IIME Morning Brief · September 24, 2026

US and Iranian negotiators held indirect talks at the UN. Board of Peace presented a $2.45 billion Gaza recovery plan as fighting and transport disruption continued to affect the region.

US and Iranian negotiators held talks at the UN that President Donald Trump said went very well — The Times of Israel.

Iran presented the United States with a roadmap proposing a regional ceasefire, a gradual reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and an end to the US blockade — The National.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran will not allow freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz while sanctions and a US blockade remain — Bloomberg.

The United Kingdom is tightening restrictions on Iranian banks as part of a US-led campaign to pressure Tehran into an agreement ending the Middle East conflict — Bloomberg Law.

The UAE Central Bank barred Bank Melli Iran from conducting transactions, citing non-compliance with UAE regulations and supervisory decisions — The National.

Fighting in Yemen has displaced more than 130,000 people this month — Reuters.

The Houthis are sustaining their war effort with Chinese goods — Bloomberg.

Trump’s Board of Peace presented a $2.45 billion Gaza recovery plan whose implementation remains uncertain — BBC.

Al-Sharaa said Israel must withdraw to the 1974 demarcation lines before an initial security pact can precede peace talks — The Times of Israel.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi pledged to disarm Iran-backed militias by June 2027 — The New York Times.

Iraq suspended Iranian flights to Baghdad after Washington threatened secondary sanctions — Reuters.

Israel’s election committee barred Ra’am and Balad chair Abu Shehadeh from the October 27 vote; the decision is expected to be overturned — The Times of Israel.

Saudi Aramco plans to create a gas division with its own president as it prepares major LNG investments — Reuters.

BlackRock plans to deploy up to $100 billion in the Middle East — Zawya.

A consortium assembled by Todd Boehly to bid for Lukoil’s international assets includes prominent Gulf investors — Financial Times.

Maersk expanded multimodal landbridge transport services across Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, the UAE, Qatar and Iraq — Maersk.

The United States is withholding a visa for Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan — Reuters.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi called for deeper defense ties with Greece and Cyprus and stronger Eastern Mediterranean coordination — Egypt Daily News.

The EBRD cut its growth outlook again amid war pressures affecting Iraq and Lebanon alongside Ukraine — Asharq Al-Awsat.