for help after the Houthis made rapid advances along the Red Sea coast and around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, moves that have left Saudi oil exports and shipping more exposed, the sources said.
China has publicly called for restraint, dialogue and the restoration of safe navigation, but its private message went further than the public statements, they said.
Beijing wants Iran to use its influence with the Houthis to help prevent the conflict spreading further across energy routes on which China, the world’s second-largest economy, depends.
The sources, who were briefed on the discussions and spoke on condition of anonymity, did not provide details of how the message was delivered or whether it was conveyed during a visit to China on Wednesday by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, the news agency reported.
Stuti Mishra18 September 2026 04:30
US clears way for $24.3bn fighter jet sale to Saudi Arabia
The US state department says it has approved the sale of Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Lightning II fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, as the kingdom is drawn deeper into war in the Middle East.
A sale would mark a significant policy shift from the US, potentially altering the balance of military power in the Middle East and testing Washington’s definition of maintaining its ally Israel’s “qualitative military edge.”
Saudi Arabia made a direct appeal for the jets in early 2025 to US president Donald Trump and has long been interested in Lockheed Martin’s fighter.
The estimated $24.3bn sale, which still needs congressional approval, would include 48 of the military aircraft and 49 Pratt & Whitney engines along with communications equipment, spare parts and other support items, the state department said.
Washington weighs weapons sales to the Middle East in a way that ensures Israel gets more advanced US weapons than regional Arab states.
The Saudi embassy in Washington welcomed the proposed sale, describing it as a further step in defence cooperation between the two countries.
“The proposed F-35 sale reflects the strength and enduring nature of the Saudi-US strategic partnership and the continued advancement of our defence cooperation,” the embassy said on X.
Stuti Mishra18 September 2026 03:55
South Korea says no decision made on military deployment to Strait of Hormuz
South Korean foreign minister Cho Hyun said on Thursday that no decision had been made on any military deployment to the Strait of Hormuz.
Cho was speaking to reporters before departing for Washington, where he is due to hold talks with US secretary of state Marco Rubio.
Earlier this month, it was reported that South Korea was considering deploying military assets to the Strait of Hormuz as it faced growing pressure from the US to do more in the Middle East.
Later, Seoul said that the military deployment was an option but clarified that nothing had been decided yet.
Alex Croft18 September 2026 03:00
US Air Force officer recalls ‘free-falling’ to ground with damaged parachute after plane was shot down over IranUS Air Force officer recalls ‘free-falling’ to ground with damaged parachute after plane was shot down over Iran
Alex Croft18 September 2026 01:30
US military helping to keep Strait of Hormuz open to commercial shipping, Centcom says
Despite an ongoing blockade of Iranian maritime trade and attacks by Iran’s military on commercial ships, the US military has said its forces have kept the Strait of Hormuz open to commercial shipping.
The US also claimed that they are helping facilitate the movement of hundreds of millions of barrels of oil through the strategic waterway.
On Wednesday, US Navy Captain Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for US Central Command, said traffic through the strait “continues to flow”, rejecting suggestions that Iran controls the waterway.
“Since early May, we have assisted commercial vessels moving more than 900 million barrels of crude oil through the Strait of Hormuz to the global energy market,” Hawkins told Al Jazeera.
The US and Iran have continued to make competing claims over who has greater control of the critical Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf.
Alex Croft18 September 2026 00:01