Day 209 | Iran's President: ‘We will never bend the knee’

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Read more: Day 210 | US, Iran discuss phased deal to reopen Hormuz and end US blockade

‘Israeli’ officials believe it is only a matter of time before strikes against Iran resume, according to a report by Saudi state-owned news outlet Al Hadath on Thursday.

An ‘Israeli’ official, in statements also carried by Hebrew media, reportedly told Al Hadath that ‘Israeli’ intelligence has detected attempts by Iran to revive and activate its nuclear program in anticipation of a potential strike.

This follows reports in ‘Israel’ that the leadership had transferred remaining elements of its nuclear project to Jabal al-Fas, near the Natanz nuclear facility.

“We will move to strike nuclear facilities and any site belonging to them again if Tehran crosses any of the red lines, whether with or without the participation of the US,” the official said.

The same source emphasized that ‘Israel’ is “defensively and offensively prepared for the possibility of renewed war on Iran and on other fronts as well, at any time.”

The official also stated that upcoming ‘Israeli’ elections scheduled for October 27 would not influence decision-making on any potential action against Iran.

Additionally, the source assessed that current sanctions under the Trump administration are proving more effective than expected, with estimates suggesting a possible collapse could occur sooner than previously anticipated.

Al-Hadath quoted an ‘Israeli’ source saying an additional round of strikes against Iran “seems to be a matter of time” and that there is no real chance of reaching an agreement between the United States and Iran.

The source reiterated the willingness to strike nuclear facilities again if red lines are crossed, independently of US involvement.

‘Israel's’ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, facing a difficult reelection campaign at home, delivered a fiery UN speech Thursday assailing enemies and allies alike -- and sparking uproar in the chamber.

Locked in a tight race to stay in power in October 27 elections, Netanyahu used the global platform at the UN General Assembly to attack everyone from the leaders of Iran to New York's first Muslim mayor and partners Britain, France and Turkey.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf mocked the United States after the 10-year US Treasury yield reportedly climbed to 5.11 percent, its highest level in nearly two decades.

“Happy 5.1% 10Y America,” Ghalibaf wrote on X, adding that Iran was not for “arrogant amateurs.” He also warned of a return to 1970s-era rates, along with higher gas prices, diesel shortages and “bell-bottoms.”

Happy 5.1% 10Y America . Mashallah. Celebrate: it’s the floor two years out.

You wanted Iran dragged back to 1970s? Nobody told you Iran isn’t for arrogant amateurs? We’ll return you to 1970s rates, plus high gas prices, diesel shortages and bell-bottoms. Enjoy the nostalgia! pic.twitter.com/iB1x8e1PZY

— محمدباقر قالیباف | MB Ghalibaf (@mb_ghalibaf) September 24, 2026

Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi met with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in New York on Thursday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, Jordan’s Foreign Ministry said.

The two officials discussed efforts to end the escalating regional conflict and reach a sustainable ceasefire between the United States and Iran, according to a statement by Jordan’s Foreign Ministry.

Safadi “stressed the need for coordinated efforts to restore calm and establish lasting security and stability in the region, based on respect for international law, good-neighborly relations and non-interference in the internal affairs of states,” said the statement.

He also stressed the importance of ensuring freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz in accordance with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The waterway has become a central issue in recent US-Iran diplomatic efforts.

Iran has said it could reopen the Strait within days if Washington eases military pressure and lifts its blockade of Iranian ports.

Jordan reiterates condemnation of attacks

Safadi reiterated Jordan’s condemnation of Iranian attacks on Jordan and Gulf Cooperation Council states and called for them to stop.

He said Jordan would continue taking all necessary and available measures to confront such attacks and protect its territory, sovereignty and citizens.

Safadi also emphasized dialogue and diplomacy as the means to address the causes of regional tensions and escalation and to establish greater security and stability.

The meeting came as US and Iranian officials have engaged in mediated talks on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly over ending the conflict and resolving disputes surrounding the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran’s delegation at the UN left the hall as Netanyahu started his speech, leaving behind a picture of Qassem Soleimani, the former commander of the IRGC’s Quds Force. 

Soleimani was described as "the single most powerful operative in the Middle East" and a "genius of asymmetric warfare” before his assassination by the United States in January 2020. 

‘Israeli’ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized New York City’s Mayor Zohran Mamdani during his UN speech. 

"Since you were elected mayor of this city, many Jews no longer feel safe in New York," Netanyahu said of Mamdani. 

"It's no wonder. You praise criminals convicted of supporting Hamas. You count as friends people like Hasan Piker, who said 'America deserved 9/11’." 

Nearly half of the delegates in the UN General Assembly hall left their seats as Benjamin Netanyahu began his address on Thursday, with the walkout taking place before he had started speaking.

During the walkout, members of the Iranian delegation displayed an image of Qassem Soleimani in a gesture directed at the 'Israeli' prime minister.

‘Israeli’ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the United Nations General Assembly to reject what he claims are allegations of genocide regarding its assault on Gaza.

Netanyahu claimed that ‘Israel’ has taken unprecedented measures to protect civilian populations during the war, arguing that its actions exceed those of other militaries in historical war zones.

‘Israeli’ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan a "tyrant" during a speech at the UN Thursday, accusing Ankara of harboring Hamas leaders.

"The latest country to become a super spreader of antisemitic lies (is Turkey)... Erdogan is a tyrant. He also hosts the Hamas terror chiefs," he said.

Netanyahu on October 7 during his UN speech: 

“This is equal to 40,000 innocent Americans slaughtered in less than 24 hours. That’s 16 times 9/11 — 16 9/11s.”

‘Israeli’ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attacked Britain and France for their past colonial empires during a speech Thursday at the United Nations.

"They accuse Israel, tiny Israel, of colonialism -- some colonialism. And who's accusing us? Among them are people in Britain and in France. For God's sakes, they invented the term," he told the UN General Assembly.

China has sent approximately 1,300 air shipments of dual-use components suitable for drones and missiles to Iran’s Defense Ministry in the first half of 2026, according to Iranian customs data reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.

The shipments, covering the period through the end of June, included electronics, GPS devices, electric motors, aircraft-engine parts and other items with both civilian and military applications.

These components can support Iran’s drone programs and missile guidance systems.

Records spanning January 2025 to June 2026 show thousands of similar deliveries to the Defense Ministry and Iranian companies, many designated under Iranian regulations that exempt defense imports from tariffs.

One notable delivery arrived in Tehran on June 17, the same day the United States and Iran agreed to a 60-day truce.

Two days later, more than a dozen additional shipments landed carrying over $6 million worth of parts usable in drones.

Chinese suppliers also delivered about 300 tonnes of chemical compounds to the ministry shortly before the conflict began in late February.

The flow of goods intensified after US naval restrictions limited Iran’s maritime trade.

Sanctioned Iranian airline Mahan Air sharply expanded flights from Chinese cities including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.

Service rose from about four weekly flights in early March to roughly 27 by late April, reaching 39 flights in the first week of September—nearly double prewar levels—with many focused on cargo rather than passengers.

Kate Koren, deputy director of the economics program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told the Journal that some of the traded components are known to be used in Iran’s Shahed drones.

A forthcoming CSIS assessment identified Chinese companies publicly advertising sensitive electronics this year, and Chinese firms have also supplied materials such as sodium perchlorate usable in ballistic-missile propellant.

The revelations come as Chinese President Xi Jinping visits Washington for talks with President Donald Trump on trade, artificial intelligence and Taiwan.

US officials have noted that Chinese banks and front companies have helped Iran evade sanctions and sustain revenue, while critics including Sen. Elissa Slotkin have urged stronger action, writing that “there is now a large and growing body of evidence that Chinese companies are helping Iran target and kill American troops, keep Iran’s drone and missile programs alive, and sustain Iran’s economy.”

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Thursday that Lebanon does not want to become an arena for regional conflicts or a venue for the exchange of messages, as he met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in New York.

Salam described Lebanon’s relationship with Iran as historic but said Beirut wants to develop it as a “sound state-to-state relationship.”

He also called on Tehran to nominate a new ambassador to Lebanon.

Focus on ‘Israeli’ withdrawal

Salam said Lebanon’s priorities include ‘Israel’s’ withdrawal from Lebanese territory, an end to its attacks, extending state authority across the country and ensuring that weapons are held exclusively by the state, in a nod to the goal of disarming Hezbollah.

The meeting comes amid tensions between Beirut and Tehran over Iran’s diplomatic role in Lebanon.

Iranian ambassador-designate Mohammad Reza Sheibani was declared persona non grata by Lebanon in March.

Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji has said that normal relations with the Iranian mission can resume only after Tehran complies with Lebanon’s decision.

Salam has also been seeking international support for strengthening Lebanon’s armed forces and maintaining an international presence in southern Lebanon as the mandate of the UN peacekeeping mission UNIFIL approaches its scheduled end in December.

‘Israeli’ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has arrived in the United States for a brief visit to address the United Nations General Assembly, landing at Stewart International Airport north of New York City rather than at John F. Kennedy International Airport, which is located in the borough of Queens, New York City

Netanyahu and his wife Sara landed on Thursday, ahead of his scheduled speech later in the day.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara Netanyahu have landed in the U.S. a short while ago ahead of the Prime Minister's address at the UN General Assembly.

Video: Omer Miron (GPO) pic.twitter.com/Fi3pFyXu1C

— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) September 24, 2026

 They were met by ‘Israel’s’ Consul General in New York Ofir Akunis and ‘Israeli’ and US military personnel.

The ‘Israeli’ prime minister’s official aircraft, known as the Wing of Zion, was directed to a different airport, with ‘Israeli’ security officials attributing the decision in part to concerns that New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani could seek to prevent the plane from remaining parked at JFK for the duration of the visit.

The stopover has been sharply curtailed.

Netanyahu is expected to travel from the New Jersey landing site to UN headquarters in Manhattan, deliver his address, and return to ‘Israel’ the same evening without an overnight stay.

The visit lasts only a few hours on US soil.

Israeli PM Netanyahu arrives in New York ahead of UNGA speech pic.twitter.com/nKM6CjVNPp

— i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) September 24, 2026

Netanyahu is expected to arrive at the United Nations shortly ahead of his address, scheduled for 2 PM local time.

The landing arrangements and shortened itinerary come amid public exchanges between Netanyahu and Mamdani.

The mayor has described Netanyahu as a war criminal and previously stated he would seek to honor an International Criminal Court arrest warrant if the ‘Israeli’ leader visited the city.

Mamdani later acknowledged that New York City lacks the legal authority to make such an arrest.

Netanyahu has criticized the mayor’s remarks and indicated he intends to address them during his UN appearance.

The United Arab Emirates said on Thursday it would no longer accept flights by Iranian airlines as it joins US sanctions aimed at raising economic pressure during the Middle East war.

Dubai, the UAE's commercial hub, is a major destination for Iran's carriers, with multiple daily flights, a large Iranian community and close business links.

Several other countries have suspended Iranian flights, although routes to Turkey and China were among those that remained open.

"The General Civil Aviation Authority announced the suspension of all flights operated by Iranian airlines to and from the UAE," said a statement carried by the official WAM news agency.

The suspension, from Thursday, was "based on the US sanctions imposed on Iranian airlines preventing them from using airports around the world", the statement said.

The UAE was targeted by thousands of Iranian missiles and drones in the war's early stages. Last month, the oil-rich monarchy suspended trade and financial exchanges with Iran.

On Wednesday, the UAE central bank blocked transactions to and from Iran by branches of Iran's Bank Melli, accusing it of violating laws on money laundering, terrorism and arms proliferation.

Iranian media had reported the UAE's suspension earlier on Thursday.

An Iran Airtour flight from Tehran to Dubai was cancelled shortly before its scheduled departure in the morning, after tickets had been issued, one passenger told AFP.

Dubai airport, which offers connections to Europe, Asia and Africa, often serves as a transit point for Iranian travellers, and is a common destination for business trips.

In early September, the US imposed sanctions on Iran's aviation sector and vowed to come down hard on companies that work with it.

Those companies had until Wednesday to comply -- by stopping refuelling Iranian plans, for example -- or face the possibility of being cut off from the dollar-based financial system.

Starting on Wednesday, the main Iranian airlines were forced to cancel their international flights as neighbouring countries adopted restrictive measures.

Turkmenistan also joined the list on Thursday, turning back a flight from Tehran to Dushanbe "since Turkmenistan did not authorise Iranian airlines", Iran's Civil Aviation Organisation spokesman Majid Akhavan told the ISNA news agency.

Despite the sanctions, several small Iranian carriers continue to fly abroad, notably to China, which refuses to bow to US pressure, as well as to Armenia.

Iran has nearly 30 airlines, most operating domestic regional routes.

Iran Air, the national carrier, and Mahan, a private company, are the largest for international travel.

‘Israeli’ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s unusually brief trip to New York for the United Nations General Assembly has highlighted strains in US-‘Israeli’ relations, as no meeting with President Donald Trump materialized despite efforts by his aides to arrange one, according to reports by the Reuters and Hebrew media.

Netanyahu arrived in the United States on Thursday for a whirlwind visit expected to last less than eight hours before returning to ‘Israel’ the same evening ahead of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.

He is scheduled to address the General Assembly in the afternoon and hold meetings with a limited group of leaders, primarily from Latin America and other nations, including the presidents of Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, Panama and Ethiopia, Colombia’s vice president, and the prime ministers of Greece, Slovenia and Papua New Guinea.

His office noted that many world leaders requested meetings, but a tight schedule limited what could be accommodated.

A meeting with Trump, which Netanyahu’s aides had sought to arrange, is not on the schedule.

Senior US officials reportedly indicated that Netanyahu was not among the leaders Trump planned to meet on the sidelines of the assembly, and their stays in New York do not overlap—Trump addressed the UN earlier in the week and shifted focus to a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington.

Reports also indicated the US president appeared unwilling to make a meeting happen.

This stands in sharp contrast to previous visits.

Trump has met Netanyahu eight times during his second term, with their most recent encounter in July.

Last year’s UN-related trip included a longer stay and a presidential meeting.

Former ‘Israeli’ ambassador to Washington Michael Oren called the absence notable: “I don’t recall a time when the prime minister came to the United States and didn’t meet with the president... So I’m sure that he was disappointed by that.”

He added that Netanyahu’s UN address functions as “a campaign speech” ahead of ‘Israel’s’ October 27 election, and it “would be much better if that campaign speech were accompanied by a meeting with the president, or another world leader, or at least the secretary of state, but apparently it’s not.”

The abbreviated itinerary and lack of high-level US engagement reflect broader tensions.
The two leaders jointly launched a war against Iran earlier in 2026, but later diverged as Trump pursued efforts to wind down the conflict while key objectives remained unmet.

Netanyahu’s office has framed the short visit around defending ‘Israel’ from the UN podium against what he described as “terrible lies,” amid international criticism over the Gaza war, West Bank policies and an ICC arrest warrant. 

• Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao confirmed eight non-fatal suicide attempts among sailors deployed with the USS Abraham Lincoln strike group.
• Official details revealed one sailor was rescued after going overboard in August, while shipmates prevented a second sailor from jumping in March.
• Severe combat tempos, six months without port calls, low morale, and broken basic utilities contributed to extreme stress levels aboard.

Eight US Navy personnel assigned to the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group attempted suicide during a marathon deployment that saw the fleet conduct high-intensity combat operations against Iran, according to a letter from Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao obtained by CNN.

Written in response to inquiries from Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) regarding the mental health and morale of the strike group’s 6,000 to 7,000 sailors, Cao disclosed figures covering the entire strike group, including personnel on the aircraft carrier, escorting destroyers, carrier air wing, and staff.

"Since the beginning of Lincoln’s deployment, there have been a total of eight suicide attempts across the strike group," Cao wrote to Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, in a letter dated Tuesday. "This number includes the Lincoln crew and sailors from the carrier airwing, strike group and destroyer squadron staff, escorting destroyers and all embarked aviation squadrons."

Cao confirmed that no sailors committed suicide during the deployment.

The rate of attempts across the strike group was described as roughly consistent with the active-duty Navy's overall 2024 statistics, which recorded 356 suicide attempts among approximately 337,000 active-duty personnel.

Strain on crew

Military officials noted that eight suicide attempts represents an unusually high figure for a single strike group deployment, where typical deployments see one or two attempts per year.

"Eight attempted suicides is incredibly high," a US military official told CNN. "The strain of combat ops is much higher than normal deployments. No port calls, constant alerts, etc."

The Lincoln carrier was kept out of port for more than six months while conducting continuous operations in the Middle East, preventing sailors from resting or taking on fresh supplies at friendly ports.

In his letter, Cao also confirmed specific overboard incidents that occurred during the mission.

He stated that a sailor assigned to the air wing fell overboard in early August but was "quickly recovered" and treated by medical personnel.

Another sailor attempted to jump overboard in March but was halted by crewmates; that sailor received immediate care and was subsequently sent back to homeport.

The Navy did not respond to requests for comment prior to publication, though it previously stated to CNN that it had "not observed an increase in suicidal ideations or attempts aboard the ship" and treats service member well-being seriously.

Mental health assets onboard

According to Cao's letter, the Navy deployed several mental health resources aboard the Lincoln to support the crew, including five chaplains, one embedded integrated prevention counselor, one psychologist, one clinical social worker, three behavioral health technicians, and an expeditionary facility dog.

Despite these resources, crew members speaking to CNN described deteriorating shipboard conditions and widespread anxiety.

One crew member reported that morale on the carrier was very low, citing frequent reports of suicidal ideation among shipmates alongside persistent failures of basic amenities—including out-of-service toilets, broken water fountains, and a lack of hot water.

"Everyday we wake up and listen to our captain speak, we are desperately hoping and anxious for updates on our return," the crew member said before the carrier received orders to head home.

The ship departed the Middle East in August and is expected to return to its home port in San Diego in the coming weeks.

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Read more: Day 208 | Trump weighs agreement against destruction of Iran