This live blog follows the latest developments across the Middle East crisis, including regional diplomacy, maritime security, ceasefire negotiations, and economic fallout.
Catch up on Thursday’s top developments here:
- US allows Iran delegation to attend UN assembly: official
- Iranian parliament speaker says 'unipolar world order' ends after US resolution vetoed
- Pakistan military vows to defend Saudi Arabia
- US allows Iran delegation to attend UN assembly
- China's top diplomat, Rubio discuss Middle East situation: Chinese state media
Thursday at a glance
Published: Sept 18, 2026 | 00:00 GMT | by Web Desk
The United Nations on Thursday said that following the US and Israeli attacks on February 28, the mission found “reasonable grounds” to believe that Washington “committed the war crime of launching indiscriminate attacks resulting in the loss of life or injury to civilians or damage to civilian objects.”
In a statement issued on Iranian civilians trapped between state repression and violations arising from devastating conflict with US, the United Nations Human Rights office said that the US war crimes included the “Tomahawk missile strikes on the clearly identifiable” primary school in Minab and the strikes in Lamerd which killed 22 civilian men and women.
Separately, Pakistan military spokesperson Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said that the country would go “to any extent” to defend Saudi Arabia against attacks, signaling a stronger formulation of Islamabad’s commitment as Houthi attacks on the Kingdom escalate.
The European Union also voiced its "full solidarity" with Saudi Arabia as it condemned recent strikes on the kingdom.
Meanwhile, Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said that “unipolar order in which one side extracts concessions through force and coercion has ended” after Russia and China vetoed a Washington led draft resolution in the UN.
For earlier developments, read our Sept 17 live blog here.