Al Jazeera

By Adam Hancock and Noor Kareem

    Chiefs of staff from Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan are preparing to hold an urgent military meeting following recent Houthi attacks on the kingdom, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs says.

    Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian tells media outlets on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly that Iran wants the US to return to the Memorandum of Understanding by early November, saying: “We wish Americans to return to the MoU before the midterms.”

    Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas tells the UN General Assembly that Israel’s policies threaten the “very life and existence” of Palestinians, warning that these actions go beyond undermining a two-state solution.

    As dozens of diplomats walk out of the assembly hall, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tells the United Nations General Assembly that striking Iran’s nuclear facilities was “one of the easiest decisions I’ve ever had to make as prime minister”.

    Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, meanwhile, was forced to address the UNGA virtually.

Netanyahu and Milei meet at UNGA, discuss expanding Isaac Accords in Latin America

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has met with Argentinian President Javier Milei on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly and “discussed continued cooperation between their countries and the positive strategic shift for Israel taking place in Latin America”.

    In a statement posted on X, the prime minister’s office said the strategic shift “makes possible the expansion of the ‘Isaac Accords’, led by President Milei, to deepen security and economic cooperation between Israel and the countries of Latin America”.

    During his short visit to New York, Netanyahu addressed the UN and met with the leaders of Panama, Bolivia and Paraguay before he returned to Israel.

    Netanyahu thanked Milei for “his steadfast and unconditional support for the State of Israel” and called Argentina’s president “one of the great leaders of our time”.

Democratic Party nominee in New York speaks to Al Jazeera from anti-Netanyahu protest

    Brad Lander, a Democratic Party nominee in New York, has spoken to Al Jazeera from the protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu outside the United Nations headquarters.

    “New Yorkers, including many Jewish New Yorkers, are out in force to say we don’t want war criminals in our city,” he said.

    He also addressed the decision to allow Netanyahu to visit the US despite an outstanding International Criminal Court warrant.

    “We have an obligation to be on the side of international law and human rights. That is sure not what the Trump administration is doing,” Lander told Al Jazeera.

US senator hits out at Republicans over Iran war votes

    US Senator Bernie Sanders has called on Republicans to “represent their constituents” and oppose war with Iran, after the US Senate blocked a Democratic-led measure to curb President Trump’s authority to wage the conflict.

    “The American people, overwhelmingly, want to end this horrific war in Iran. Pathetically, today, nearly every Republican voted with Trump to keep the war going,” Sanders wrote in a post on X.

    “When will Republicans represent their constituents and have the courage to oppose their mentally unstable leader ” he wrote.

    The Senate narrowly rejected a resolution demanding Trump end the war on Iran or seek congressional authorisation.

    Thursday’s Senate vote was 50-49 against the resolution, largely along party lines, with four Republicans voting in favour of the bill.

Netanyahu curtails US trip, heads home directly after UN address

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has departed for Israel immediately after his speech, on the same day he arrived in New York, Israeli public broadcaster Kan reported.

    Following his address to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), he met with the leaders of Paraguay, Panama and Bolivia, where he urged the three countries to deepen ties with Israel through the Isaac Accords.

    Israeli media has suggested that Netanyahu’s visit to New York has been curtailed due to security concerns.

    New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani previously said he would arrest Israel’s prime minister during his mayoral campaign. In an interview with CNN on Tuesday, Mamdani reiterated that he lacks the authority to arrest Israel’s leader himself, but said Netanyahu’s arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court (ICC) should be honoured.

    Netanyahu’s visit has spurred demonstrations across New York, with more than 100 demonstrators arrested today.

EXPLAINER

Why are Ireland vs Israel football matches so controversial

By Hafsa Adil

    When European football’s governing body announced the schedule for its upcoming Nations League competition in February, one fixture became an instant point of contention.

    The Republic of Ireland and Israel were allocated the same group in League B of the UEFA Nations League 2026-27, provoking strong opposition from Irish fans, footballers and celebrities due to Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza. It also led to calls for a boycott of the fixture regardless of the consequences.

    Seven months on, the Ireland vs Israel game is expected to be played as scheduled but amid vociferous criticism, louder calls for Irish football officials not to send a team to the game and bitter Israeli responses to the backlash.

Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan plan emergency military meeting over Houthi attacks

    Chiefs of staff from Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan are preparing to hold an urgent military meeting following recent Houthi attacks on the kingdom, according to a statement by the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

    The upcoming talks form part of the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, which stipulates that “any attack on any party is considered an attack on all parties”.

    The announcement followed a high-level meeting on Thursday at the kingdom’s Permanent Delegation to the United Nations in New York, where Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud met with Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammad Ishaq Dar and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.

    During the gathering on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, the ministers strongly condemned “vicious attacks targeting Mecca as well as civilian and economic facilities in Saudi Arabia”. They praised the vigilance of the Saudi armed forces and affirmed the kingdom’s right to defend its security in accordance with “Article 51 of the United Nations Charter”.

    Furthermore, the ministers discussed regional stability, emphasising the importance of international law, good neighbourliness and ensuring the freedom of maritime navigation while renewing their commitment to de-escalation and peaceful solutions.

Oil prices fall slightly as markets weigh US-Iran truce hopes

    Oil prices fell slightly as markets weigh the possibility of a truce between the US and Iran against the bombing of Saudi Arabia by Houthi rebels after a week of price spikes.

    Brent was down 74 cents, or 0.69 percent, to $105.85 a barrel as of 00:32 GMT, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) was down 81 cents, or 0.86 percent, at $93.80 a barrel.

    The sluggish opening was a contrast to a week of volatility when oil prices rose to a one-week high on Thursday. Both contracts rose as much as 5 percent. Brent settled up 3.4 percent and WTI was 2.7 percent higher.

    Brent notched its highest close since September 15. It was the first rise in days for WTI, which was down 13 percent over the prior six sessions and is down 6.42 percent for the week, compared with Brent’s 2.09-percent rise.