Key political developments across the Arab world and beyond.
The UAE strongly condemned attacks by the Tigray People's Liberation Front and its armed coalition on Ethiopian federal forces, including the seizure of regional airports and escalation in the Afar and Amhara regions. Abu Dhabi called the developments a threat to Ethiopia's unity and sovereignty, as separate reports said Ethiopian forces killed more than 400 TPLF fighters in renewed clashes.
The UN Security Council condemned an escalation in Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia as fighting intensified in Yemen. Yemen's presidency declared a 'general mobilization,' while Saudi authorities urged citizens toward 'steadfastness and jihad' amid an exchange of missile and drone strikes between the warring sides.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran has passed a seven-day plan to Washington via Qatari mediation to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and restore normal shipping traffic. He said implementation depends on the US meeting Iran's conditions, adding that the decision now rests with Washington.
The UAE's General Civil Aviation Authority announced the suspension of Iranian airlines' flights to and from the country starting Thursday, September 24, until further notice. The move implements US sanctions imposed on those carriers, according to the state news agency WAM.
A large number of diplomats walked out of the UN General Assembly hall as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took the podium on Thursday, while other delegates stood and applauded him. The split reaction highlighted deep international divisions over Netanyahu's presence at the world body.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran is prepared to relinquish its stockpile of uranium enriched to 60%, citing commitments under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. He did not specify a timeline or mechanism for the move.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced on Thursday that Tehran had submitted a new proposal to the United States aimed, in his words, at reopening the Strait of Hormuz and resuming talks toward a final agreement. The White House told CNN it was in no rush to respond.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized Iran, Turkey and Hezbollah on Thursday in an address to the UN General Assembly in New York, defending Israel's military operations in the region. Several delegations walked out of the hall just before his speech, a moment Knesset member Ahmad Tibi mocked as a 'voluntary exodus'.
French President Emmanuel Macron announced on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly that France will deploy defense resources, including military personnel, to Saudi Arabia to help protect a key oil export facility. The move comes amid growing concern over Middle East tensions and the possibility of a closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Fresh clashes have erupted in Ethiopia's Tigray region, nearly four years after a peace deal ended the region's war, with Tigrayan forces seizing a major airport and flights to the region suspended. The escalation coincides with an unprecedented alliance of seven armed groups, some previously bitter rivals, raising fears of renewed conflict.
Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa told the UN General Assembly that the war in Syria has ended and the country has entered a recovery phase after unifying state institutions and consolidating arms under government control. He also affirmed that the Golan Heights will remain Syrian territory, saying injustice does not last forever.
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in the United States on Wednesday at the start of a three-day state visit. The trip includes a planned summit with President Donald Trump to discuss bilateral issues between the two countries.
Media reports, including CNN citing an internal letter, revealed that eight US Navy personnel attempted suicide during the deployment of the carrier strike group Abraham Lincoln. The deployment included a period in which the group's ships carried out combat operations against Iran.
Morocco's interior ministry announced a national voter turnout of 38.02% in the parliamentary elections. The ministry has begun releasing preliminary results for several electoral districts.
Israeli authorities said Yechiel Leiter, son of Israel's ambassador to the US, was seriously wounded Wednesday in a car-ramming attack on a military checkpoint in the occupied West Bank, and police said the attacker was killed. The incident, described in other reports as involving an injured Israeli soldier, came a day before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was set to address the UN General Assembly.
Iraq and Turkey announced in a joint statement on Wednesday an agreement to extend full Iraqi state authority over Sinjar in the north and end the presence of banned foreign armed groups there. Other reports indicate the deal also covers the gradual handover of the Bashiqa-Zilkan camp in Nineveh to the federal government under an agreed timeline.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio affirmed that Washington will honor its commitments to Saudi Arabia amid escalating regional tensions driven by Iran-backed Houthi forces. His remarks come as concerns grow over renewed security threats in the Gulf linked to Houthi military activity.
Jordan's King Abdullah II called for holding Israel accountable over what he described as an attempt to impose a new reality in the Palestinian territories, while also warning against Israeli military movements inside Syria. His remarks reflect growing regional concern over Israeli expansion following the collapse of the former Syrian regime.
US President Donald Trump said members of his administration held a roughly three-hour meeting with an Iranian delegation on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York. Trump briefly described the talks as 'very good' without elaborating on what was discussed.
US President Donald Trump has signed an agreement expanding American military deployment in Greenland, the Danish territory, following months of tension sparked by his earlier threats to annex the island. The deal reflects growing US strategic interest in the resource-rich Arctic territory.
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