🗞️ The week in 5 minutes
25 Sep – 2 Oct 2026
The Hormuz week: an Iranian seven-day proposal, US sanctions, and escalation in south Lebanon
The Iran-US file dominated the week's news, with an Iranian proposal to open the Strait of Hormuz under a seven-day plan, a public US rejection and ongoing Qatari mediation, alongside new US sanctions on the railway and automobile sectors. In Lebanon, Israeli strikes on the south continued as Prime Minister Nawaf Salam visited Washington and the 2027 budget was approved. In Israel, the emergency landing of the Flydubai flight in Tabuk and a Supreme Court decision allowing lists to run for the Knesset drew attention; in numbers, 1,745 news items based on 196 sources were published, with Donald Trump the most prominent name at 205 mentions.
1,745articles
196sources
203multi-source stories
153breaking stories
دونالد ترامبmost mentioned · 205
Iran
Tehran and Washington: a Hormuz proposal, new sanctions, and mediation with no agreement
- On the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, Iran proposed opening the Strait of Hormuz under a seven-day plan in exchange for halting the fighting, lifting the naval blockade and oil sanctions, and releasing frozen Iranian assets; US President Donald Trump publicly rejected the proposal. Reports said Tehran received the US reply through the Qatari mediator and is studying it. Read more →
- International and regional mediation continues to reopen channels between Washington and Tehran, with US officials saying talks through mediators are "positive and constructive" but conditional on addressing the nuclear file. Trump continues to speak of the war with Iran ending soon, and no agreement has been announced so far. Read more →
- The US Treasury announced new Iran-related sanctions targeting entities in the railway and automobile sectors, coinciding with a Washington Post report on a plan to reinforce the US naval presence in the Middle East. In this context, Trump said Iran will not have a nuclear weapon and that the war will end soon. Read more →
- British authorities announced a major security incident near the Fairford air base and arrested five people on suspicion of offences under the Explosives Act and preparation of a terrorist act, evacuating about 85 homes. Tehran denied any link to the plot, while US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said "foreign hands" were involved; the detainees were released on bail as the investigation continues. Read more →
Lebanon
South Lebanon under strikes, and Salam in Washington
- From 26 September to 2 October, south Lebanon saw Israeli air strikes, artillery shelling, explosions and incursions by vehicles and bulldozers in towns across the Tyre, Bint Jbeil, Nabatieh and Jezzine districts, with intensive warplane and drone flights. On 2 October the Israeli army said it targeted Hezbollah infrastructure in response to a booby-trapped drone launched at its forces, and most reports carried no information on casualties. Read more →
- Prime Minister Nawaf Salam discussed in Washington with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio the files of the Israeli withdrawal, restricting weapons to the state, supporting the army and the future of UNIFIL. The US side insisted on linking any further Israeli withdrawal to concrete steps on the weapons file, while Salam demanded a clear timetable for a full withdrawal amid continued Israeli attacks in the south. Read more →
- Salam toured the city of Nabatieh accompanied by Interior Minister Ahmad al-Hajjar and an official and security delegation; he said reconstruction needs exceed the state's capacity and announced the launch of 23 tenders in the caza. Residents of the city appealed to officials to address their conditions and the remnants of the war. Read more →
- Lebanon's Council of Ministers approved the 2027 draft budget and amended the daily transport allowance to equal five litres of petrol, with a minimum of 500,000 pounds and a maximum of 800,000 pounds, opening an additional credit to support public drivers. President Joseph Aoun signed decrees referring the budget to Parliament, opening a credit of 1,450 billion and 800 million pounds for three months and amending family allowances, while a decision on abolishing the petrol can tax was postponed. Read more →
Israel
The Flydubai incident and elections in the Israeli scene
- Flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv was diverted to an emergency landing at Tabuk airport in Saudi Arabia, after the co-pilot assaulted the captain according to initial Saudi investigations. The airline suspended its flights to and from Israel and the UAE judiciary opened an investigation, while Israeli evacuation flights scheduled for Friday from Dubai were cancelled for lack of UAE approvals. Read more →
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the attacker had undergone a process of Islamist radicalisation and came to bring the plane down with its passengers. He added that the investigation is ongoing to determine whether he had been sent. Read more →
- Israel's Supreme Court cancelled the disqualification of the Joint List, the Unified List and candidate Ofer Cassif, allowing them to run in the Knesset elections. Read more →
- Israel's elections are set for 27 October 2026, the first since 7 October 2023 and intersecting with the reshaping of the region, according to an analysis published by Al-Khanadeq. Read more →
Palestine
Israel's army announces the killing of commanders in Gaza and Jabalia
- An Israeli army spokesman announced that the army killed earlier this week in the Gaza city area Mohammed Jamal Mahmoud Abu Shaar, a group commander in Hamas's military wing, saying he took part in the 7 October attack on Kibbutz Be'eri and in kidnappings. Read more →
- The Israeli army also announced the killing of commanders from Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Gaza and Jabalia during the week. Read more →
👀 What to watch next week
- The fate of the seven-day plan proposal and Iran's response to the US reply conveyed by Qatari mediation, and whether it leads to talks or further escalation.
- The end of UNIFIL's mandate in south Lebanon and the UN warning of a security vacuum, amid continued Israeli strikes on border towns.
- Israel's elections set for 27 October 2026, and US talk of air strikes after the midterm elections and its impact on the course of confrontation with Iran.
Written by AI from the week's reports on this site; every point links to its sources.