Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave a speech Thursday at the UN General Assembly defending his nation’s military campaigns across the Middle East, including in Iran and Gaza. As Netanyahu spoke, dozens of delegates walked out in protest, highlighting Israel’s growing isolation on the international stage.
“If there are any other moral cowards who haven’t left the hall, please do so now,” Netanyahu said in response.
The Israeli leader defended his decision to wage war on Iran. “Devastating Iran’s nuclear facilities was hard,” Netanyahu said. “But for me, it was one of the easiest decisions I’ve ever had to make as prime minister.”
The same day, Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian told reporters at the General Assembly that the Islamic Republic wants the United States to return to a framework peace deal before the midterm elections in November. That deal—called the “memorandum of understanding—was signed by Pezeshkian and President Donald Trump in June but swiftly broke down.
In a Fox News interview that aired Thursday, Pezeshkian said he had met in person for seven hours with Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei about a month ago. Many have speculated that Khamenei, who succeeded his slain father, is gravely injured if not dead, but Pezeshkian said he was “completely” healthy.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi told media outlets that Tehran had delivered a proposal for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, reviving nuclear talks, and ending hostilities. The proposal requires the U.S. to honor commitments it had made in the MOU and sets an ambitious timeline of seven days.
Officials from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan will soon hold a “military meeting” in Riyadh to discuss attacks by the Iran-backed Yemeni Houthis on Saudi territory and assets, Al Jazeera reported Friday. The three countries signed a defense pact in August.
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