Middle East live: Yemen fighting escalates as Trump heads to UN
France 24
F
France 24
Original Source
The UN warned that up to 10,000 Yemeni refugees could flee to Djibouti as fighting escalates between Houthis and government forces, while Iran vowed to change its military tactics if conflict with the US intensifies.
22/09/2026 - 11:45
More than 10,000 could flee Yemen fighting to Djibouti in coming months, says UN
Renewed fighting in Yemen could see the number of refugees fleeing across the Red Sea to Djibouti jump from 3,000 today to 10,000 in coming months, the United Nations warned.
The UN refugee agency is "planning for more than 10,000 arrivals in Djibouti", spokesman Babar Baloch told reporters in Geneva, adding that the number of people displaced within Yemen by the recent fighting could swell from more than 130,000 today to over 230,000 in coming months.
A displaced Yemeni cooks at Al-Firdaws camp in Ras Imran, on the western outskirts of Aden, Yemen, September 21, 2026. © Abdulnasser Alseddik, AP
22/09/2026 - 11:17
Houthis say Saudi Arabia conducts deadly strike on key port city
Yemen's Houthis said Saudi Arabia carried out a deadly strike on a key port city on Tuesday, over a week into the Houthi offensive that has seen them seize control of a strait that is crucial to global energy flows.
G7 nations called on the Houthis meanwhile to halt cross-border strikes on Saudi Arabia, which backs Yemen's internationally recognised government.
The Houthis' takeover of the country's Red Sea coast in a dramatic offensive that has left hundreds of people on both sides dead, has also threatened global trade and pushed up energy prices.
22/09/2026 - 09:28
China says opposes 'illegal' US sanctions on Iran airlines
China said it opposed "illegal" US sanctions on Iranian airlines, a day after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent threatened potential measures in a televised interview.
Bessent told CNBC that "all the Iranian airlines will be shut down around the world" in a matter of days under the weight of American sanctions, as the Trump administration seeks to ramp up pressure on Tehran.
Beijing – a top economic partner and diplomatic backer of Iran – slammed the threats on Tuesday, calling such measures "illegal".
22/09/2026 - 09:22
Saudi civil defence issues warning for province on Yemen border
Saudi Arabia's civil defence agency issued a warning of potential danger in the country's south, the first alert since the Houthis launched an attack on Riyadh over the weekend.
"A warning has been issued by the National Early Warning Platform in the Najran Province to alert of a potential danger," read a statement posted online by the agency, which asked people to remain indoors and avoid open areas. The alert was lifted a short while later.
22/09/2026 - 09:11
Saudi civil defence says danger has passed in Najran area following alert
A potential danger has passed in Saudi Arabia's Najran region, civil defence said after an earlier alert was issued, amid ongoing hostilities between the kingdom and Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis.
22/09/2026 - 08:59
Latest Yemen clashes kill more than 150, military sources say
Fighting in Yemen between the Iran-backed Houthis and government forces supported by Saudi Arabia has killed 154 people in the past two days, military sources from both sides said.
"The death toll from Saudi airstrikes, clashes and artillery fire in the governorates of Taiz, Al-Jawf, Marib and Saada stands at 118," Houthi military sources said, while government sources reported 36 killed in their ranks.
A man walks at a makeshift camp for people displaced by clashes between Iran-aligned Houthi fighters and Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces, in Taiz province, Yemen, September 21, 2026. © Stringer, Reuters
22/09/2026 - 07:41
Iran foreign minister arrives in New York for UN General Assembly
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in New York ahead of President Masoud Pezeshkian's expected arrival on Tuesday for the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations, Iranian state media reported.
Pezeshkian will be the highest-ranking Tehran official to enter the United States since the Middle East war began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran in February.
Iranian state media said that Pezeshkian departed for New York early Tuesday to attend the event and "present the positions of the Islamic Republic of Iran."
22/09/2026 - 07:18
Iran president vows to 'firmly defend' country's positions at UN
Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian on Tuesday vowed to "firmly defend" his country's positions, as he departed for New York to attend the UN General Assembly.
"We emerged with our heads held high, and this is a source of dignity and pride for all of us. Therefore, we will firmly defend our positions in international forums," he said before flying out of Iran, according to footage broadcast by state television.
The president is due to speak at the UN meeting on Wednesday.
22/09/2026 - 07:04
Iran's Revolutionary Guard warns US over escalation, and other Mideast developments
A spokesperson for Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, Hossein Mohebbi, said that “the war is not over” and warned that Iran would change its weapons, military tactics and targets if the conflict with the US escalates.
“We will certainly change the geography of the war,” Mohebbi said in a statement carried by Iranian state media. “We will certainly bring new weapons with new capabilities into the battle.” He said the Guard had prepared for a long-term war.
“Our targets will no longer necessarily be the same as before,” he said, according to the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, adding that Iran has targets that have not yet been struck.
22/09/2026 - 05:52
22/09/2026 - 05:50
France ready to help 'secure' Saudi energy infrastructure: diplomatic source
France is ready to work on "securing" Saudi energy infrastructure targeted by Iran-backed Houthis, adopting a "strictly defensive approach," a diplomatic source said Monday.
"France is ready to contribute to securing Saudi energy infrastructure in Yanbu and along the East-West Pipeline, within the framework of a strictly defensive approach," the source said, emphasizing that "this in no way involves taking part in the conflict with the Houthis."
The Houthis have carried out attacks against facilities belonging to the Saudi oil giant Aramco in the Red Sea port city of Yanbu. The East-West Pipeline – a crucial crude oil export route – has also been shut down following drone attacks launched from Iraq, according to Riyadh.
22/09/2026 - 05:39
Houthis must 'immediately cease' strikes against Saudi Arabia: G7 foreign ministers
The foreign ministers of the G7 condemned on Monday the "unacceptable continued strikes" waged from Yemen against Saudi Arabia and urged the Iran-backed group to immediately hold fire.
"We call on the Houthis to immediately cease all military actions, all threats and attacks against civilian shipping, and to return to the political process in good faith," the leaders representing Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States said in a statement.
They also called on Iran "to end its arming of and support for the Houthis," alleging Tehran is in violation of past UN Security Council resolutions.
22/09/2026 - 05:35
Iran foreign minister arrives in New York for UN General Assembly
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in New York on Monday, leading Tehran's diplomatic delegation at the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations, the foreign ministry said.
Araghchi is the highest-ranking Iranian official to enter the United States since the Middle East war began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran in February.
Araghchi spoke by phone with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres after his arrival and exchanged views on the agenda of the UN General Assembly, Iranian state television reported.
"Our most important objective is to use a major international platform to defend the legitimacy, rights, and interests of the Iranian people," Araghchi was quoted as telling Iranian journalists.
22/09/2026 - 05:35
Houthis say Saudi strike kills 6 in Yemen port city Mokha
Saudi strikes on the strategic Red Sea port city of Mokha killed
More than 10,000 could flee Yemen fighting to Djibouti in coming months, says UN
Renewed fighting in Yemen could see the number of refugees fleeing across the Red Sea to Djibouti jump from 3,000 today to 10,000 in coming months, the United Nations warned.
The UN refugee agency is "planning for more than 10,000 arrivals in Djibouti", spokesman Babar Baloch told reporters in Geneva, adding that the number of people displaced within Yemen by the recent fighting could swell from more than 130,000 today to over 230,000 in coming months.
A displaced Yemeni cooks at Al-Firdaws camp in Ras Imran, on the western outskirts of Aden, Yemen, September 21, 2026. © Abdulnasser Alseddik, AP
22/09/2026 - 11:17
Houthis say Saudi Arabia conducts deadly strike on key port city
Yemen's Houthis said Saudi Arabia carried out a deadly strike on a key port city on Tuesday, over a week into the Houthi offensive that has seen them seize control of a strait that is crucial to global energy flows.
G7 nations called on the Houthis meanwhile to halt cross-border strikes on Saudi Arabia, which backs Yemen's internationally recognised government.
The Houthis' takeover of the country's Red Sea coast in a dramatic offensive that has left hundreds of people on both sides dead, has also threatened global trade and pushed up energy prices.
22/09/2026 - 09:28
China says opposes 'illegal' US sanctions on Iran airlines
China said it opposed "illegal" US sanctions on Iranian airlines, a day after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent threatened potential measures in a televised interview.
Bessent told CNBC that "all the Iranian airlines will be shut down around the world" in a matter of days under the weight of American sanctions, as the Trump administration seeks to ramp up pressure on Tehran.
Beijing – a top economic partner and diplomatic backer of Iran – slammed the threats on Tuesday, calling such measures "illegal".
22/09/2026 - 09:22
Saudi civil defence issues warning for province on Yemen border
Saudi Arabia's civil defence agency issued a warning of potential danger in the country's south, the first alert since the Houthis launched an attack on Riyadh over the weekend.
"A warning has been issued by the National Early Warning Platform in the Najran Province to alert of a potential danger," read a statement posted online by the agency, which asked people to remain indoors and avoid open areas. The alert was lifted a short while later.
22/09/2026 - 09:11
Saudi civil defence says danger has passed in Najran area following alert
A potential danger has passed in Saudi Arabia's Najran region, civil defence said after an earlier alert was issued, amid ongoing hostilities between the kingdom and Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis.
22/09/2026 - 08:59
Latest Yemen clashes kill more than 150, military sources say
Fighting in Yemen between the Iran-backed Houthis and government forces supported by Saudi Arabia has killed 154 people in the past two days, military sources from both sides said.
"The death toll from Saudi airstrikes, clashes and artillery fire in the governorates of Taiz, Al-Jawf, Marib and Saada stands at 118," Houthi military sources said, while government sources reported 36 killed in their ranks.
A man walks at a makeshift camp for people displaced by clashes between Iran-aligned Houthi fighters and Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces, in Taiz province, Yemen, September 21, 2026. © Stringer, Reuters
22/09/2026 - 07:41
Iran foreign minister arrives in New York for UN General Assembly
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in New York ahead of President Masoud Pezeshkian's expected arrival on Tuesday for the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations, Iranian state media reported.
Pezeshkian will be the highest-ranking Tehran official to enter the United States since the Middle East war began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran in February.
Iranian state media said that Pezeshkian departed for New York early Tuesday to attend the event and "present the positions of the Islamic Republic of Iran."
22/09/2026 - 07:18
Iran president vows to 'firmly defend' country's positions at UN
Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian on Tuesday vowed to "firmly defend" his country's positions, as he departed for New York to attend the UN General Assembly.
"We emerged with our heads held high, and this is a source of dignity and pride for all of us. Therefore, we will firmly defend our positions in international forums," he said before flying out of Iran, according to footage broadcast by state television.
The president is due to speak at the UN meeting on Wednesday.
22/09/2026 - 07:04
Iran's Revolutionary Guard warns US over escalation, and other Mideast developments
A spokesperson for Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, Hossein Mohebbi, said that “the war is not over” and warned that Iran would change its weapons, military tactics and targets if the conflict with the US escalates.
“We will certainly change the geography of the war,” Mohebbi said in a statement carried by Iranian state media. “We will certainly bring new weapons with new capabilities into the battle.” He said the Guard had prepared for a long-term war.
“Our targets will no longer necessarily be the same as before,” he said, according to the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, adding that Iran has targets that have not yet been struck.
22/09/2026 - 05:52
22/09/2026 - 05:50
France ready to help 'secure' Saudi energy infrastructure: diplomatic source
France is ready to work on "securing" Saudi energy infrastructure targeted by Iran-backed Houthis, adopting a "strictly defensive approach," a diplomatic source said Monday.
"France is ready to contribute to securing Saudi energy infrastructure in Yanbu and along the East-West Pipeline, within the framework of a strictly defensive approach," the source said, emphasizing that "this in no way involves taking part in the conflict with the Houthis."
The Houthis have carried out attacks against facilities belonging to the Saudi oil giant Aramco in the Red Sea port city of Yanbu. The East-West Pipeline – a crucial crude oil export route – has also been shut down following drone attacks launched from Iraq, according to Riyadh.
22/09/2026 - 05:39
Houthis must 'immediately cease' strikes against Saudi Arabia: G7 foreign ministers
The foreign ministers of the G7 condemned on Monday the "unacceptable continued strikes" waged from Yemen against Saudi Arabia and urged the Iran-backed group to immediately hold fire.
"We call on the Houthis to immediately cease all military actions, all threats and attacks against civilian shipping, and to return to the political process in good faith," the leaders representing Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States said in a statement.
They also called on Iran "to end its arming of and support for the Houthis," alleging Tehran is in violation of past UN Security Council resolutions.
22/09/2026 - 05:35
Iran foreign minister arrives in New York for UN General Assembly
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in New York on Monday, leading Tehran's diplomatic delegation at the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations, the foreign ministry said.
Araghchi is the highest-ranking Iranian official to enter the United States since the Middle East war began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran in February.
Araghchi spoke by phone with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres after his arrival and exchanged views on the agenda of the UN General Assembly, Iranian state television reported.
"Our most important objective is to use a major international platform to defend the legitimacy, rights, and interests of the Iranian people," Araghchi was quoted as telling Iranian journalists.
22/09/2026 - 05:35
Houthis say Saudi strike kills 6 in Yemen port city Mokha
Saudi strikes on the strategic Red Sea port city of Mokha killed
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Source: France 24
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