War, latest news. Trump rejects Iran’s ceasefire proposal; new attacks following the mid-term elections

“Iran cannot have nuclear weapons.” This is what US President Donald Trump wrote in a post on the social media platform Truth.

US President Donald Trump has rejected Iran’s proposal for a seven-day ceasefire and has told his advisers that he plans to resume air strikes against Iran after the mid-term elections in November. This is according to the Wall Street Journal, citing US officials. Tehran’s proposal would have involved the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the resumption of nuclear talks in exchange for the US lifting its blockade of Iranian ports. Overnight, Trump posted a map of the Persian Gulf region on Truth, renaming the Strait of Hormuz the ‘Strait of Trump’.

“Iran has not walked away from the negotiating table,” said Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian during a meeting with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, before leaving New York at the end of a week of meetings for the General Assembly, but Tehran “no longer has any confidence in the United States”.

“Should the United States make a mistake with regard to Iran, all its operational bases and interests in the region will be subject to continuous, effective and painful attacks, without any constraints or reservations”, reads a statement issued today by Central Command in Khatamolanbiya, as reported by the Iranian news agency Mehr. “Any decision by the United States to launch new attacks against Iran must take into account the fact that the region is not a single battlefield; the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea, US bases and other locations in the region could all be affected by the consequences of a direct confrontation”, it added. “The Iranian armed forces are ready to face any scenario, and any miscalculation on the part of the enemy will be met with a decisive and massive response. Should the nations of the region — by persisting with an ambiguous policy towards Iran — align themselves with an act of aggression by the ‘Great Satan’ (referring to the United States), they would all be regarded as accomplices to this act of wickedness and could no longer expect restraint or tolerance from the powerful Iranian armed forces,” concluded the Central Headquarters in Khatamolanbiya.

The Iraqi government has entered into negotiations with the United States to exempt certain airports from the sanctions affecting Iranian airlines, which are having a negative impact on passenger traffic between Iraq and Iran. “The Iraqi government is holding direct talks with the US side with a view to exempting certain airports from these measures,” the Prime Minister’s office stated. The US sanctions have been in force at all airports since this week: the measures have also been applied at Najaf Airport, a major hub for Iranian flights and one of the busiest centres of pilgrimage for Shia Islam. The requested exemption, the statement explained, would allow flights to resume “for humanitarian reasons, in particular medical treatment, education, religious visits and in the interests of civilians”. Iranian airlines mainly carry Iraqi Shia pilgrims to Iran’s holy cities, as well as Iranians travelling to sacred sites in Iraq, in addition to serving Iraqis who are studying or seeking medical treatment in Iran.

The nomination process has begun ahead of the eagerly awaited Palestinian elections in November. The Palestinian Authority’s Central Election Commission has announced that the procedure for submitting nominations is now open, two months ahead of the vote scheduled for 28 November. According to the Palestinian news agency Wafa, candidates have until 7 October to submit their lists at the central offices in al-Birej, in the West Bank, and Deir al-Balah, in the Gaza Strip. The international community fears the vote may be postponed, particularly due to logistical problems. The last legislative elections in the Palestinian Territories took place in 2006. That was the year Hamas triumphed over Fatah, the party of PNA leader Mahmoud Abbas, who will turn 91 in November. Since 2007, the year Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian Legislative Council – the PNA’s parliament – has not convened in ordinary session. In July, Abbas – winner of the last PNA presidential election in 2005 – announced the date of the parliamentary election. Israeli media point out that it is unclear whether Hamas or affiliated candidates will be allowed to stand in the election. No date has yet been set for the presidential elections, which are expected to take place in the first quarter of next year.

“Resolving the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz is possible through negotiations, not through the use of force.” This was stated by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in an interview with Al Jazeera. “It was America that blocked our shipping lanes,” he added, “the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is a natural response when Iran’s transport routes are blocked.” Pezeshkian gave assurances that the waterway “will remain open to trade if negotiations lead to a resolution of the dispute”.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told Al Jazeera that Iran “no longer trusts talks with the United States”, following the “repeated attacks and sanctions that have followed every round of negotiations”. He added that Qatar and Pakistan are currently mediating between Iran and the United States and relaying messages from Tehran to Washington.

France is working on a draft United Nations Security Council resolution in support of freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. This was stated by a UN diplomat to the Associated Press. The resolution would reaffirm the need to respect freedom of navigation in the strait – a key flashpoint in the conflict in Iran – emphasising its importance for global maritime transport, which is vital for food and energy security.

Iran is embroiled “in a large-scale war with economic, social, cultural, political, security and defence dimensions”. This was the view expressed by Mohammad Karami, commander of the ground forces of the Revolutionary Guards, the Iranian Pasdaran. “In cognitive warfare,” he said in remarks reported by the Iranian news agency Tasnim and relayed by the satellite TV channel Al Jazeera, “the enemy also uses the media and cyberspace to influence public opinion, as part of psychological warfare.”

The head of Egyptian intelligence, Abbas Kamel, had warned Israel before 7 October of a possible attack by Hamas. This is reported by The Atlantic, citing Israeli, Egyptian, American, Arab and European sources, according to which Kamel had flown to Tel Aviv on 26 September 2023 and warned that Hamas appeared to be mobilising. The window of opportunity to avert an attack was narrowing, and Kamel had advised Israeli officials to grant Hamas economic concessions to prevent the conflict. Kamel did not provide an exact date for the attack, and it is unclear whom he met with.

The Houthis in Yemen have launched fresh attacks against Saudi Arabia, targeting the capital Riyadh and a major city in the south-west, whilst calls to end the conflict are mounting. “Air defences intercepted and destroyed two drones launched by the Houthi terrorist militia towards Riyadh,” said a spokesperson for the Riyadh-led military coalition in Yemen on X. The same spokesperson also announced the interception of two ballistic missiles fired towards Khamis Mushait, a city in south-western Saudi Arabia that is home to a major air base.

Pro-Iranian fighters have confirmed that they attacked the Kingdom. “Despite the force, scope and impact of the operation, our armed forces regard it as merely a small-scale test in the run-up to a large-scale escalation,” wrote Hazem al Assad, a member of the group’s political bureau, on X.

Iran, which has for years faced criticism over its controversial nuclear programme, is open to the possibility of once again allowing United Nations inspectors into the country. ““If they want to come and carry out inspections,” said Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in an interview with CBS, after recalling the ‘history’ of the 2015 international agreement on Iran’s nuclear programme, “we can reach agreements and understandings on this particular issue during the negotiations.”

Pezeshkian then reiterated Tehran’s position on its controversial nuclear programme. “The development of nuclear weapons is haram (forbidden) from a religious point of view, not from a legal one,” he remarked. He added that “even if some in Iran might be tempted to develop nuclear weapons, from a religious point of view they would not be permitted to follow this path”.

The Pentagon has revised the casualty figure for the war in Iran upwards to 861 without providing any explanation. This is reported by the Washington Post. Over the course of the week, the figure has risen by 37, comprising 29 sailors and eight Marines. More than half of these cases are classified as ‘operations overseas’ since the start of the July ceasefire between the United States and Iran. Previously, the tally was included under ‘Operation Epic Fury’.

US President Donald Trump has rejected Iran’s proposal for a seven-day ceasefire and has informed his advisers that air strikes on Iran will begin after the mid-term elections in November. This is according to the Wall Street Journal, citing US officials. According to the WSJ, Tehran’s proposal involved the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the resumption of nuclear talks in exchange for the lifting of the US blockade of Iranian ports.