Morning update

Live Blog Update| War on Iran 17 September 2026 07:14 BST Good morning Middle East Eye readers, Here are the latest developments: US president Donald Trump is expected to meet Gulf leaders on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday to discuss the next steps in the war on Iran, Axios reporting. The report indicated that discussion will likely focus on Washington's ideas for a postwar strategy. The US State Department announced it would extend sanctions denying visas to Palestinian Authority officials and members of the Palestine Liberation Organization ahead of the upcoming UN General Assembly in New York next week. According to AFP citing a source familiar with the matter, the US has already denied Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas an entry visa to attend the event. South Korea's foreign minister told reporters that no decision has been made on any military deployment to the Strait of Hormuz. "Our position remains that no decision has been made yet, and we are reviewing all relevant factors,” Cho Hyun said, before departing for Washington, where he is due to hold talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on various topics, including regional and global issues. US President Donald Trump claimed that Iran has directly reached out to Washington and wants to reach a deal. "They want to make a deal, and we’ll see how that works out," he told reporters after landing in North Carolina. The American president also said that "hopefully we are towards the end of the war". Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi has praised recent "successful" consultations with Chinese officials. "Iran values strategic partnership we have built over time," he said in a post on X. "Today's decisions will decide future strategic balance in the region, with immeasurable knock-on effects." Araghchi also backed Chinese President Xi Jinping’s four principles for regional peace.