Middle East Today | The National

G7 foreign ministers have called on Iran to end its arming and support of the Houthis in Yemen, warning its actions risk undermining international trade and creating global instability. The ministers of the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the US issued the appeal after meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. Why it matters: The Houthis' rapid advance in Yemen this month and attacks on Saudi Arabia have opened a new front in the wider Middle East conflict and increased risks to regional energy supplies. The militants are moving to seize strategic heights in Yemen that would cut the Red Sea coast off from areas held by Saudi-backed forces.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said the UK would provide Saudi Arabia with "defensive air-to-air refuelling" after Riyadh requested "military support" amid attacks by the Houthi rebels.
The New York Times reported that the Trump administration prepared to launch air strikes against the Houthis on Sunday after Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman appealed for US intervention, but President Donald Trump called off the strikes at the last minute as preparations were under way. Why it matters: Washington has so far resisted repeated Saudi requests for direct US military intervention against the Houthis.
Rashid Al Alimi, the president of Yemen's Saudi-backed, internationally recognised government, asked Mr Trump by phone on Sunday for US military help, four sources told Reuters. Two of the people, one Yemeni and one ⁠Western, said Mr Trump made no direct pledge of support during the call.
The ⁠Trump administration has proposed investing $5 ⁠billion in a new fund that ⁠would help Middle East countries ⁠rebuild ‌energy infrastructure battered in the Iran war and reduce their reliance on the Strait of Hormuz to transport oil and gas, the Wall Street ‌Journal ⁠reported, citing US and ‌Middle Eastern ⁠officials and documents.
Nearly 130 heads of state and government are expected to begin taking the podium today as the high-level general debate of UNGA 81 opens. Widely regarded as the biggest annual gathering in international diplomacy, the debate will include today an address by President Trump. His speech comes as his approval rating fell to 32 per cent, its lowest level of his presidency, with his fellow Republicans souring on his handling of the cost of living amid the unpopular Iran war, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll. Leaders from Jordan, Turkey, Qatar, Egypt and Morocco are also scheduled to address the assembly on Tuesday. The National’s team is on the ground, bringing you the latest developments, analysis and live updates. Follow here.
Oil edged higher this morning, following a four-day drop, as traders weighed Middle East supply risks against a diplomatic push to end the Iran war. Brent rose toward $102 a barrel, after tumbling by nearly 8 per cent over the previous four sessions. The US West Texas Intermediate October contract, which expires on Tuesday, climbed 87 cents, or 0.9 per cent, to $96.65 a barrel. Sign up to the Energy This Week newsletter for more updates and analysis.

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Disruptions at three major maritime chokepoints are driving up global food and energy prices and could push millions more people into hunger, the acting head of the World Food Programme has warned.
GCC Secretary General Jassem Albudaiwi said Gulf-France ties are based on a strong strategic partnership and shared interests and vision, at a joint GCC-France ministerial meeting in New York. The meeting was chaired by Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Abdullatif Rashid Al Zayani and French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, with the participation of GCC foreign ministers and senior officials.
Israeli forces are now operating from nearly 30 military positions across south Lebanon, including eight fortified bases, according to the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon (Unifil), revealing Israel’s growing entrenchment in Lebanese territory.
Qatar has rejected allegations that it provided money to Hamas, saying its aid to Gaza was delivered with the knowledge and involvement of its international partners and Israel.
Egypt has set out its most detailed recent public case in the Nile dispute, warning that its high dependence on the river leaves little room for unilateral action upstream. Egypt's case centres on Ethiopia's Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and a broader argument that Ethiopian development does not depend on controlling the Nile's flow.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has threatened to impose secondary sanctions on global air services providers who deal with Iranian airlines as part of its economic pressure campaign on Tehran. Mr Bessent told CNBC all Iranian ⁠airlines would be "shut down” on September 23 ⁠by the threat of the secondary sanctions.
Saudi startup Ceer made public ⁠its first two fully electric vehicle models and said it will launch five more models by 2030 as part of Saudi Arabia's goal to create a viable ⁠auto industry to curb the country's dependence on oil.
The UN is ready to investigate the Sudanese Armed Forces' chemical weapons programme if a mandate is approved, Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, told The National ahead of the General Assembly's high-level debate. He said the UN also supports efforts to stop the flow of weapons into Sudan.
Artificial intelligence will play a major role in Lebanon's future as it seeks a path to economic stability, Minister of Finance Yassine Jaber has said. Mr Jaber said the Ministry of Finance has developed an AI spokeswoman to help communicate the latest economic developments.
International airlines continue to adjust schedules for Middle East flights in the aftermath of the Iran war as airspace restrictions persist. Against the backdrop of continuing geopolitical uncertainty across the region, read here how airlines are adapting their operations.

Speeches by heads of state and government at UNGA
President Trump expected to participate in multilateral meeting with Gulf Co-operation Council
High-level meeting on two-state solution on margins of UNGA
Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara to speak at virtual Atlantic Council discussion
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot to meet Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi at UN