This page collects our reporting on major political, security and diplomatic developments across the Middle East. Recent archive pieces include coverage of Khamenei's funeral and questions over political continuity in Iran, calls by former Israeli security figures for an inquiry into possible Gaza war crimes, the effects of a fragile ceasefire on the ancient Lebanese city of Tyre, and reporting on efforts by Iran and the United States to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Because events are moving quickly, those archive articles reflect the position at the time they were published rather than a continuously updated account.
As reported on 26 September 2026 by The Times of Israel live blog, Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran had received an initial reaction from President Trump but no response through mediators to Iran's Strait of Hormuz proposal, and would decide its position after receiving the final US response. Trump said he had rejected Iran's offer. The proposal, submitted through Qatari mediators at the United Nations, would have reopened the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for the US ending its blockade of Iranian ports. Iran's president Masoud Pezeshkian said Qatar and Pakistan continued to mediate, that Iran had lost faith in Washington and that the crisis required negotiation rather than force. This is the state of play as reported on 26 September 2026.
More on this topic: Iran coverage, our reporting on the memorandum to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Khamenei's funeral and Iran's political continuity, the recovery of the ancient Lebanese city of Tyre, the UK summons over the E1 settlement tender, and the wider World section.
Iran's state funeral for Ayatollah Khamenei is more than ceremony: a managed display of continuity amid war, succession doubt and fragile diplomacy.
More than 30 ex-officials reportedly called on the attorney general to investigate alleged war crimes in Gaza, adding pressure on accountability from voices with national-security backgrounds.
The Unesco-listed port city is trying to rebuild after weeks of Israeli airstrikes, but residents remain wary that the latest pause in fighting will last.
Mediators say a 14-point understanding, due to be signed in Switzerland, would end more than 100 days of fighting, lift the US naval blockade and extend a ceasefire that reaches into Lebanon.