COMBATE Digest - combate-20260923-0000Z

🌍 WEST ASIA

UPDATE: Araghchi Meets Witkoff, Delivers Iran's Conditions for Reopening Hormuz

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met US special envoy Steve Witkoff on the UN General Assembly sidelines and laid out Tehran's conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz: an end to the US naval blockade, the release of frozen Iranian assets, and an end to the war in the region (sputnikvietnam_rss, sputnikbrasil_rss, sputnikarabic_rss). Mehr reported the meeting took place at the US side's insistence, with Iran conveying the immediate lifting of the siege, payment of all blocked assets and an end to the war on all resistance fronts (mehrnews). Witkoff said the sides "engaged in lengthy talks with the Iranian delegation through the mediators, who shuttled between the two sides throughout the day," and that the mediators will continue their work (tabzlive). Trump said the meeting lasted three hours and went "very well" (sputnikserbia_rss), that Witkoff and Jared Kushner held a productive session with mediators on an Iran deal (tass_rss), and that he believes a deal will come right after the November election (tass_rss). Iran's ambassador to Moscow Kazem Jalali countered that Iran "is not holding any negotiations" with the US and that Trump "lies every day" about the actions of Iranian officials (tass_rss); Jalali added Pezeshkian will act in Iran's interests regarding any Trump meeting (tass_rss).

Trump Threatens "Quick Annihilation" of Iran in UN Speech

In his General Assembly address Trump said he is at "a stage of big decision" — either a deal letting Iran build "a far greater country than it ever was before," or quick annihilation with no chance of survival (tass_rss, rt_all_rss, sputnikvietnam_rss). He claimed Iran repeatedly rejected US nuclear proposals and vowed never to allow a nuclear weapon (tass_rss), asserting Iran built a missile capable of hitting Europe to shield completion of a bomb (farsna). RT DE described a 38-minute speech of self-praise and threats that also renamed artificial intelligence "superintelligence" in US documents (rtde_live_rss). Iran's delegation left the hall as Trump spoke (sepah_pasdaran). IRGC spokesman General Mohebbi told Al-Arabi that if the US attacks Pickaxe Mountain "or anywhere else" in Iran, the response will come with full power, with its form a military secret shown only in the field (mehrnews).

Qatar Calls for New Gulf Security Architecture With Iran

Qatar called for building a new security arrangement bringing the Gulf monarchies and Iran together, saying stability rests on dialogue, mutual guarantees and greater economic interdependence with Tehran (rt_french_rss).

Yemen: New Footage, Reported F-15 Loss and Chinese Missile Debris

Arab media reported Yemen's armed forces downed another Saudi F-15, with no official statement yet issued (farsna); Pars Today relayed unofficial accounts that two Saudi pilots were taken prisoner by Ansar Allah in Hodeidah (parstodayrussian). Ansar Allah published new footage of its offensive against Saudi-backed forces, said to have taken key areas along the Bab el-Mandeb strait (rt_spanish_rss). CGTN reported intensified fighting as Ansar Allah presses for strategic highlands, and that the Trump administration prepared airstrikes for Sunday before canceling them at the last moment while leaving Saudi requests unanswered (yt_cgtnespanol). RT DE reported that remains of a Chinese DF-15A medium-range missile found in Yemeni desert suggest Saudi Arabia may have fired the system for the first time, potentially exposing a secret chapter of Chinese-Saudi arms cooperation (rtde_live_rss).

Eight Arab and Islamic Ministers Demand Israel Implement Gaza Plan

The foreign ministers of Egypt, Qatar, Jordan, the UAE, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia issued a joint statement urging Israel to immediately honor its first-phase commitments under the Gaza plan, guarantee humanitarian and recovery aid access, and rejecting any displacement of Palestinians (sputnikarabic_rss).

Around West Asia

Djibouti's government estimates another 10,000 people could cross from Yemen as the war drives a new displacement flow, on top of pressure from Sudan and Ethiopia (yt_france24es). An IRGC commander in Tehran announced the "Ransom for Iran" maneuver with 40,000 motorcyclists along the route from Imam Hussein Square to Azadi Square (meo_verified). Iran's atomic energy chief Mohammad Eslami said his ban from the IAEA General Conference produced "a stunning outcome," without elaborating (meo_verified).

🌍 EUROPE

Russia Strikes Cargo Ship in Odessa Port

Russia's Defense Ministry said forces struck a dry cargo ship in Odessa port that had delivered military cargo to Ukraine's armed forces, part of continued strikes on logistics centers, port infrastructure and vessels supporting the Ukrainian military (sputnikarabic_rss, sputnikglobe_rss).

Rubio: Ukraine Attacking Oil Tankers Linked to US Companies

Rubio said the White House is concerned about Ukrainian attacks on oil tankers connected to the US near the Caspian Pipeline Consortium terminal in the Black Sea, a route for Kazakh oil in which Chevron and ExxonMobil hold stakes (rtde_live_rss).

Trump Meets Zelensky, Says He's Discussing Peace Terms With Putin

Meeting Zelensky on the assembly margins, Trump said he is discussing with Putin the terms of a possible Russia-Ukraine peace deal (sputnikbrasil_rss), telling the assembly the conflict will be resolved "more quickly than people understand" (sputnikmundo_rss). Zakharova said Russia will keep using every opportunity for a peaceful settlement discussed at the Anchorage summit but will not abandon its goals (sputnikserbia_rss). Zelensky's former press secretary Yulia Mendel claimed he suffered a malaise on September 14, shouting "Everyone wants to kill me," after ex-prosecutor general Ruslan Kravchenko left the country (rt_french_rss).

Ukraine Battlefield and Wartime Briefs

Ukraine's military reported no successful interceptions of ballistic or Oniks anti-ship missiles during the latest mass strike (sputnikmundo_rss). Ambassador-at-large Miroshnik said Kyiv's forces attacked Russia roughly 9,000 times last week — about 1,300 times a day — including during the Duma elections (sputnikbrasil_rss), and that Moscow has passed data on Ukrainian election interference to international organizations (sputnikvietnam_rss). EU states are finding weapons components and military equipment on fighters returning from the front, per a secret Council of the EU report cited by media (sputnikvietnam_rss). ICC defense lawyer Geert-Jan Alexander Knoops said placing the ICC on US sanctions lists could paralyze all its ongoing proceedings (sputnikvietnam_rss).

Germany's Post-Election Turbulence

Medvedev declared Merz "the most useless chancellor" in German history, citing Russophobia and obsession with Ukraine (sputnikvietnam_rss); Duma speaker Volodin called him a "non-chancellor," predicting Macron's "turn to leave" comes in half a year (sputnikserbia_rss). Merkel urged the CDU to return to Adenauer's principles after defeats in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Berlin (rtde_live_rss). Chemical giant Evonik announced a further 3,200 job cuts after 2,800 in 2025-26, investing instead in Asia and America (rtde_live_rss).

France, Lithuania and the Baltics

Macron pressed von der Leyen to temporarily loosen EU fuel-quality standards, arguing refineries could lift output by up to 20 percent amid diesel shortages (rtde_live_rss); France's Cour des comptes proposed a new "differential" wealth tax for the 2027 budget, a track PM Lecornu has set aside (rt_french_rss). Lithuania's parliament approved in first reading a constitutional amendment ending the ban on stationing weapons of mass destruction (rtde_live_rss), and Vilnius signed a 10-year LNG supply deal with a US producer (rtde_live_rss).

Balkans and Other Briefs

Dodik and Republika Srpska PM Savić Minić met Russian ambassador Kalabukhov, calling friendship with Russia a strategic choice of a free Republika Srpska (sputnikserbia_rss). Vučić, at Guterres' reception for delegation heads, said Serbia must state its positions clearly everywhere (sputnikserbia_rss) and assessed the West "will no longer be united" (sputnikserbia_rss). Croatia released a Kosovo Albanian war-crimes suspect detained on a Serbian warrant over KLA-era allegations (sputnikserbia_rss). Albania suspended intelligence chief Vlora Hiseni and placed her under house arrest in a corruption probe (sputnikserbia_rss). Russia decided to extend ISS operations to 2030 without delaying its own orbital station (sputnikserbia_rss). Burnham reaffirmed to Mauritius' PM Ramgoolam the commitment to ratify the 2025 Chagos accord while guaranteeing Diego Garcia's operation with the US (rt_french_rss). Russian UN mission staff remain confined to a 25-mile zone around New York, with Moscow negotiating to remove the restriction (tass_rss); Lavrov begins his assembly program focused on multipolarity, Eurasian security and anti-colonialism (tass_rss).

🌍 NORTH AMERICA

Trump's Assembly Address: Greenland Bases, Cuba "Will Fall," Mexico's Cartels

Trump announced an immediate US military buildup in Greenland with two new bases (rt_french_rss); Rubio said the island will be America's first line of missile defense since any strike on US territory would come over the Arctic (sputnikserbia_rss). Trump called Cuba a failed state that "is going to fall," with Havana's delegation walking out of the hall (rt_spanish_rss); Díaz-Canel and FM Bruno Rodríguez rejected the claims and defended Cuba's sovereignty (sputnikmundo_rss). He branded Mexico "the epicenter of cartel violence" and its gangs "the ISIS of the Western Hemisphere" (sputnikmundo_rss); Mexico's foreign ministry answered that international law must prevail over force (sputnikmundo_rss). He urged every ICC member state to withdraw "immediately and formally" from the court (farsna).

Washington Weighs Diesel Export Ban

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the administration may fully or partially ban diesel exports to hold down prices, depending on whether US refineries can meet domestic demand (sputnikbrasil_rss).

White House Launches "Trump TV"

The White House launched a 24/7 video stream of Trump's speeches and announcements, created after the credential bans on CNN, MS NOW and Politico and the major networks' suspended coverage (rt_french_rss, yt_telesurenglish).

Briefs

A representative of the Shiny Hunters group claimed a hack of FBI servers exposing data on all bureau employees and applicants (sputnikmundo_rss). Twenty countries proposed an IPCC-style international body to assess risks from advanced AI (rt_french_rss). A UN expert found US strikes on suspected drug-trafficking boats may constitute crimes against humanity — documenting 68 attacks and 223 deaths between September 2025 and August 2026 and rejecting Washington's self-defense justification (rt_french_rss).

🌍 SOUTH AMERICA

Hemisphere Coalition to Sanction "Narco-Terrorist" Groups

Members of the "Shield of the Americas" coalition, at Trump's call, will impose sanctions on 24 criminal organizations labeled narco-terrorists, including Brazil's PCC and Comando Vermelho (sputnikbrasil_rss).

Lula Opens the General Debate

Opening the assembly as tradition dictates, Lula criticized Security Council inaction and addressed the consequences of the Hormuz closure for energy and cooperation (yt_france24es); he said generations of Palestinians will carry the trauma of what he called the genocide carried out by Netanyahu's government while Israeli civilians pay the price of Hamas' radicalism, adding UN rapporteur Francesca Albanese must not be silenced (yt_lajornada2023).

Briefs

Milei is hardening rhetoric over the Malvinas with encouragement from Trump as popularity pressure builds ahead of elections (sputnikbrasil_rss).

🌍 EAST ASIA

Xi Jinping Departs for First US State Visit in 11 Years

Xi left for the United States on his first state visit in 11 years amid trade tensions and geopolitical differences; Beijing called the exchange of leaders' visits within half a year "a historic milestone" (sputnikvietnam_rss, sputnikarabic_rss).

🌍 AFRICA

Libya's Zawiya Refinery Shut as NOC Prepares Force Majeure

Libya's National Oil Corporation said Petroleum Facilities Guard members closed the Zawiya refinery and Brega marketing gates, preventing staff and night-shift changes, and that it is preparing to declare force majeure (sputnikarabic_rss); economists warned prolonged pipeline closures multiply losses in production, revenue and restart costs (sputnikarabic_rss).

Africa Demands Security Council Seats; DRC Rallies for Constitution Change

The African Union relaunched its campaign for Security Council reform at the assembly, demanding at least two permanent seats with veto power and five non-permanent seats (rt_french_rss). Thousands of Tshisekedi supporters rallied in Kinshasa and other cities for constitutional revision — which could allow a third term — and against "Rwandan aggression" (rt_french_rss). Madagascar kept the Iles Eparses dispute on the assembly agenda (rt_french_rss).

💬 NOTABLE QUOTES

"Today, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, we engaged in lengthy talks with the Iranian delegation through the mediators, who shuttled between the two sides throughout the day." — Steve Witkoff, US Special Envoy (tabzlive)

"It's a greatness, potential greatness, or obliteration. In one case, it's obliteration. And the other alternative is potential greatness. It could be a great country." — Donald Trump, US President (tabzlive)

"Iran is not holding any negotiations with the US... Trump lies every day about the actions of Iranian officials." — Kazem Jalali, Iranian Ambassador to Russia (tass_rss)

"Unprecedented destruction and killing in Gaza; Israel's steps in the West Bank are on the verge of ethnic cleansing." — António Guterres, UN Secretary-General (Hidcunim_news)

"I ask all countries that are members of the International Criminal Court to immediately and formally withdraw from this rebellious institution." — Donald Trump, US President (farsna)