Middle East crises loom in background as NATO leaders gather in Washington While this year's summit is expected to focus largely on the ongoing war in Ukraine, Iran's military support for Russia and Turkey's strategic balancing act with Moscow are expected to weigh on NATO leaders gathered in Washington. Washington Pulse
US, Israel hold second virtual meeting on Rafah Biden administration officials have denied offering to green-light an Israeli invasion of Rafah if Israel holds off on retaliating against Iran. Washington Pulse
State Department staffer resigns over Biden's handling of Gaza Annelle Sheline is the second State Department official to publicly resign since Oct. 7, citing the erosion of US credibility on human rights in the Middle East as a result of the war. Washington Pulse
US Navy plans for smaller fleet amid spending caps despite Middle East crisis Facing budget caps and new procurement delays, the Navy is poised to reduce the overall size of its fleet even as attacks by Iran and its proxies in Yemen have led to unprecedented disruptions of commercial shipping in the Red Sea. Washington Pulse
Exclusive US government employees plan walkout over Biden’s Gaza policies By Joyce Karam , Elizabeth Hagedorn
Europeans: Trump can win on Iran without ending nuclear deal Envoys to Washington say trans-Atlantic cooperation against Tehran needs to build on the 2015 nuclear accord, not undermine it. United States
Iranians welcome Rouhani’s response to Trump at UN Most Iranians, with the exception of some hard-liners, praised President Hassan Rouhani for his speech at the UN General Assembly. United States
Saudis tout humanitarian record in Yemen amid Washington backlash Saudi Arabia’s top aid official is in the United States to convince lawmakers and the US aid agency that it has Yemenis’ best interests at heart. Saudi Arabia
Trump blasts Iran regime at UN Trump said the people of Iran want change in his debut address to the UN, but his advisers insist regime change isn’t on the table. Originals
US Air Force says Qatar blockade has 'no impact' on American base The United States is flying more missions out of al-Udeid than before the Saudi-led embargo. Qatar
Trump talks up peace prospects with Netanyahu at UN meeting The US president made a stirring case for Middle East peace at his UN debut with Netanyahu, but the Israeli leader steered the conversation back to Iran. United States
NY meeting golden opportunity for Iran-US de-escalation While Iran and the United States are presenting clashing narratives of who organized the meeting in New York on Sept. 20, the session presents a golden opportunity for de-escalation between the two sides. United States
Congress fuels Christian rivalries with bid to arm Iraqi militias A House effort to arm Iraqi Christian militias risks making an already tense standoff in the Ninevah Plains even worse. Iraq
US waives Iran sanctions, but says no final decision made on nuclear deal The United States waived nuclear-related Iran sanctions, but President Donald Trump has not yet made a decision on the nuclear deal or Iran policy more broadly. United States
US faces WWII-scale explosives cleanup in Iraq after Islamic State fight Cleaning up the booby traps that IS fighters have left all over the country will take many years and millions of dollars. Iraq
Iran, US align against Iraqi Kurdistan referendum Iran and the United States jointly but separately are putting the screws on Massoud Barzani to halt his drive for Iraqi Kurdistan to hold its upcoming independence referendum. Iraqi-Kurdistan
Europe urges Trump to keep Iran deal while exploring other pressure points European allies are urging the Trump administration to stick with the JCPOA even as they discuss other ways to address Iranian threats. United States
