Latest war news. Trump at the UN: a diplomatic tour de force with 11 world leaders, with the wars in Iran and Yemen on the agenda

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has vowed to “firmly defend” his country’s positions before leaving for New York to attend the UN General Assembly. “We emerged from the war with our heads held high, and this is a source of dignity and pride for us all. We will therefore firmly defend our positions in international forums,” he said before leaving Iran, according to state television.

Ragazze iraniane camminano accanto a un murale raffigurante un uccello della pace in una strada di Teheran, in Iran. EPA/ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH EPA/ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH

The United States intends to reopen its military base in Narsarsuaq, in southern Greenland, as part of a new agreement with Denmark: this is according to Reuters, citing sources within the Trump administration. The base, which closed in the 1950s, was established during the Second World War and gave rise to a settlement whose population has now dwindled to just a few dozen people. An agreement to strengthen security in the Arctic and the North Atlantic between Denmark, the United States and Greenland is due to take place in New York today: the ceremony will be attended by US President Donald Trump, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen.

(Air raids by the Saudi-led coalition on the Yemeni port city of Al-Makhā (Mokha) have killed six people, according to the Saba news agency, which is affiliated with the anti-government Houthi fighters. “Six civilians, including two children and a woman, were killed and a further eight, including a child and a woman, were injured,” Saba reported. The Houthis, pro-Iranian fighters who until now had controlled much of northern Yemen, including the capital Sana’a and Hodeida to the west, have advanced southwards in the space of a few days, capturing the Red Sea port of Mokha in early September. They then took control of the Red Sea coast and islands, consolidating their presence in the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

Further reading

Hunting ban in Arabia: from the Red Sea to the Gulf, the issue affecting Italy

19 September 2026

In a joint statement, Mexico and France have called for the suspension of the right of veto within the UN Security Council in cases of mass atrocities, including genocide, crimes against humanity and large-scale war crimes. “Mexico and France welcome the renewed momentum towards suspending the use of the veto in the United Nations Security Council in cases of mass atrocities, such as genocide, crimes against humanity and large-scale war crimes,” reads the statement published by the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The communiqué notes that the political declaration on the suspension of the right of veto in cases of mass atrocities was first tabled by Mexico and France in 2015; over the past four months, it has gained the support of a further 21 states from Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Asia: to date, 128 states have expressed their support, including the United Kingdom.

Donald Trump is set to face a packed schedule of meetings with leaders from four continents later today at the United Nations General Assembly, against the backdrop of an unstable Middle East and a war in Ukraine that has now lasted four and a half years and shows no signs of abating, despite repeated attempts at mediation by the US President. Trump is expected to begin the day with an address to the assembled delegates, before meeting no fewer than 11 world leaders in bilateral or group meetings. Although the content of his speech is not yet known, last year Trump caused a stir with an aggressive address, claiming that their countries were ‘going to hell’ due, amongst other things, to climate policy and mass immigration.

Later today, Trump will meet British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Venezuela’s interim leader Delcy Rodriguez, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen and representatives from the Gulf States. In the evening, he may meet dozens more leaders, albeit only briefly, during a reception reserved for heads of state.

The situation in Yemen represents “an unacceptable threat to regional stability and security, to global energy security, as well as to the rights and freedoms of navigation and to maritime security in the Red Sea and the Strait of Bab el-Mandeb”. This is stated in a communiqué issued by the G7 foreign ministers on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. “We condemn in the strongest possible terms,” the statement continues, “the ongoing and unacceptable attacks carried out by the Houthis in Yemen and against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, including those targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure, which are exacerbating humanitarian suffering. We express our full solidarity with the legitimate government of Yemen and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. We urge the Houthis to immediately cease all military action, threats and attacks against civilian shipping, and to return to the political process in good faith. We call on Iran to cease arming and supporting the Houthis, in breach of United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1747, 2140 and 2216. Their deplorable actions constitute a dangerous spiral of escalation that risks further exacerbating the conflict, undermining international trade and creating global economic instability. We reiterate, in particular, the vital need to ensure permanent maritime security, as well as the rights and freedoms of navigation worldwide, in order to prevent lasting disruptions to global supply chains – especially with regard to energy flows, fertilisers and foodstuffs – which would be extremely damaging to the economies and vulnerable populations of the region and beyond”.