Live: Rubio says US open to meeting Iranian officials at UN

Live: Rubio says US open to meeting Iranian officials at UN

Submitted by Qazi Zaid on Tue, 09/22/2026 - 09:28 Iran says trust in the UN has been eroded as regional governments step up diplomatic efforts Key Points France welcomes Pakistan’s mediation efforts between Iran and the US Pezeshkian says people cannot be forced into submission through military pressure Saudi Arabia issues an alert in Najran as Houthi attacks on the kingdom continue Full coverage War on Iran Iran Israel Palestine Saudi Arabia United Arab Emirates US

Recap: Pezeshkian heads to UN as tensions with US rise

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is heading to the United Nations General Assembly as Tehran prepares to present its case over the war with the US and Israel. 

Diplomatic activity is also continuing, with France backing Pakistan’s efforts to facilitate dialogue between Iran and the US.

Meanwhile, regional tensions remain high, with new developments reported around the Strait of Hormuz, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Gaza and Syria.

• Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi says trust in the UN has been lost, accusing the organisation of failing to uphold international peace and security

• France welcomes Pakistan’s mediation efforts between Iran and the US, with Paris calling for inclusive negotiations

• France seeks India’s cooperation on the Strait of Hormuz, with the two countries discussing freedom of navigation in Hormuz and Bab al-Mandeb

• Saudi Arabia says an alert in Najran has ended, after residents were warned of a possible threat amid repeated Houthi drone and missile attacks

• Iran faces growing aviation pressure, with Washington threatening sanctions that could make it difficult for Iranian airlines to operate internationally from 23 September 

• Qatar says it is working with Pakistan to facilitate a possible US-Iran agreement, including the possibility of a short-term deal

• A Saudi-led coalition air strike targeted Yemen’s Hayfan district in Taiz, according to Houthi-run al-Masirah television, as Houthi forces advance towards the Bab al-Mandeb Strait

• An LPG tanker was hit by debris from unknown projectiles near the Strait of Hormuz, according to UKMTO, though all crew members were reported safe

• Israeli settlers attacked the West Bank town of al-Mazra’a al-Sharqiya, with Wafa reporting damage to vehicles and homes after more than 200 settlers entered the outskirts of the town

China hits back at US threat of sanctions on Iranian airlines

China has condemned the “illegal” US sanctions against Iranian airlines, a day after US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned Washington could impose measures aimed at shutting down Iran’s airlines worldwide.

Under the weight of US sanctions, “all the Iranian airlines will be shut down around the world” within days, Bessent told CNBC on Monday, as the Trump administration seeks to increase economic pressure on Tehran.

“China consistently opposes illegal unilateral sanctions that lack a basis in international law or authorisation from the UN Security Council,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told a news conference.

The dispute comes shortly before US President Donald Trump is due to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday in the United States.

“On September 23rd, all the Iranian airlines will be shut down around the world.”

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Monday that Iranian airlines will struggle to operate globally on Wednesday under the weight of American sanctions pic.twitter.com/SHiDp5QOF1

— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) September 22, 2026

Ghalibaf says Iran’s missiles can reach any target Tehran chooses

Iran has reached a stage where its missiles can hit anywhere it chooses, parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said, Press TV reported.

Ghalibaf said Iran would continue to respond with strength amid what he called a “hybrid conflict” of economic, military and diplomatic pressure.

Iran will not surrender and will not allow the country’s activities to halt, Ghalibaf said, adding that Tehran will continue to respond the way it has in the past.

Iran had deprived its adversaries of their capabilities in various areas, he said. 

UN warns 230,000 Yemenis could be displaced if fighting continues

More than 230,000 Yemenis could be displaced if fighting intensifies, the UNHCR representative for Yemen warned, raising fears about the humanitarian situation worsening. 

As many as 112,000 people have already been displaced due to the latest escalation, UN agencies said, with most of the displacement taking place in the last two weeks along Yemen’s western coast and in Taiz governorate. 

The warning comes amid fighting in western Yemen, with government forces saying the Saudi-led coalition carried out heavy air strikes on Houthi positions, gatherings and weapons stores west of Taiz province. 

The renewed fighting has also driven thousands of Yemenis across the Bab al-Mandeb Strait to Djibouti. 

Iran says no foreign flights cancelled despite US sanctions threat

Foreign flights operated by Iranian airlines will continue as scheduled from the beginning of October, Iran’s Civil Aviation Organisation said, according to ISNA. 

A spokesperson said none of the airlines’ foreign flights had been cancelled so far and that all were operating according to their published schedules.

The statement came after US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Monday that Iranian airlines could be shut out of international travel from Wednesday as Washington threatens secondary sanctions against foreign companies that continue servicing Iranian carriers. 

Iran’s Civil Aviation Organisation said no instructions had been issued to halt foreign flights and that passengers would be informed in advance of any changes to flight schedules.

Israel defence chief threatens to evacuate one million Palestinians from Gaza

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has threatened to force about a million people in Gaza City to flee south if an Israeli soldier or civilian is kidnapped, citing what he called “various intentions and intelligence”.

Katz made the remarks at an annual memorial ceremony for Israeli soldiers killed in the 1973 Arab-Israeli War.

“In light of various intentions and intelligence, I warn the terror organisation and its supporters, from Iran to Erdogan: if even one Israeli soldier or civilian is kidnapped, the entire Gaza City’s… one million residents will be evacuated southward,” Katz said.

The threat comes as Israeli forces continue their military operations in Gaza and as the country prepares for elections next month.

Katz has made a series of increasingly genocidal statements in recent weeks. 

Rubio says US open to meeting Iranian officials at UN

Washington is open to the idea of meeting Iranian officials at the United Nations, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, adding that no meeting has been scheduled. 

“We’re open to that. I don’t think anything is scheduled at this point,” Rubio said in an interview with NBC News’ Today show, adding that such a meeting would be useful if it could lead to a positive outcome.

According to Rubio, preventing Iran from getting a nuclear weapon remained the primary US goal. 

“And that is the fact that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon. They just simply can’t,” he said. 

His comments come as diplomatic efforts continue amid soaring tensions between Washington and Tehran.

War on Iran: How the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps underpins the republic Yemen's Houthis are upending the Gulf order. The Saudis are the biggest losers UN General Assembly 2026: US-Israeli war on Iran to take centre stage Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:29 Update Date Override 0