Iran reiterated its conditions for ending more than seven months of war with the United States as another ship attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz was struck by a projectile, highlighting the dangers that continue to restrict traffic through the critical waterway.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has traveled to New York and is scheduled to address the assembly on Wednesday in his first speech since the U.S. and Israel launched the war in February.
Here is the latest news from the Middle East on Wednesday. More coverage on the U.N. General Assembly is available here.
‘Nothing new’ in latest US talks, Iran says
Iran maintained its negotiating position in talks with U.S. officials, demanding that Washington end its blockade of Iranian ports and release frozen Iranian assets, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Wednesday.
Esmail Baghaei said the talks were conducted indirectly through Qatari mediators on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly.
“This was not anything new,” Baghaei said of Iran’s conditions.
The unscheduled exchange — the first indirect talks between U.S. and Iranian officials since a June ceasefire unraveled — came as intermittent attacks continued in the Strait of Hormuz off Iran's coast, where commercial shipping remained below prewar levels.
Another ship hit in the Strait of Hormuz
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, which issues warnings about maritime attacks and military activity, said another vessel was struck Wednesday by an “unknown projectile” while transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The strike sparked a fire and forced the crew to evacuate. The origin of the attack, the first reported in two days, was unclear.
The incident highlighted the continuing danger to ships attempting to navigate the waterway. Some vessels appear to be making “dark passages” without transmitting identifying signals, but Iran and the United States have maintained their competing blockades. Commercial traffic remains well below prewar levels, according to ship-tracking data from analytics firm Kpler.
Restrictions on shipping through the strait have become one of the war’s most persistent consequences. Before the conflict, one-fifth of the world’s traded oil passed through the narrow waterway, along with large volumes of natural gas, fertilizer and other petroleum products.
Israel says it killed Hamas leader in Gaza strike
An Israeli strike on a vehicle in Khan Younis killed two people on Wednesday morning, Gaza’s Health Ministry said.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said one of those killed was Mohammad Abu Alwan, whom he identified as the head of Hamas’ finance department. He also said Israel would keep going after militants on its target list.
The two were the latest casualties since the ceasefire nearly a year ago. More than 1,400 Palestinians have been killed since it took effect, according to the ministry, which maintains detailed records that are seen as generally reliable.
Israeli forces have carried out repeated airstrikes since the ceasefire began and frequently open fire on Palestinians near military-held zones.
Netanyahu rebukes Macron's remarks on Hamas
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office called French President Emmanuel Macron’s remarks at the United Nations a “grotesque absurdity,” objecting to his characterization of the Palestinian militant group Hamas’ activity in the West Bank.
Macron denounced the situation in Gaza and criticized escalating violence by Israeli settlers in the West Bank. He said Israel could not invoke Hamas to justify its actions there. The wording Macron used in French was ambiguous and could be understood to mean either that Hamas had never governed the West Bank or had never operated there.
A French diplomatic source said Macron meant that Hamas had never governed the territory. The source spoke on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to speak publicly.
The United Nations has not released an official translation of the remarks.
Hamas has long maintained support in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and has claimed responsibility for attacks there, although it has never governed the territory. During the war in Gaza, Israel intensified military operations in the West Bank, launching an offensive in early 2025 targeting refugee camps that it described as strongholds of Palestinian militants.
The dispute adds to tensions that have grown since France recognized a Palestinian state in September 2025.
Earlier this month, France joined Canada and several European countries in announcing steps to restrict trade with Israeli settlements. France has long opposed the settlements as contrary to international law. It also issued a statement Sunday saying it “firmly condemns the terrorist attack” that killed a French-Israeli citizen over the weekend.
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This report will be updated throughout the day as new developments emerge.