Iran pushes 7-day plan to end war; Saudi calls on regional pact for defense; Argentina’s poverty rate climbs to over 32%

Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi looks on during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly on September 23, 2026 in New York City. Photo by Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images. Friday, September 25, 2026 – Iran pushes seven-day plan to end U.S. war in meetings with Qatari, Pakistani mediators. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian says Tehran open to nuclear verification, agreement with U.S. Iran warns “flights for everyone or no one” as UAE, Iraq enforce U.S. aviation sanctions. Saudi, Turkish, and Pakistani military chiefs to hold urgent talks on support for Riyadh. France to send troops, radars, and defense systems to protect Saudi oil port. Ansarallah claims attacks on Saudi military sites; government forces claim gains in Lahj. Israeli airstrike kills Palestinian, wounds others in Khan Younis. Israeli settlers attack Palestinians, torch vehicles. UNRWA faces $100 million cash flow deficit amid Israeli attacks, U.S. funding cutoff. Israel launches airstrikes, shelling and incursions across southern Lebanon despite ceasefire. Lebanese Prime Minister: “Lebanon wants to open a new page with Iran.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu excoriates New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, world leaders at UN amid Israel’s growing isolation. Mortgage rates hit 7% for the first time since January 2025 as Iran war fallout hits housing market. Trump administration airs government-funded ad against socialism. CNN, MS NOW, Politico reporters regain White House access despite delays; TV pool still suspended. Senate narrowly fails to block Trump from ordering further Iran strikes. Ten Democrats back Rep. Greg Casar’s bill to ban superintelligence, pause advanced AI development. Energy Secretary Chris Wright pushes industry for voluntary diesel export cuts amid antitrust concerns. Trump administration asks Supreme Court to revive third-country deportation policy. Federal judge rules ICE's NYC detention conditions “inhumane and unconstitutional,” orders sweeping fixes. NSA spending billions to test AI models, exceeding prior estimates for federal oversight. Pentagon investigates how F-35 parts diverted to Hong Kong. Nepal Prime Minister Balen Shah warns UN that deadly floods are “a warning to the world” on climate change. U.S. arranges new trilateral Ukraine-Russia talks, possibly in UAE; Trump approves Patriot production. Argentina’s poverty rate climbs to 32.3% as President Javier Milei’s economic momentum stalls. At least 41 dead after boat capsizes on Lake Tanganyika in DRC. UNHCR reports 20-fold surge in Sudanese refugees fleeing to Chad amid funding shortfall. TPLF fighters in Ethiopia take over airport as “full-blown war” resumes in Amhara. This is Drop Site Daily, our free news recap We send it Monday – Friday Subscribe Iran Iran pushes seven-day plan to end U.S. war in meetings with Qatari, Pakistani mediators: Iran is pushing a seven-day roadmap to end the war with the U.S., as Iranian officials held meetings with Qatari and Pakistani mediators on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. The plan, which Tehran said was transmitted via mediators, calls for an end to hostilities on all fronts, including Gaza and Lebanon, the release of at least $12 billion in frozen Iranian assets, sanctions waivers for Iranian oil, an end to the U.S. naval blockade, and immediate nuclear talks. Iran would reopen the Strait of Hormuz on the seventh day. The proposal seeks to revive key provisions of the June U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding, which later collapsed amid mutual accusations of violations. A White House official told CNN that discussions through mediators were “positive and constructive,” while another U.S. official told the New York Times that Washington would not rush into an agreement. Iran’s Pezeshkian says Tehran open to nuclear verification, agreement with U.S.: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran remains willing to reach an agreement with Washington and would accept international verification of its nuclear program and lower uranium enrichment levels, in an interview with Fox News. Asked whether Iran wants a nuclear bomb, Pezeshkian said, “Not at all,” citing the late Supreme Leader’s religious prohibition on weapons of mass destruction. “We are willing to dilute [enriched uranium] … We are willing to submit ourselves to verification,” he added. Pezeshkian said Iran still wants to move forward based on the previous agreement reached with the Trump administration. “If the current American government, within international legal frameworks, wishes to reach an agreement, fine,” he said, adding that Tehran would not tie diplomacy to the timing of U.S. elections. Iran warns “flights for everyone or no one” as UAE, Iraq enforce U.S. aviation sanctions: The UAE suspended all flights operated by Iranian airlines on Thursday, citing new U.S. sanctions threatening airports and aviation companies that continue servicing Iranian carriers. Iraq, Oman, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkmenistan have also imposed restrictions. Iran warned neighboring countries against enforcing the measures. Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei urged them not to join what he called the U.S. “adventure.” “Flights in the region are either open to everyone or to no one,” Supreme Leader adviser Mohammad Mokhber wrote in a post on X. “If Iran is denied the ability to fly and receive airport services, no country in the region will have access to these facilities either.” Yemen Saudi, Turkish, and Pakistani military chiefs to hold urgent talks on support for Riyadh: The military chiefs of Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan will hold an urgent meeting to discuss support for Riyadh under the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, following Ansarallah attacks on Saudi cities and energy infrastructure. The countries’ three foreign ministers met in New York on Thursday. The countries signed the agreement on August 7, stipulating that an armed attack against one would be considered an attack against all three. They have since begun establishing mechanisms to implement the pact, including a Saudi-based secretariat and expanded military cooperation. Pakistan said earlier this month that no military response to the Ansarallah attacks was then under discussion, while stressing it would fulfill its obligations if required. “When time comes, [we] will act under the agreement,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan said. France to send troops, radars, and defense systems to protect Saudi oil port: France will deploy soldiers, radars, and defense systems to Saudi Arabia to protect the Red Sea oil export hub of Yanbu following an Ansarallah attack, French President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday, according to Le Monde. Macron said the deployment was intended to protect the site, not involve French forces in the fighting. Yanbu, which handles several million barrels of oil a day, was “severely damaged” in the attacks, he said. Ansarallah claims attacks on Saudi military sites; government forces claim gains in Lahj: Yemen’s Ansarallah said it attacked several Saudi military sites, including the Al-Tuwal area in Jizan and missile positions at Al-Dagharir camp on Friday. Saudi Arabia has not confirmed the attacks. Separately, Saudi-backed Yemeni forces claimed they captured the summit of Mount Numan and the Dar al-Kafir area in Lahj following an overnight operation. Ansarallah has not confirmed this. Palestine Israeli airstrike kills Palestinian, wounds others in Khan Younis: An Israeli airstrike targeted a vehicle in the Mawasi area of Khan Younis on Friday, killing one Palestinian and wounding several others, according to WAFA. Israeli settlers attack Palestinians, torch vehicles: Nablus: Israeli settlers assaulted and detained a group of Palestinian young men after stopping their vehicle in Beita’s Al-Arma area, WAFA reported on Friday. Israeli forces separately raided Beita and detained a 17-year-old Palestinian boy from his home. Ramallah and Al-Bireh: Settlers set fire Friday to three Palestinian vehicles in Rantis and spray-painted racist slogans on several homes. Across the occupied West Bank: There are now 942 Israeli checkpoints , gates, and other obstacles across the occupied West Bank, including 824 fixed closure points, increasingly restricting Palestinian movement, the Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission reported. Thirteen new fixed gates and checkpoints were documented over the past two months, including 10 in Jenin. Israeli police kill Palestinian man, bringing 2026 toll inside Israel to 10: Israeli police shot and killed a Palestinian man in his 30s in Yafa Al-Naseriyye, in northern Israel, Thursday night, bringing the documented number of Palestinians killed by police inside of Israel this year to 10. In most cases, victims’ families and local groups disputed police accounts of the shootings. Previous investigations into Israeli police killings of Palestinian citizens have also been closed without charges against officers. UNRWA faces $100 million cashflow deficit amid Israeli attacks, U.S. funding cutoff: UNRWA is facing a $100 million cashflow deficit, forcing it to cut service hours by 20% and reduce salaries for local staff. The U.S., historically UNRWA’s largest donor, has withheld funding since 2024. Israel has moved to dismantle the agency’s operations in occupied East Jerusalem and restrict its work across the occupied Palestinian territory. In 2026, Israeli authorities demolished UNRWA’s historic East Jerusalem headquarters, carried out an operation at its Kalandia vocational training center and forced the closure of its Old City health clinic. Nearly 400 UNRWA personnel have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 2023. Abbas warns UN that Israeli policies threaten Palestinians’ “very existence” : Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, in prerecorded remarks after the U.S. denied visas to a Palestinian delegation for the second consecutive year, told the UN General Assembly Thursday that Israeli policies now threaten Palestinians’ “very life and existence,” citing “killing, destruction, starvation, attempts at displacement, as well as a genocidal war that has created an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe.” Abbas called Israeli activity in the West Bank a “malicious colonial plan” and urged the international community to implement a two-state solution based on international law. He also discussed the Palestinian Authority’s plans to hold legislative elections on Nov. 28—the first since 2005-2006. Lebanon Israel launches airstrikes, shelling and incursions across southern Lebanon despite ceasefire: Nabatieh: Israeli warplanes carried out two strikes within less than 15 minutes on the outskirts of Zawtar Al-Sharqiyah and another strike on Bani Hayyan on Friday, Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reported. An Israeli drone also struck between Kfar Tibnit and Nabatieh Al-Fawqa, while artillery shelling hit the outskirts of Zawtar Al-Sharqiyah, Mayfadoun, Nabatieh Al-Fawqa, and Kfar Tibnit. Marjayoun: Israeli forces set fire to several homes in the Jallahiya area of Khiam. Hasbaya: Israeli forces advanced into the Sadana area outside Kfar Shouba, surrounded a farm where several shepherds were present and opened fire around it. Artillery shelling was also reported around Sadana and the outskirts of Hebbariyeh, alongside heavy machine-gun fire. “Lebanon wants to open a new page with Iran”: Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, saying Lebanon wants to “open a new page” with Iran, establishing state-to-state relations, respect for sovereignty and non-interference, NNA reported. Salam said Lebanon “paid a heavy price” in its security, stability and economy and does not want to be an arena for regional conflicts. Salam also asked Iran to nominate a new ambassador to Beirut, nearly six months after Lebanon declared Tehran’s former envoy persona non grata. The call for state-to-state relations comes amid Iran’s longstanding political and military support of the Lebanese resistance group Hezbollah. Israel has continued attacks on Lebanon despite the signing of a U.S.-sponsored Framework Agreement on June 26 providing for a gradual Israeli withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territory in exchange for the disarmament of Hezbollah. U.S. News Netanyahu excoriates Mamdani, world leaders at UN amid Israel’s growing isolation: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opened his UN General Assembly address Thursday by telling “any other moral cowards who haven’t yet left this hall” to leave, as many attendees walked out amid broad international condemnation of Israel’s conduct in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. Netanyahu devoted a portion of his speech to New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani , calling him “antisemitic” and saying “shame on you for distorting the facts... shame on you for spitting in the face of truth.” Mamdani called Netanyahu a “war criminal” earlier in the week. Netanyahu also rejected French President Emmanuel Macron ’s Wednesday condemnation of daily Israeli “violations” in the West Bank as a “grotesque absurdity,” highlighting the recent death of a French-Israeli citizen Netanyahu claimed came at the hands of Hamas.