US-Iran War Live News Updates: All Iranian airlines to be shut down worldwide on Sept 23: US official Bessent

Scott Bessent warns foreign airports against servicing Iranian carriers or risking expulsion from dollar system.

Tensions across the Middle East sharpened this week as Yemeni government forces struck Houthi positions, Iran signaled the terms under which it might end hostilities with Washington, and new flashpoints emerged from Gaza to the Strait of Hormuz. Airlines are pulling back from Iranian airspace, Washington is tightening pressure through visa denials and reconstruction diplomacy, and Iranian military commanders continue projecting readiness for renewed conflict  even as diplomatic signals suggest room for an eventual off-ramp.

Yemen’s government forces reported hitting Houthi fighters and supply lines in two areas  near the Bab al-Mandeb strait and in al-Bayda governorate south of Sanaa as fighting with the Iran-aligned group continues. At the same time, Iranian officials indicated conditions under which Tehran would be willing to end its standoff with the US, even as its military leadership struck a defiant tone: the army chief said forces remain alert and ready to counter any fresh US or Israeli action, while the Revolutionary Guards went further, warning they were positioned to deliver a forceful response and citing their handling of the Hormuz corridor as proof of Iran’s leverage.

Key world developments: 

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• Yemeni forces say they struck Houthi fighters and supply routes near Bab al-Mandeb and in al-Bayda governorate.
• Iran’s army commander says forces are fully prepared for any renewed US or Israeli attack; the IRGC warns of a “devastating response.”
• Turkish Airlines has suspended flights to Iran until March 2027, per Iran International, as the US separately moves to ground all Iranian airlines worldwide.
• Washington has denied visas to members of Iran’s UN delegation while floating a $5 billion plan to help rebuild Gulf energy sites, per the WSJ.
• A UK maritime agency kept its Strait of Hormuz threat level at “severe” after a tanker attack wounded two crew members; three Palestinians were killed in continued Israeli strikes on Gaza.

Follow the latest world news and major international developments here. This live blog is a rolling curation of the day’s key global stories, with updates added as events unfold and the news agenda changes. The headline, introduction and Top Developments section will be refreshed throughout the day to reflect the stories that matter most at that moment.

Live Updates
Sep 22, 2026 05:21 AM IST
US refuses visas for Iran UN delegation members: state media

Iran has accused the Trump administration of an "unprecedented hostile" act after Washington denied visas to members of President Masoud Pezeshkian's delegation ahead of his UN General Assembly address this week, according to Iranian state media cited by AFP. The move comes as Pezeshkian prepares to become the highest-ranking Iranian official to visit the US since the war between Israel, the US and Iran erupted in February.

Key points:

Iranian state agencies IRNA and Mehr reported that the US denied visas to several members of Pezeshkian's high-level delegation, including his communications team, ahead of his UN appearance.
Pezeshkian is set to address the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, marking his first visit to the US since the outbreak of the Iran-Israel-US war in February.
Foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei condemned the decision as trampling on "the right of access to information," linking it to the Trump administration's recent ban of three major US media outlets from the White House.
Sep 22, 2026 05:15 AM IST
US to reopen Cold War-era Bases in Greenland under new arctic security deal

The United States is preparing to reopen a Cold War-era military base in southern Greenland and establish a new military presence at a base on the island's east coast, according to Reuters.

Sources told the wire that the US, Denmark and Greenland are expected to formalize the agreement on Tuesday at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. One of the sites, Mestersvig, is currently home to the Sirius Dog Sled Patrol, while the other, Narsarsuaq, has seen its population shrink to just a few dozen residents since the US shut down its Bluie West One base there in the 1950s.

The move follows last week's announcement of a broader Arctic security pact between Washington, Copenhagen and Nuuk an agreement that came after President Trump had previously pushed to annex the semi-autonomous Danish territory by force.

Sep 22, 2026 05:07 AM IST
Two Republican Senate candidates call for swift end to Iran war, diverging from Trump

Two Republicans in tight US Senate races called on Monday for a swift end to the war in Iran, the latest sign that vulnerable candidates are trying to put some distance between themselves and President Donald Trump over a conflict that has pushed up fuel prices, including a surge in diesel to record highs.

Both Mike Rogers, locked in a competitive race against Democrat Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan, and Ashley Hinson, who is facing Democrat Josh Turek in a close ⁠contest in ​Iowa, struck a more dovish tone on Iran on Monday, after previously backing Trump's authority to strike Tehran.

Sep 22, 2026 05:04 AM IST
UK PM agrees to Saudi request for refuelling support

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham says he has agreed ⁠to a ⁠request from Saudi Arabia to provide defensive air-to-air refuelling for a limited period, a move he described as helping ⁠to stabilise the wider region.

“Because of course Saudi Arabia has been experiencing attacks … and we need to ⁠keep those pathways open, and hence ⁠our agreement to the request,” he said.

The UK and Saudi Arabia have been close military allies for decades, with Britain serving as one of the kingdom’s largest arms suppliers.

Sep 22, 2026 04:52 AM IST
Turkish Airlines suspends flight to Iran until March 2027: Iran International

Turkish Airlines has suspended all flights to Iran until at least March 2027, Iran International reported, citing a company representative on Monday.

No official statement has been issued by the airline.

The reported move comes as Iraq plans to halt Iranian carriers following a US Treasury warning of a worldwide shutdown of their operations.

According to the outlet, the representative said by phone that the airline currently had no flights scheduled to Iran before March and that there was no guarantee services would resume even then.

Sep 22, 2026 04:48 AM IST
IRGC says ready to deliver 'devastating response' to US, Israel

Iran's Revolutionary Guards issued a defiant warning on Monday, declaring the country's armed forces on high alert and prepared to strike back forcefully against any US or Israeli aggression. The statement, timed to coincide with the anniversary of the Iran-Iraq war, underscored Tehran's confidence in its military standing amid the region's ongoing tensions.

Key points:

The IRGC said Iran's forces are "finger on the trigger" and ready to deliver a "decisive and devastating" response to the US and Israel.
The statement came as Iran marked the anniversary of the start of the 1980s Iran-Iraq war.
The Guards claimed Iran's military has reached a level of capability that allows it to neutralize threats "at their source," pointing to recent operations against the US and Israel as evidence.
Iran cited its handling of the Strait of Hormuz as proof of its military strength.
The Guards said Washington and Israel will eventually have to accept a Middle East without their presence.
Sep 22, 2026 04:46 AM IST
US to open two new military bases in Greenland, sources say

The US plans to reopen a former Cold War-era military base in southern Greenland and set up a military presence at an east coast base now used by the Danish dog sled patrol under an agreement to be signed by the US, Denmark and Greenland on Tuesday, according to three people familiar with the matter.

Those sites are Narsarsuaq, whose ⁠population ​has dwindled to a few dozen people since the US closed its Bluie West One military base in the 1950s, and Mestersvig, a military outpost currently used by the Sirius Dog Sled Patrol, a Danish special forces unit, said ​two ​of the people.

Sep 22, 2026 04:44 AM IST
Here's a quick breakdown of what happened so far:

A busy stretch of US political news saw press freedom tensions escalate at the White House, Republican unease grow over war-driven fuel prices.

Key points:

Press access lawsuit: Politico, CNN and MS Now filed suit on Monday after Trump abruptly banned them from the White House on Friday over what he called unfavorable coverage. In solidarity, the remaining White House press pool outlets — ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox News paused their routine coverage of the president, leaving him temporarily without his usual rotating camera crew.
GOP pressure over diesel prices: With the Iran conflict driving up diesel costs that affect trucking, farming and heavy industry, prominent Republicans are pushing back. Senator Chuck Grassley called for a diesel export embargo, while Iowa Senate candidate Ashley Hinson urged price relief measures and an "immediate" end to the war.
Trump's diplomatic week: Trump is traveling to New York for the UN General Assembly, where he's expected to meet Venezuela's US-backed interim president, Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and possibly Iranian leadership. He'll first meet with NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani, with whom he's maintained an unexpectedly cordial relationship despite their political differences.

Sep 22, 2026 04:39 AM IST
Trump administration proposes $5 billion to rebuild Gulf energy sites: WSJ

The Trump administration has proposed investing $5 billion in a new fund that would help Middle East countries rebuild energy infrastructure battered in the Iran war and reduce their reliance on the Strait of Hormuz to transport oil and gas, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday, citing US and Middle Eastern officials and documents.

Reuters could not immediately verify the report.

Sep 22, 2026 04:38 AM IST
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