What to know about the Iran war today:
o President Trump told the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday he has a "big decision to make" on whether to make a deal or drive Iran "into hell with no chance of survival and no hope of future greatness or generations."

o A team from the U.S., including Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, met with Iranian officials on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday. The meeting lasted about three hours and went well, the president said, but he offered no details on the discussions.

o Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tuesday as he headed for the U.N. summit in New York that he would "firmly defend" Iran's positions in the war and use the opportunity to "convey Iran's plight."

4:41 PM
Trump meets with Gulf leaders on sidelines of U.N. General Assembly
President Trump joined a meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, where the president said there's a "lot of momentum" for Iran to make a deal. Countries represented in the meeting included Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey.

"I like these people," the president said of the leaders around him.

The president said Iran's economy is in bad shape, and he hopes they do something good for their people.

"I don't think about the election at all when I think about ending the nuclear threat from Iran. I just think about ending the nuclear threat from Iran," he said.

3:02 PM
First Iran flights canceled as U.S. sanctions set to come into force
Flights from Iran to the capitals of Iraq and Oman will be canceled as of midnight, local media reported Tuesday, hours before expanded U.S. sanctions were due to come into force.

The Tasnim news agency cited a civil aviation spokesman as saying, "Baghdad and Muscat airports will no longer accept Iranian flights."

"Other international flights, including Istanbul, will operate as scheduled and as usual, and at present there are no problems with these flights," Tasnim reported.

According to Tasnim, Iran's aviation authorities are in talks to reroute Baghdad flights to Najaf, a major destination for Iranian pilgrims.

Negotiations with Oman were also ongoing, the semi-official agency ISNA said.

In Iraq, the government has not yet announced plans to enforce the ban, but several sources, including a senior government official, told AFP that Baghdad would comply.

Earlier this month the U.S. blacklisted the Iranian aviation sector and threatened sanctions against any foreign organisation working with Iran's airlines.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Monday that Iranian airlines would face difficulties operating as of Wednesday under the weight of American sanctions.

"All the Iranian airlines will be shut down around the world," Bessent told CNBC in an interview.

2:51 PM
EU foreign affairs leader meets with Iranian foreign minister at U.N.
Kaja Kallas, the EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, held a meeting at the U.N. with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Tuesday, saying she echoed many of the consistent concerns of the rest of the world: free transit of the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb Strait and a cessation of all hostilities.

"We addressed diplomatic prospects for ending the US-Iran war and fully re-opening the Strait of Hormuz. There were no tolls or fees for passage before the war, and there should be none after the war," she said on social media, accompanied by a picture of the two leaders. "Navigation must be free and unimpeded, both in the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab al-Mandab Strait."

Iranian leaders have repeatedly said the situation in the Strait of Hormuz will not return to its prewar conditions. In fact, Iran's parliament security committee approved new rules Tuesday fining ships 20% of their cargo's value for transiting the strait without authorization, according to the IRGC-allied Fars News Agency.

Apart from the war, Kallas also said she brought human rights concerns by the Iranian government, including a "sharp rise in executions and death sentences."

Araghchi, meanwhile, criticized Europe for falling in line with U.S. aggression.

"America's repeated breach of agreements has been the sole factor disrupting diplomatic processes, and the European Union, regrettably, has also chosen the path of appeasement in the face of U.S. bullying," Araghchi told Fars News Agency after the meeting with Kallas.

2:19 PM
U.S. delegation, including Kushner and Witkoff, met with Iranian officials, Trump says
President Trump said U.S. and Iranian officials met on Tuesday, shortly after threatening in his address to the U.N. General Assembly that he may "annihilate" the Islamic Republic if a deal isn't reached soon to end the nearly seven-month war.

Mr. Trump told reporters the meeting happened, and ended "about an hour ago," but offered few details about the talks.

"It was a very good meeting," Mr. Trump said. "They have another one scheduled in the very near future."

The meeting lasted about three hours, Mr. Trump said, and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and special envoy Steve Witkoff were part of it.

Witkoff echoed that the meeting went well, saying "I feel very good right now," but provided no further details.

1:50 PM
Iran and U.S. have held peace talks today, Trump says
The U.S. and Iran have held talks Tuesday while both countries are at the U.N. for this week's General Assembly, President Trump said. He also said he believes the U.S. will come to an agreement with Iran, though he did not specify when.

"I think that a settlement is going to be reached," Mr. Trump said during a bilateral meeting with U.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham. "They want to talk to us. They have been talking to us. Even today, they've been talking to us, and the relationship is developing, let's say."

Mr. Trump was not more specific about what he meant by the "relationship is developing," or put a timeframe on when the agreement would come. Earlier in the day, however, he expected the deal to come after the midterm elections.

The president also seemed to say Iran has agreed they will not pursue a nuclear weapon.

"They understand that we can't let them have a nuclear weapon, and there's a price to pay for that," Mr. Trump said.

The Iranian delegation is expected in New York City for the U.N. General Assembly on Wednesday, though it's not yet clear whether Mr. Trump will meet with either their president or foreign minister.

12:52 PM
U.N. secretary-general says superpowers' "power isn't so super," calls for "world built on interdependence"
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres pleaded for "a world built on interdependence" as he made his final address Tuesday to a yearly gathering of world leaders convening to face a formidable menu of challenges — from climate change and war to inequality and artificial intelligence.

The U.N. leader has long implored leaders not to give up on cooperation and shared decision-making in the face of accelerating global challenges and increasing great-powers competition.

Guterres also rebuked might-makes-right thinking, telling superpowers to recognize "that their power isn't so super." Recent years have made it clear that "military power alone cannot secure peace," he said.

Yet, about an hour after Guterres spoke, President Trump offered a different and equally frank view of power.

"While others have promised strength, I have used it to make America the most powerful country in the world," Trump said, touting his country's economic, technological and military footprint.

12:24 PM
U.K. military to assist Saudi fight against Houthis with refueling aircraft
The U.K. is the latest country to come to Saudi Arabia's assistance in the country's fight against the Iran-backed Houthi militia in Yemen.

Air-to-air refueling aircraft will be provided by the U.K. "in support of the legitimate government of Yemen," according to the ministry of defense.

The Houthis have a longstanding feud with Saudi Arabia that was reignited in recent months following a four-year truce. The Houthis announced they would begin targeting Saudi-flagged oil tankers transiting the Bab el-Mandeb Strait out of the Red Sea in solidarity with Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

Those widening strikes were followed by a military blitz last week, capturing new ground from government forces in western Yemen and taking control of the key coastal city of Mokha. The Houthis have also increasingly targeted energy infrastructure in Saudi Arabia.

"Saudi Arabia and Yemen are long-standing partners of the United Kingdom and play a vital role in regional stability," the ministry said in a statement. "It is in the UK's interest to protect regional stability, protecting vital trade and energy supplies and encouraging a diplomatic resolution to the conflict in Yemen."

The U.K. has already provided missile-defense systems for the Saudis, largely to prevent Iranian strikes, while the U.S. is a major backer of the Saudis. Also, Pakistan and Turkey recently signed a defense pact with Saudi Arabia that could lead to their involvement in the war.

11:47 AM
Stocks climb as oil slides, AI buzz returns
Stock markets advanced Tuesday as oil prices fell further on speculation the United States and Iran could make progress on talks to end the Mideast war this week, with enthusiasm about Meta's new AI agent fanning a tech rally.

The Brent international crude benchmark was back below $100 a barrel, with investors eyeing a potential meeting between President Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian at the U.N. General Assembly in New York.

Hopes that Saudi Arabia will quickly resume flows through its East-West pipeline added to the downward pressure.

That added to the positive mood from a renewed burst of confidence in artificial intelligence, which pushed technology stocks higher in Asia.

Wall Street indices opened higher after the Nasdaq hit an all-time closing high Monday, and stocks were broadly higher in Europe after rising in Asia.

Enthusiasm poured back into the technology sector after Facebook owner Meta's free AI agent Muse topped the download charts following its release this month.

"If there is widespread adoption of Muse, it could add to demand for other AI tools, which could lift the AI sector, after a rough few months," said Kathleen Brooks, research director at trading group XTB.

Meta said Muse, which can book travel, send emails and make purchases, was built for people with no technical background and is designed to work the way people already message each other.

11:18 AM
Trump says deciding between deal or driving Iran "into hell"
President Trump told the United Nations General Assembly Tuesday that he had to choose whether to "annihilate" Iran if it fails to make a deal to end the Iran war.

"I have a big decision to make – will a deal be made with Iran that lets them rebuild and create a far greater country than it ever was before, maybe one of the greatest in the Middle East or even the world?" Mr. Trump said.

"Or do I annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly, never giving them a chance to kill and destroy people and countries again?" he said. "Do I drive them into hell with no chance of survival and no hope of future greatness or generations?"

The president also reiterated that he believes an agreement is possible before U.S. midterm elections in November, in which his Republican Party faces losing control of Congress at least partly due to high fuel prices caused by the war.

"I believe we'll make a deal right after the election because it doesn't make sense for them not to," he said.

"They're waiting to see how I do in the midterm election. What they don't realize is that I'm not running. I did that already, and won in a landslide," he said.

Mr. Trump said Sunday he would "probably" meet on the sidelines of the U.N. summit with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who is attending along with the country's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

10:48 AM
Putin and Saudi crown prince discuss conflict in Yemen
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman discussed the deteriorating situation in Yemen and the wider Persian Gulf during a phone call on Tuesday, according to the Kremlin.

Putin stressed the need for political and diplomatic efforts to normalize the regional crisis, while both sides called for an early end to fighting in Yemen and the launch of constructive intra-Yemeni dialogue under United Nations supervision.

The Saudi-backed government of Yemen has since 2014 been locked in a civil war with Iranian-backed Houthi rebels. A fragile ceasefire that had held since 2022 was broken this summer as the war in Iran engulfed the region.

The two leaders also discussed the importance of safe and unhindered shipping through regional waterways, including the Bab al-Mandeb strait and the Strait of Hormuz.

10:01 AM
Iran Air says it has not received any regional flight ban despite U.S. sanctions, says state news agency
Iran's national airline Iran Air on Tuesday said it had not been informed of any ban on services to neighboring countries, a day before the U.S. is due to tighten sanctions against the Iranian aviation sector.

"Iran Air has not received any notification or official instruction from the civil aviation authorities of Turkey, the Republic of Azerbaijan, or Iraq regarding a halt or suspension of the airline's flights to Istanbul, Baku, and Najaf," the company said in a statement carried by state news agency IRNA.

On Monday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC that as of Wednesday, "all the Iranian airlines will be shut down around the world."

"If they land, you cannot provide them with fuel, you cannot provide them with landing services, you cannot sell them tickets, or you will be knocked out of the dollar system," Bessent warned.

9:11 AM
Iranian-backed Houthis say Saudi attack on Yemen prison killed 9 people
An attack by Saudi Arabia on a prison in northwest Yemen killed nine detainees, a Houthi official told the Saba news agency, which is affiliated with the Iran-backed rebel group, on Tuesday.

"Nine prisoners captured during recent events were killed last night when the Saudi enemy targeted a prison" in Al-Hazm, in Yemen's Al-Jawf governorate, Houthi official Abdelkader al-Murtada told the agency.

The conflict between the Iranian backed Houthi rebels and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government has escalated significantly in recent weeks, with the Houthis seizing strategic territory along the Red Sea coast, near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

President Trump had considered bombing Houthi positions in Yemen over the weekend, but decided against it late Saturday night, sources familiar with the discussions told CBS News on Monday.

8:16 AM
China says it opposes "illegal" U.S. sanctions on Iranian airlines
China's government said Tuesday it opposed "illegal" U.S. sanctions on Iranian airlines, a day after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent threatened potential measures in a televised interview.

"China consistently opposes illegal unilateral sanctions that lack a basis in international law or authorisation from the U.N. Security Council," foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said during a news conference.

The remark came ahead of a highly-anticipated meeting between President Trump and China's President Xi Jinping in Washington this Thursday.

8:11 AM
U.S. open to meeting with Iranian officials at the U.N., says Rubio, but nothing scheduled
The U.S. is open to meeting with Iranian officials at the U.N. General Assembly in New York this week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told NBC's "Today" show on Tuesday.

"We're open to that," he said. "I don't ?think anything is scheduled at this point, but we're certainly open to something like that, especially if ?it has the prospects of leading to something positive and ultimately ?achieving the goal of what this is all about."

President Trump told Fox News Sunday he would "probably" be willing to meet Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the summit. Pezeshkian will attend the annual General Assembly along with Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

Both men have said they will defend Iran's positions on the war during the summit.

8:11 AM
Iranian official tells Reuters U.S. must make interest in peace deal "official," but indicates desire to "move forward"
"The U.S. needs to announce that it wants to resolve the issue diplomatically, make that official, and then agree on a timeline for how the process will move forward," a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Tuesday, corroborating a Japanese news agency's report that Tehran could reopen the Strait of Hormuz within a week if the U.S. steps back from military threats and ?lifts its blockade of Iranian ports and vessels.

The official told Reuters that Iran's delegation to the U.N. General Assembly, lead by ?President Masoud Pezeshkian, had been given authority by the Islamic Republic's supreme leader to revive diplomacy with the U?.S., but they ruled out a meeting between Mr. Trump and his Iranian counterpart at U.N. headquarters in New York.

The Iranian official said the offer was presented to U.S. officials on Sept. 16., and that diplomatic efforts toward a peace deal could be revived this week via mediators, which have included Qatari, Pakistani and other regional officials.

6:27 AM
Oil prices keep falling as reports say key Saudi pipeline back online, Iran offering Strait of Hormuz deal
Global oil prices continued their five-day descent Tuesday, with international benchmark Brent crude dropping back below $100 per barrel for the first time in two weeks amid reports of potential good news on the supply front.

The Reuters news agency cited three unnamed sources as saying Tuesday that Saudi Arabia had restarted operations at its crucial East-West Crude Oil Pipeline, which it said could see exports resume from its Red Sea port of Yanbu later in the day.

The sources said the pipeline, which was knocked out of service by drone attacks blamed on Iran-backed groups in Iraq early this month, was still only carrying a relatively low quantity of oil.

Officials previously said it could be out of service for as long as five weeks.

Saudi Arabia's state energy giant Aramco did not immediately confirm the Reuters report.

With the U.S.-Iran war severely restricting tanker traffic out of the Persian Gulf, Saudi Arabia has relied heavily on its East-West pipeline to get oil to the market by shipping it out of Yanbu and through the Red Sea.

Separately, Japanese state news agency Kyodo reported Tuesday that Iran was offering to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to commercial traffic within a week if the U.S. drops its naval blockade of Iranian ports and vessels.

There was no immediate confirmation of that offer as Iran's president and President Trump both headed for the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday, where Mr. Trump has said he could be willing to meet with his Iranian counterpart.

5:25 AM
Iran has "no trust" in the United Nations, foreign minister says
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tuesday that Iran has "no trust" in the United Nations in its current form, with the country's President Masoud Pezeshkian en route to New York to attend the U.N.'s annual General Assembly.

Araghchi said that Pezeshkian would use his speech at the U.N. to "defend the legitimacy, rights and interests of the Iranian people," before decrying the lack of "serious condemnation" from "Western and European countries" of "the crimes that have been committed" in Gaza and the West Bank, Lebanon and Iran.

"Therefore, naturally, no trust remains in an organization that is influenced by these countries," he continued.

President Trump said Sunday that he would "probably" be willing to meet with Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the General Assembly.

3:43 AM
Saudi authorities briefly warn of "potential danger" near Yemen border for 1st time since major Houthi attack
Saudi Arabia's civil defense agency issued a warning of potential danger in the country's south on Tuesday, the first alert since the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen launched an attack on Riyadh over the weekend.

"A warning has been issued by the National Early Warning Platform in the Najran Province to alert of a potential danger," read a statement posted online by the agency, which asked people to remain indoors and avoid open areas in the province that borders Yemen.

The alert was lifted a short while later.

2:12 AM
Iran president vows to "firmly defend" country's positions at U.N. General Assembly in New York
Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian on Tuesday vowed to "firmly defend" his country's positions as he departed for New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly.

"We emerged with our heads held high, and this is a source of dignity and pride for all of us. Therefore, we will firmly defend our positions in international forums," he said before flying out of Iran, according to video broadcast by Iranian state television.

Pezeshkian is due to speak at the U.N. meeting on Wednesday.

"We will make the best possible use of this opportunity to convey Iran's plight to the international community. We will firmly tell our adversaries that, despite all the unfairness and injustices, the Iranian people have stood their ground," he said.

Pezeshkian will be the highest-ranking Iranian official to set foot on American soil since the start of the Middle East war, which began in late February with U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran.

The United States has approved the U.N. visits for part of the Iranian delegation despite the war, but the group will be subject to movement restrictions, according to the State Department.

The Iranian president's communications team have not been authorized to travel, however, having been denied visas.

President Trump said Sunday that he would "probably" be willing to meet with Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the U.N. gathering, but no plans for such an encounter have been announced by either side.

5:49 PM / September 21, 2026
U.K. to provide Saudi Arabia some military support to counter Houthi attacks
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Monday the United Kingdom has agreed to provide limited military support to Saudi Arabia to repel attacks by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.

Burnham told reporters as he flew to the United Nations General Assembly in New York that he had agreed the Royal Air Force will provide air-to-air refueling of Saudi planes. The agreement is for a matter of weeks.

The conflict between the Houthis and Yemen's Saudi-backed government has reignited, with the Houthis aiming missile and drone strikes at Saudi Arabia, including one that targeted Riyadh on Saturday before being intercepted. The Houthis also declared a blockade on Saudi shipping in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Red Sea, attacking Saudi-linked vessels and oil facilities inside the kingdom, one of the world's top oil exporters.

The Houthis advanced inside Yemen earlier this month, seizing the crucial port city of Mokha and key Red Sea islands, allowing them to better monitor shipping traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb, through which some 12% of world trade normally passes.

President Trump weighed striking the Houthis over the weekend after Saudi Arabia requested help, but late Saturday, he decided against ordering U.S. strikes, CBS News has previously reported.

Burnham said he was "acting to secure the interests of Britain and the wider region, because of course Saudi Arabia has been experiencing attack, is looking at potential further disruption, and we need to keep those pathways [for oil] open."

Britain has condemned the Houthi attacks and said the U.K. will "work with partners to support regional stability, protect civilians and support humanitarian access."

2:02 PM / September 21, 2026
Houthi leader lashes out at Saudis in televised speech
The leader of the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen used the anniversary of his group's overthrow of the Yemeni government to lash out at Saudi Arabia.

In a pre-recorded speech aired Monday, Abdul Malik al-Houthi said his group's demands include an end to what he called Saudi "aggression" and the blockade the Saudi-led coalition has imposed on the rebels for about a decade.

"Stop the aggression and end the blockade. Our demands represent the legitimate rights of our people," he said in the speech aired by the Houthi-run al-Masirah channel.

The Houthis descended from their stronghold in northern Yemen, taking over the capital of Sanaa in September 2014 and forcing the country's government into exile in Saudi Arabia.

The following year, Saudi Arabia led a multinational coalition that entered the war in an attempt to restore the government. The coalition imposed an air and sea blockade on the Houthi-held areas, as part of its war efforts.

1:32 PM / September 21, 2026
In war's opening days, Iran's attacks on Bahrain caught Navy families and sailors by surprise
On the very first day of the war, Iran targeted the Navy's Middle East headquarters in Bahrain — before the U.S. government had evacuated all the military families based there. Some had to wait about a week or more to reach safety, according to multiple families who spoke to CBS News.

"You're definitely scared," one military spouse said. "As the week goes on, you wake up to ballistic missiles being fired. We went to sleep with the sound of ballistic missiles again."

Iranian missiles and drones targeted Bahrain consistently for several days after the war began, according to another spouse. The scale and duration of those attacks appeared to take the U.S. government by surprise, three sources who were in Bahrain at the time told CBS News, in part because families hadn't been required to evacuate until the war had already begun.

The military had anticipated some retaliation and had even evacuated the headquarters' buildings on the base, but "we weren't expecting that [scale]," one U.S. official said. And there were still several military families living off the base nearby.

1:07 PM / September 21, 2026
Iraq to suspend Iranian airlines sanctioned by the U.S., sources tell AFP news agency
Iraq will suspend flights by Iranian airlines after the U.S. Treasury chief warned that the sanctioned airlines would be "shut down" worldwide later this week.

Two Iraqi government sources confirmed the decision to AFP on Monday, with one saying that Baghdad would "enforce the ban on Iranian airlines in accordance with the U.S. Treasury decision starting Tuesday at dawn." The source warned that countries that do not implement the decision risk sanctions.

On Monday, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned that Iranian airlines will have trouble functioning under the weight of American sanctions.

"If they land, you cannot provide them with fuel, you cannot provide them with landing services, you cannot sell them tickets or you will be knocked out of the dollar system," he told CNBC in an interview.

Iran's airspace was completely shut after the U.S. and Israel launched attacks in late February. Since then, some travel has resumed but only for flights run by Iranian carriers.


Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian (center) attends a rally in Tehran, Sept. 18, 2026. Iranian Presidency/Handout/Anadolu/Getty

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