Trump posts map showing ‘Trump Strait’ off Iran, and other Mideast developments
U.S. President Donald Trump has posted an image of the Strait of Hormuz labeled ” shortly after Iran proposed a deal to open the waterway within a week if the U.S. meets certain conditions.
Meanwhile, Iranian media outlets say the country’s president has left New York after the United Nations gathering of world leaders that included Iran’s indirect talks with the United States. And Saudi Arabia says it has intercepted another missile it blames on Iran -backed Houthis in neighboring Yemen.Here is a look at the latest news from the Middle East on Saturday. More coverage of the U.N. General Assembly is available here.
Trump posts a map calling key waterway ‘Trump Strait’
Trump posted an image early Saturday morning on his Truth Social platform of the Strait of Hormuz labeled “Trump Strait,” in the first public indication of his thinking after Iran proposed the new deal and suggested it might help Trump ahead of the midterm elections.Semiofficial media outlets in Iran reported that President Masoud Pezeshkian has departed New York for Tehran after the annual U.N. gathering of world leaders.
Pezeshkian’s speech to the gathering pushed back against Trump’s latest threat to “annihilate” the Islamic Republic, but he ended by saying Tehran remains open to diplomacy.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told journalists Friday night that under Tehran’s proposal, Iran would reopen the Strait of Hormuz and resume talks on its nuclear program in seven days if the United States lifts its naval blockade of Iranian ports, waives sanctionsSaudi Arabia’s military spokesperson, Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki, claimed early Saturday that a ballistic missile launched by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in neighboring Yemen was intercepted and destroyed. He said it was fired toward the southwestern city of Khamis Mushait.
The Associated Press couldn’t immediately verify that independently. There was no immediate statement of responsibility, though it can take days for the Houthis to issue one.Iraq said it is in direct contact with the U.S. to secure exemptions from sanctions on Iranian airlines as Washington continues economic pressure on Tehran.
The Iraqi prime minister’s office said the aim is to get exemptions for certain airports, noting flights for humanitarian reasons such as medical treatment, education and religious pilgrimages.
Many pilgrims in neighboring Iran visit sites such as Karbala