Iran-US war latest: Trump issued fresh demands to end war by Tehran as smoke and flames seen at Riyadh Airport

Smoke seen rising near Riyadh airportIran has laid out to Donald Trump its conditions for re-engaging in negotiations aimed at ending the war with the US, security chief Mohsen Rezaei said.The conditions include ending the war on all fronts, unfreezing Iranian funds and ending the naval blockade, Rezaei said in an interview according to Al Jazeera.Discussions with Qatari and Pakistani mediators are ongoing, he added, as the delegations work to bring an end to the stalemate which has seen the war drag past the six-month mark. It comes amid fears of war widening in the region as violence between the Iran-aligned Houthi rebels and Saudi Arabia escalates. A large plume of black smoke was seen near ⁠Riyadh's main airport on Saturday after booms were heard. Saudi Arabia sent alerts overnight warning of potential danger around the capital and the city of Al-Kharj, before issuing an all-clear on Saturday morning. The Houthis, who control the most populous parts of Yemen and much of the north, have been launching attacks towards Saudi Arabia since declaring a naval blockade against Riyadh in July, with strikes targeting Saudi vessels in the Red Sea. US troop deaths during Iran war exceed Pentagon count by at least four, report saysMore US troops have died during the US-Israeli ⁠war with Iran than the Pentagon has publicly disclosed, the Washington Post reported on Friday.Defense Secretary Pete ⁠Hegseth denied the ​report.The ⁠Post, citing five unidentified officials, reported that there had been ⁠at least 22 military fatalities, ​four ⁠more than were listed ‌in the data available on the Pentagon's public database.The newspaper also ‌reported, citing another unidentified official, ‌that not all of the undisclosed deaths were directly tied to the ⁠months-long conflict but involved US personnel who were in the Middle East amid ongoing hostilities.Hegseth, in a post on X, called the report "a complete LIE."The Post did not ‌immediately respond to a request ​for comment. In its story, ‌the newspaper said ⁠the Pentagon had declined to ⁠address its questions about the discrepancy in casualty ‌accounting.Alex Croft19 September 2026 18:00Tehran lays out to Trump fresh conditions for ending war, says security chiefTehran has laid out fresh conditions to end the war with the US, security chief Mohsen Rezaei has said. The conditions include ending the war on all fronts, unfreezing Iranian funds and ending the naval blockade, he said in an interview according to Al Jazeera. Iran is now awaiting a response from Donald Trump, Rezaei added.Discussions with Qatari and Pakistani mediators are ongoing, he added, as the delegations work to bring an end to the stalemate which has seen the war drag past the six-month mark. (Reuters)Alex Croft19 September 2026 17:00Turkey pulls license of Iranian bank suspected of Revolutionary Guard linksTurkey's banking watchdog, the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency, revoked the operating license for the Istanbul branch of Iran's Bank Mellat. The agency said Saturday that it made the decision to protect depositors or the stability of the Turkey's financial system. The announcement comes as the United States is demanding other countries tighten economic measures against Iran. Bank Mellat has been subject to Western sanctions for years and was named in 2019 as having links to the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard Corps. The U.S. Treasury Department earlier this month imposed sanctions on a Turkish investment bank and two subsidiaries over alleged ties to Iran.Maryam Zakir-Hussain19 September 2026 16:00Trump says he is banning media outlets CNN, MS NOW, Politico from White HouseDonald Trump said on Friday he is banning three major news outlets – CNN, MS NOW and Politico – from the White House in his latest threat to the independent press.The move is almost certain to face legal challenges as free speech experts said it conflicts with the US Constitution's First Amendment protections for free speech and a free press. Trump accused the outlets of "reporting FAKE NEWS" in a social media post, and said they "shouldn't be able to constantly ⁠write or report FICTION and LIES when they're covering the President of the United States." Trump added, "Other Fake News Media Outlets to follow." Representatives of all three outlets could be seen working in the White House on Friday afternoon following Trump's post. The White House was informing all three they would be banned from the White House grounds as of Saturday, Fox News reported, citing an unnamed senior White House official. Trump said there was no specific incident that prompted the ban, telling reporters in the Oval Office, "It's really just cumulative stories over the past few years."Trump added, "I don't have to let them into my, into the people's house." When asked what he meant by ⁠others "to follow," Trump mentioned the New York Times and the Washington Post as what he called "fake news."Maryam Zakir-Hussain19 September 2026 15:15Iranian state actors targeting UK dissidents, activists and journalists with spywareDissidents, activists and journalists were targeted by state actors that impersonated their contacts on messaging apps to trick them into downloading spyware called Chosen Brick, the National Cyber Security Centre, part of GCHQ, warned.The malware gave agents access to the person’s contacts, emails and social media messages as well as a device’s microphone and content on the screen.Maryam Zakir-Hussain19 September 2026 14:45Iran executes man accused of spying for IsraelIran's state TV reported on Saturday that a man identified as Hossein Pedram was executed after being convicted on charges of spying for Israel’s intelligence agency Mossad. The report said Pedram passed on to Israel classified information on “sensitive military sites” in Iran's Isfahan province. It didn't say how he accessed the classified information. Pedram was reportedly arrested after those sites, which included missile bases, were targeted in the 12-day air war by the U.S. and Israel against Iran in June last year. A recent surge of executions in Iran prompted an international outcry by human rights groups.Maryam Zakir-Hussain19 September 2026 14:15UN Security Council condemns Houthi attacksThe UN’s most powerful body said late Friday that the Houthis' military escalation, attacks and threats “risk further expanding the conflict, threatening maritime security and international trade,” while undermining regional and international efforts to secure peace in Yemen. It warned that continued escalation would exacerbate the already dire humanitarian situation in the country. The council's 15 members called for “practical cooperation” to prevent the Iran-backed Houthis from acquiring arms, military training, financing and other military-related assistance needed to carry out their attacks. They stressed that all countries must enforce the UN arms embargo against the rebel group.Maryam Zakir-Hussain19 September 2026 13:45300,000 Iranians attend biggest pro-regime rally since war began as Tehran recruits new ‘volunteer’ forcesHundreds of thousands of Iranians took to the streets of Tehran on Friday in a massive government-organized display of defiance as they pledged their readiness to take up arms in the largest demonstration since the war began in February.Tehran is seeking to project national unity as its economy struggles under the weight of a US naval blockade and fresh sanctions. The Iranian government simultaneously reported launching a new attack on a commercial vessel in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a vital maritime passage it has attempted to control since the war began.Varying reports emerged regarding the headcount of volunteers enlisting for limited military instruction to safeguard the nation in an initiative dubbed "Janfaday-e Iran," or the "ones who sacrifice their lives for Iran." Dressed in combat uniforms and waving flags, participants marched through central Tehran as onlookers cheered.Maryam Zakir-Hussain19 September 2026 13:16Black smoke seen near Riyadh airport after Tehran-backed Houthis vowed revenge against Saudi ArabiaA large plume of black smoke was seen near ⁠Riyadh's main airport on Saturday after booms were heard, amid an escalation in attacks by Yemen's Houthi group.Saudi Arabia sent alerts overnight warning of potential danger around the capital and the city of Al-Kharj, before issuing an all-clear on Saturday morning. A Reuters journalist in Riyadh's Olaya area heard booms before the all-clear, as video and photographs showed a huge pillar of black smoke rising in the area. The Houthis, who control the most populous parts of Yemen and much of the north, have been launching attacks towards Saudi Arabia since declaring a naval blockade against Riyadh in July, with strikes targeting Saudi vessels in the Red Sea. Maryam Zakir-Hussain19 September 2026 12:51Tourists turn to the Balkans and Brazil: How the Middle East conflict has redrawn our holiday mapTurkey, Romania and Hungary are out – while Albania, North Macedonia, Serbia and Slovenia are in.Reading the latest Eurocontrol numbers on travel to Europe, it seems that western Balkans countries are proving increasingly attractive to travellers this summer, while many turn away from nations to the east. Europe’s air traffic management coordinator Eurocontrol released data last week showing that Europe experienced record air traffic this summer – with an average of 35,959 daily flights – but that that traffic distribution was “influenced throughout summer 2026 by the Middle East crisis”. How the Middle East conflict has redrawn our holiday mapAs the war between the US, Israel and Iran continues to disrupt flight routes and rattle traveller confidence, tourism is shifting away from the Middle East and its neighbours – with the Balkans, South America and northeast Asia among the surprising winners. Global Travel Editor Annabel Grossman reports on how conflict is reshaping where we holiday in the latest Travel Insider newsletterShweta Sharma19 September 2026 11:30