U.S. President Donald Trump arrives to speak before the 81st United Nations General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York on Sept. 22, 2026. (Credit: Timothy A. Clary/AFP)
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In a speech before the U.N. General Assembly, U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he would have to decide between "annihilating" or reaching a "deal" with Iran. "I believe we will reach a deal right after the legislative elections" scheduled in the United States in November, the president immediately added. Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the Revolutionary Guards, Hossein Mohebi, said in an exclusive interview with AFP in Tehran that his country had "hardened" its conditions to end the war with the United States. "We had agreed on these conditions with the Americans, but they broke the deal," Mohebi said, referring to a roadmap signed by both countries on June 17 that did not prevent hostilities from resuming. "So, we have toughened our conditions accordingly," the spokesperson added, asserting that "the United States has no choice but to accept our conditions."
Why it matters
Tensions between the United States and Iran continue to have regional and international repercussions. The standoff between the two camps comes as tensions are already affecting two strategic maritime passages: the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran is seriously disrupting oil and gas traffic, and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, where fighting in Yemen and attacks by the Houthis are impacting flows between the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. These disruptions directly affect hydrocarbon exports and commercial routes linking Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, making the outcome of the clashes an issue far exceeding the region.
What to watch
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam continued on Tuesday his diplomatic tour in the United States on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, as Lebanese diplomacy scrambles to prepare an alternative to the United Nations Interim Force in South Lebanon (UNIFIL), whose mandate expires Dec. 31, 2026, against a backdrop of ongoing Israeli bombing and demolitions in the occupied South. Salam, Foreign Minister Joe Raggi, and Lebanon's permanent representative to the UN, Ambassador Ahmad Arafa, attended the opening of the general debate of the 81st UN General Assembly session in New York. On the sidelines of the Assembly, Raggi met with the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin. During the meeting, Cardinal Parolin expressed "the Holy See’s strong interest in Lebanon," stressing "the need for the Land of the Cedars to regain its stability." He reaffirmed "the Vatican’s unwavering support for Lebanon" and its full willingness to help consolidate this stability.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz threatened to evacuate Gaza City of all its residents if Hamas were to abduct Israeli citizens again, as it did in the October 7, 2023, attacks. "If even a single Israeli soldier or civilian is abducted, Gaza City will be evacuated of its one million inhabitants," Katz said. "This is the language understood by the jihadi terrorist organizations in Gaza as well as in Lebanon, and it is also a language we speak: evacuate the population, destroy the infrastructure and take the territory."
Elsewhere in the news
- The Houthis accused Saudi Arabia of carrying out deadly strikes on the port of Mokha, saying the attacks killed six civilians, including two children and a woman. They also reported the deaths of a woman and her child in other strikes in northwestern Yemen, and nine detainees killed in a prison. The Houthis continue to claim attacks on Saudi military and energy infrastructure. For its part, Riyadh says little about these attacks but on Tuesday issued an alert calling on residents of Najran province to take shelter. Saudi King Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), who rarely speaks publicly, called the Houthis a "terrorist militia" on Tuesday, accusing them of targeting Mecca.
- Israeli attacks continued Tuesday in several areas of South Lebanon, with artillery fire, strikes and demolitions, notably in Mansouri, Meis el-Jabal, Khiam and Zaoutar el-Charqiyé. Justice Minister Adel Nassar visited Nabatieh to assess the possibility of reopening the justice palace, which has been closed since fighting resumed in March. Politically, President Joseph Aoun called for "dialogue [that] builds trust" and an end to "using each other as external supports for Lebanon," while Information Minister Paul Morcos said official efforts continue with international bodies to "liberate Lebanese territories."
- A suspected smuggler and 13 Syrians who had illegally entered Lebanese territory were arrested in the Tannourine hinterland, on the heights of Batroun in North Lebanon, by the Internal Security Forces. The driver, a Lebanese man in his twenties, tried to ram the police vehicle and flee, but failed. Human trafficking from Syria to Lebanon continues, facilitated by a porous, poorly demarcated border between the two countries.
- The Lebanese University adjunct faculty committee held a sit-in Tuesday at Rafic Hariri campus in Hadath to demand the final adoption of their full-time tenure file. The process is delayed for sectarian balance considerations, as the number of Shiite candidates for tenure is much higher than those from other communities. "It's time to decide... No more postponement. It is no longer acceptable for the tenure dossier to remain hostage to procrastination and delay," said Dr. Élie Latouf, who read the committee's statement. The committee is demanding adoption of the measure at the next Cabinet session and the publication of the names in the official gazette.
