Trump rejects Iran ceasefire proposal, expects to renew strikes after midterms — WSJ
Key updates
France working on UN resolution supporting freedom of navigation in Strait of Hormuz
France is working on a draft United Nations Security Council resolution backing freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, a UN diplomat says.
The resolution would reaffirm the need to respect freedom of navigation in the strait, a flashpoint in the war in Iran, citing its importance for global shipments critical for food and energy security, the diplomat says, speaking on condition of anonymity because discussions on the measure have been private.
The proposed UN resolution would recall the need to respect the Law of the Sea and support peaceful initiatives aimed at ensuring safe passage in the strait, the UN diplomat says.
Iran’s disruption of the strait, through which a fifth of the world’s traded oil and gas transited before the war, has emerged as its main point of leverage. The effects have been felt far beyond the Middle East and pose political problems for US President Donald Trump and his Republican Party ahead of November’s midterm congressional elections.
Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron discussed the topic on the sidelines of this week’s annual UN gathering of global leaders, the diplomat says. It also was discussed with Arab nations and Iran.
Saudi Arabia says it downed 2 Houthi drones launched at Riyadh
Yemen’s Saudi-led coalition says it intercepted two drones launched by the Iran-backed Houthis toward the Saudi capital Riyadh.
The coalition posts on X that it’s monitoring missile threat and drones launched at the kingdom without providing further details.
The Saudi civil defense sent alerts overnight for Khamis Mushait and Abha but not for the capital.
Trump rejects Iran ceasefire proposal, expects to renew strikes after midterms — WSJ
US President Donald Trump has rejected Iran’s proposal for a seven-day ceasefire and told aides he expects to resume bombing Iran after the November midterm elections, the Wall Street Journal reports, citing US officials.
The officials say that Trump is reluctant to resume major combat operations however, with the scope of the envision strikes unclear, while noting his views could change and that he could also end up being swayed by the midterm results.
Days before Oct. 7, Egypt’s spymaster visited Israel to warn of Hamas attack preparations — report
An Egyptian warning shortly before the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, invasion of Israel that the terror group was readying for a major attack was relayed by Egypt’s then-intelligence chief Abbas Kamel to senior Israeli officials at Ben Gurion Airport, the Atlantic says in a new report.
The warning was first reported two days after the October 7 onslaught, when an Egyptian intelligence official told the Associated Press that Israel ignored repeated warnings that Hamas was planning “something big” and the Ynet news site reported that Kamel personally warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 10 days before the atrocities.
According to the Atlantic, Kamel didn’t give the Israeli officials any precise intelligence about when the attack would occur or how it would unfold when he landed on September 26 at Ben Gurion Airport, where his plane remained for just over an hour as he met with unspecified officials.
The report says Kamel told them that Israel needed to swiftly shift course or risk a combustion in Gaza, recommending Jerusalem grant further economic concessions to Hamas to prevent such a scenario, but notes it’s unclear what the Israeli officials did with this warning.
The Atlantic says Netanyahu’s spokespeople didn’t respond to multiple requests for comment, though his national security adviser at the time of the October 7 attack, Tzachi Hanegbi, denies to the magazine that Kamel visited Israel on September 26 or that there was any Egyptian warning. Netanyahu’s office has previously denied that Kamel personally warned the premier.
Iran has offered US seven-day plan for Hormuz reopening, Araghchi says
UNITED NATIONS — Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says that Tehran has offered Washington a plan that would see the Strait of Hormuz reopened to maritime navigation within seven days.
“Iran has conveyed to the United States, through Qatar, a concrete seven-day plan. If the necessary conditions are met, the strait can be reopened, and normal maritime passage restored within seven days,” he says at the UN.
“The choice now rests with the United States. Iran does not accept coercion, threats or intimidation, and Iran will not surrender its sovereign rights under pressure,” he says.
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