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

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Read more: Day 211 | Iran offers US 7-day plan for Hormuz reopening

The Pentagon has quietly increased its public count of US service members wounded in the Iran war by 37 this week, raising the total to 861, according to reporting from The Wall Street Journal.

The newly added figures consist of 29 Navy sailors and eight Marines.

The Defense Department has offered no details on when or how the injuries occurred.

The Navy stated that the sailors returned to duty after sustaining unspecified injuries.

This update follows a pattern of incremental and sometimes opaque adjustments to the official casualty tallies tracked in the Defense Casualty Analysis System.

Earlier reporting from outlets including The Washington Post and The New York Times documented how the Pentagon previously revised figures amid renewed fighting, at one point creating a separate “Overseas Operations” category for casualties after a July cease-fire breakdown while maintaining a distinct count under “Operation Epic Fury,” the name given to the initial phase of the conflict that began in late February.

Officials have repeatedly described the bulk of injuries as minor.

In prior statements, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the “vast majority” of wounds involved mild concussions and that high percentages of affected personnel had returned to duty.

Similar language has accompanied earlier disclosures, including assessments that many injuries stemmed from Iranian missile and drone strikes on bases across the Middle East.

The conflict, which has involved US and ‘Israeli’ strikes on Iranian targets followed by retaliatory attacks on American positions in countries including Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Iraq, has produced fluctuating public numbers.

Independent reporting and database monitoring by multiple news organizations have noted periods in which totals rose, dropped amid claimed “data disruptions,” then climbed again as additional cases were logged, often with limited concurrent explanation from the Defense Department.

As of recent weeks, public tallies had already surpassed 800 wounded, with some accounts indicating further additions that pushed combined figures higher still.

The latest quiet increase to 861 continues that trajectory without new context on the specific incidents involving the Navy and Marine personnel.

Critics, including some lawmakers, have questioned the transparency of the casualty accounting, arguing that separating categories and delayed reporting can obscure the full human cost.

Pentagon officials have maintained that the system remains the authoritative public record and that most service members recover and resume duties promptly.

The Defense Department has not released further details on the most recent 37 cases beyond the branch breakdown and the Navy’s note that the sailors returned to duty.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Friday that Tehran had offered Washington a plan that would see the Strait of Hormuz reopened to maritime navigation within seven days once agreed.

Araghchi met for talks on Tuesday with US President Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff, and previously set out conditions for ending the war and reopening the vital energy shipping channel.

"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," Araghchi said at the UN Friday.

"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.

"I can tell you if there is seriousness in the US side to come to a deal and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, everything is now prepared."

Earlier media reports suggest the new plan calls for a cessation of all hostilities in the Middle East for seven days, including in Lebanon.

It also reportedly calls for the release of frozen Iranian assets estimated to be worth at least $12 billion, as well as the lifting of sanctions on Iranian oil and an end to the US naval blockade of Iran.

On the seventh day of the truce, Iran would reopen Hormuz.

Hossein Mohebi, a spokesman for the Revolutionary Guards, the ideological arm of Iran's military, told AFP in an exclusive interview on Tuesday that ending hostilities in Yemen was also among Tehran's demands.

The US and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding in June that aimed to end the war, reopen the strait and launch talks on Iran's nuclear program.

But the deal broke down shortly afterward when Iran fired on commercial ships in Hormuz that it accused of deviating from its approved route through the waterway.

Iran requires ships to obtain authorization before passage, citing security and sovereignty reasons.

Ships that refuse to comply are regularly targeted, while the United States sporadically bombs Iranian coastal areas in retaliation.

US President Donald Trump pressed Chinese President Xi Jinping during White House talks this week to end any Chinese assistance to Iran, declaring such support “totally unacceptable,” according to US Ambassador to China David Perdue.

The discussion took place amid Xi’s three-day state visit to Washington, which concluded Friday, and against the backdrop of the ongoing US war with Iran.

Perdue, speaking in interviews on Friday, said the United States had communicated its position clearly for weeks.

“We made it very clear to them weeks ago that, you know, any help that they would give Iran, whether it be direct or indirect, whether it be intelligence or parts or military equipment, was totally unacceptable,” Perdue told CNBC.

“President Trump made that very clear again yesterday. This is an ongoing drumbeat.”

Trump later confirmed that Iran featured in the leaders’ discussions.

“We did,” he told reporters when asked whether he had raised the war with Xi.

“I think we’re going to do great.”

The talks occurred as reports circulated of Chinese entities supplying Iran with dual-use components, shoulder-fired air-defense systems, and helping Tehran evade oil sanctions.

On Fox News, Perdue said Beijing had already responded positively.

“We’ve seen movement … on that already. That’s what the commitment is. They assured us yesterday they’re not doing that,” he stated on “America’s Newsroom.”

He added that “President Trump did a great job making sure China knows this is unacceptable.”

Perdue described the overall conversation between the two leaders as constructive.

“These two leaders are beginning to develop a relationship of somewhat trust and also working on the issues. I mean, this was a very candid and open conversation, and every time they talk, I think we see a different level of intimacy about these difficult issues that we’re dealing with,” he said.

Both sides have previously agreed that Iran must never obtain a nuclear weapon and that the Strait of Hormuz should remain open.
Concerns about Chinese support for Iran have persisted for months, including earlier reports of missile-related shipments and intelligence assistance.

Chinese officials, however, have privately assured Iranian counterparts that Beijing will not curtail economic, political, or military ties under US pressure, according to a senior Iranian official.

Xi publicly urged the United States and Iran to return to negotiations during the visit.

The head of Yemen's governing body Rashad al-Alimi calls for a general mobilisation to counter the Iran-backed Houthis, as the group ramps up attacks on government and Saudi forces. 

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said at the UN Friday that further attacks on the Islamic holy city of Mecca would be a "red line" for Islamabad.

Pakistan maintains ties with Iran which backs the Houthi fighters responsible for firing missiles at Saudi Arabia where Mecca is situated.

But Islamabad is strategically close to Saudi, and entered into a defense agreement with the kingdom, and Turkey, last month.

"We once again condemn, in the strongest possible terms, the recent deplorable attacks by the Houthis against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia," Sharif said at the UN's gathering of world leaders in New York.

"The attempted drone attack on the holy city of Mecca al-Mukarramah has outraged Muslims across the globe. Any threat to safety and sanctity... is a red line that must never be crossed. No Muslim can even dare to think of committing such a heinous (act)."

Last week, Riyadh accused the Houthis of targeting Mecca for the first time since 2017 with a drone that was downed, an accusation the Houthis denied.

Saudi Arabia intercepted Houthi ballistic missiles on Thursday after issuing warnings for several regions including Mecca.

The missiles were the latest in a series of escalating Houthi attacks since July, when renewed hostilities shattered a years-long truce and embroiled Yemen in the wider Middle East war.

The head of Yemen's governing body on Friday called for a general mobilisation to counter the Iran-backed Houthis, as the group ramps up attacks on government forces.

His call comes weeks after Yemen's government was dealt a major blow by the Houthis, who seized control of the country's entire Red Sea coast and are still fighting its forces in Yemen and attacking Saudi ships and territory.

"I call upon the sons of our great people to engage in general mobilisation and national mobilisation, to rally around their armed and security forces," Rashad al-Alimi, who heads the Presidential Leadership Council and is also Supreme Commander of the Yemeni Armed Forces, said in a speech.

Anyone defecting from the Houthis to the government side will be pardoned in an upcoming amnesty, he added.

Alimi heads Yemen's Saudi-backed Presidential Leadership Council, whose forces are fighting the Houthis with air support from the kingdom.

Over the week-end, the Houthis attacked Riyadh for the first time in years, marking a major escalation.

Earlier on Friday, the military chiefs of staff of Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan held talks on how to support Riyadh as Yemen's Houthis ramp up attacks on the world's top crude exporter.

Yemen has been seeking international help to counter the Houthis, with a source from Alimi's office telling AFP earlier this week that he requested American support in a call with US President Donald Trump against the Iran-backed Houthis.

But Trump did not promise military help.

The Iran-backed group has escalated its attacks on the government's Saudi backer since July, ending a years-long truce and declaring a maritime blockade, hitting Saudi targets and seizing Yemen's entire Red Sea coast as they seek to stifle Saudi oil exports.

Yemen's civil war began after the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa in 2014, with a Saudi-led coalition stepping in the following year to shore up the government.

The Houthis now control much of the north, Yemen's most populated areas, while the government was exiled to Aden, its temporary capital.

US President Donald Trump says he discussed the Iran war with visiting Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, following allegations that Beijing has been supporting Tehran.

"We did, we did," Trump says when asked if they had talked about Iran, as he shows Xi around the National Archives in Washington on the last day of the Chinese leader's state visit.

Asked if he thinks there will be progress on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, Trump replies: "I think we're going to do great."

US President Donald Trump said Friday he had discussed the Iran war with visiting Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, following allegations that Beijing has been supporting Tehran.

"We did, we did," Trump said when asked if they had talked about Iran, as he showed Xi around the National Archives in Washington on the last day of the Chinese leader's state visit.

Asked if he thought there would be progress on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, Trump replied: "I think we're going to do great."

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian denied that Tehran is seeking a nuclear weapon, telling Fox News in an exclusive interview that such arms are forbidden under a religious decree and offering to dilute highly enriched uranium while accepting international verification.

Speaking to host Bret Baier on “Special Report” on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Pezeshkian was asked point-blank: “Do you want a nuclear bomb or not?”

He replied emphatically: “Not at all. Not at all. Our martyred, esteemed supreme leader had announced several times that, from a religious decree, it is unholy. It is illegal.”

He referenced longstanding religious edicts against weapons of mass destruction issued by Iran’s late supreme leader.

Pezeshkian reiterated that Iran’s nuclear program is not aimed at producing a bomb and said Tehran is prepared to lower enrichment levels.

“So, that weapon’s mass destruction. We said we’re willing to dilute them. It’s not a big deal. We are willing to submit ourselves to verification,” he stated.

When pressed on why uranium enriched to 60 percent had been stored deep under a mountain, he repeated: “No. No. We said we’re willing to dilute them. It’s not a big deal. We are willing to submit ourselves to verification, sir.”

The Iranian leader blamed the United States for the nearly seven-month conflict in the Middle East, which began with US and ‘Israeli’ strikes in late February, and accused Washington of blocking diplomacy.

He pointed to a memorandum of understanding signed with President Donald Trump in June that was intended to halt hostilities and pave the way for a broader agreement but collapsed shortly afterward.

“We did reach an agreement with your president, that agreement was signed, and based on that, we are willing and still wish to move forward,” Pezeshkian said.

“The problem is that America, instead of conducting dialogue, they descend into the arena by bombing us first, by blocking every pathway. We are ready.”

Pezeshkian insisted Iran did not choose the war.

“We do not choose war. The war was imposed on us. We do not seek war,” he told Baier.

He added that it is up to the United States to decide whether to end the fighting, while affirming Tehran’s readiness to defend itself if attacked further and to pursue a deal within the framework of international law and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

The comments come amid continued international scrutiny of Iran’s enrichment activities, which Western governments have long viewed with suspicion because levels far exceed those needed for civilian power.

An adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader said Friday that flights and airport services in the region must be available to everyone or to no one, following disruptions to Iranian passenger flights linked to new US sanctions.

Mohammad Mokhber posted on X that cooperation with the United States in what he called “hostile policies” would remain in the memory of the Iranian nation.

“Our strategy on this matter is clear: flights in the region are either free for everyone, or for no one,” he wrote.

همسویی با آمریکا در اجرای سیاست‌های خصمانه در خاطر ملت ایران ماندگار خواهد بود، هر چند راهبرد ما در این مورد مشخص است: پرواز در منطقه یا برای همه آزاد است، یا برای هیچ‌کس. اگر ایران امکان پرواز و دریافت خدمات فرودگاهی نداشته باشد، هیچ کشوری در منطقه هم این امکان را نخواهد داشت.

— محمد مخبر (@MokhberOfficial) September 25, 2026

“If Iran does not have the possibility of flying and receiving airport services, no country in the region will have this possibility either.”

The statement comes after the United States intensified pressure on Iran’s aviation sector.

US Treasury measures, which took fuller effect around September 23, target Iranian airlines and threaten secondary sanctions on companies that provide them with fuel, ground handling, landing rights, or other services.

Several countries and airports have restricted Iranian carriers.

The United Arab Emirates suspended all flights operated by Iranian airlines.

Multiple Iraqi airports, including those in Najaf, Baghdad, Erbil and Sulaymaniyah, halted services to and from Iran.

Azerbaijan and Georgia also suspended Iranian flights.

Iranian officials had earlier indicated that countries complying with the US measures could face reciprocal consequences affecting their own airport operations.

Some Iranian international routes to destinations such as China, Turkey and Afghanistan have continued to operate.

• The airport says the decision follows official instructions from Iraqi authorities.
• Suspension will remain in place until further notice.

Najaf International Airport in Iraq has suspended all incoming and outgoing flights connecting the airport with Iran until further notice, according to an official notice issued by the airport administration on Friday.

The suspension took effect at 2 a.m. (2300 GMT Thursday) on Sept. 25, the notice said.

The airport said the decision was made in accordance with instructions issued by the relevant higher authorities in Iraq and directed managers of airlines and operating stations at the airport to implement the measures immediately.

All airlines and other entities involved in flights to and from Iran were instructed to comply with the suspension and refrain from taking operational measures related to the affected flights during the period.

The airport administration said it would remain in contact with airlines and station managers and would issue formal notification of any new instructions, including any decision to resume flights.

US sanctions

The suspension comes amid mounting U.S. pressure on Iran's aviation sector. On Sep. 8, the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on 36 entities linked to Iran's aviation industry, including Iranian airlines and companies accused by Washington of helping Tehran obtain aircraft, equipment and other aviation-related goods. 

The United States subsequently warned that companies providing services to Iranian airlines, including fuel, landing and other airport services, could face secondary sanctions. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Iranian airlines would effectively be shut out of international operations from Sept. 23.

The pressure has already affected flights between Iran and Iraq. On Sep. 22, Iraqi authorities ordered the suspension of Iranian flights to Baghdad airport, according to two sources cited by Reuters, after Washington threatened sanctions against airports that continued servicing Iranian carriers.

Iranian authorities had subsequently sought to redirect Baghdad-bound flights to Najaf. Iran's Civil Aviation Organization said it was coordinating with Iraqi authorities over the move, while Iran Air said on Sep. 22 that its flights to Najaf were still operating as scheduled at that time.

Read more: UAE bars Iranian airline flights as US sanctions bite

• Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf visited the family of slain Basij chief Gholamreza Soleimani.
• Ghalibaf said Iran's enemies had confronted the country on economic, military and cultural fronts.
• He said Iran's armed forces and people had managed to "teach the enemy a good lesson."

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Thursday that Iran had stood firm against its enemies during what he described as a 40-day war, saying the country had faced pressure on economic, military and cultural fronts. Iranian media reported the remarks.

Ghalibaf made the remarks during a visit to the family of Major General Gholamreza Soleimani, the former head of Iran's Basij Organization, who Iranian authorities say was killed during the war by what they described as the "American-Zionist enemy."

Marking the beginning of Iran's Sacred Defense Week, Ghalibaf said the previous seven months had been difficult for many Iranians and particularly hard for families of those killed in the conflict.

He described Soleimani as a hardworking and dedicated figure and said he had considered it his duty to visit the family.

Ghalibaf said Iran's adversaries had confronted the country across multiple fronts.

"As our martyred Imam said, all of Islam and all of disbelief have stood against one another," he said, according to remarks published by Iranian state media. "In this hybrid war,  economic, military and cultural, all the devils have gathered , and stood against the Iranian people."

He said Iran's armed forces and population had responded to the challenge.

"The enemy came with all its strength but, thanks to the martyrs, our martyred Imam, and the determination and honor of our armed forces and our people, we were able to teach the enemy a good lesson," Ghalibaf said.

He also called for greater unity among Iranians and said the country would overcome what he called existing dangers and "conspiracies" under the leadership of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Read more: Ghalibaf says Iran can strike any target it decides

The United Arab Emirates has suspended flights operated by Iranian airlines to and from the country, joining several states enforcing new US sanctions targeting Tehran’s aviation sector.

The UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority announced the decision on Thursday, according to the state-run WAM news agency.

The authority said the suspension was based on US sanctions imposed on Iranian airlines that restrict their access to airports worldwide.

The UAE joins Oman, Iraq, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkmenistan in restricting or suspending access for Iranian carriers.

Dubai is a major destination for Iranian airlines, with several daily flights between the two countries, as well as significant business and community ties.

Military chiefs from Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan are preparing to hold an urgent meeting following recent Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, according to the Saudi Foreign Ministry.

The talks will take place under the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, which states that an attack on any one of the parties is considered an attack on all three.

The announcement followed a meeting in New York between Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

The ministers condemned what they described as attacks targeting Mecca, as well as civilian and economic facilities in Saudi Arabia, and affirmed Riyadh’s right to defend itself under Article 51 of the UN Charter.

They also discussed regional stability, maritime navigation and de-escalation, while reaffirming their support for international law and peaceful solutions.

A US official told the Financial Times that oil shipments carrying nearly 22 million barrels passed through the Strait of Hormuz overnight.

The official said the United States remains in a “very strong position” because of its control over the strategic waterway.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said Tehran is ready to reach an agreement with the United States if it is based on international law.

In an interview with Fox News, Pezeshkian said Iran would honor its obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and would be prepared to give up uranium enriched to 60 percent as part of such an agreement.

He said Iran is facing serious economic problems but is prepared to withstand US sanctions.

Pezeshkian also blamed US policies for Iran’s deteriorating economic situation.

A White House official told CNN that “positive and constructive” discussions are underway through mediators regarding Iran.

The comments came in response to remarks by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

The official said the United States is in a “very strong position” because of its control over the Strait of Hormuz and therefore is not in a hurry to reach an agreement.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has called on the United States to return to a Memorandum of Understanding between the two countries before the US midterm elections in November.

“We wish Americans to return to the MoU before the midterms,” Pezeshkian told media outlets on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, according to NBC News.

“We don’t want it to get to the midterm elections,” he added.

The agreement was intended to pave the way for peace talks between Washington and Tehran and facilitate the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

The MoU expired in mid-August, leaving negotiations between the two sides at an uncertain stage.

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