🌆 COMBATE Evening Roundup | September 26, 2026

• Araghchi details seven-day Hormuz plan — The clock starts once Washington accepts Tehran's proposal: Iran completes its steps within 4-5 days, the Strait reopens on day six, final-deal talks open on day seven. The plan went through Qatar; Araghchi briefed Lavrov and the Saudi FM on Iran-Oman shipping talks.

• Dueling accounts of US-Iran talks — Reuters says the sides weigh a phased deal in New York: Hormuz reopening for a lifted blockade. An informed Iranian source called Axios/Al Jazeera reports of a new round false and aimed at managing oil prices. Pezeshkian confirmed his team met Kushner and Witkoff.

• Pentagon quietly raises US wounded to 861 — The Washington Post reports 37 casualties were added this week without explanation, including 29 sailors and eight Marines.

• Iraqi airports shut to Iranian flights amid backlash — Najaf closed from dawn, then Erbil and Sulaymaniyah; ticket sales suspended. PM al-Zaidi ordered the move, ex-PM Abdul-Mahdi called it a "big mistake," and Al-Nujaba threatened sit-ins at Iraqi airports.

• Blasts hit Jizan as Sanaa warns of "unprecedented" steps — Yemen's defense ministry threatened deterrent measures if the Saudi blockade and escalation persist; Unicef counts more than 30 civilians killed and about 125,000 displaced since August.

• Iran won't trade nuclear program for Hormuz deal — Officials told Reuters there will be no nuclear concessions even if the Strait reopens. CNN cited US intelligence saying Chinese satellite imagery enabled July's precise strike on Jordan's Muwaffaq Salti base.

• Xi and Trump pledge more summits — Xi expects two more meetings this year and invited Trump to China's APEC summit; the US ambassador said Trump pressed Xi to stop any help to Iran, while Iranian media relayed a pledge to halt intelligence assistance.

• Putin: Russia was ready to talk, Ukraine attacked — Moscow will weigh any return to talks by its own interests, he said, after Kiev struck Moscow and polling stations; the army says it hit Kiev's DataGroup intel center and freed 13 localities in a week (~9,440 Ukrainian losses).

• EU unlocks €6.6 billion more for Ukraine — Kallas announced the package as Trump again urged Zelensky to travel to Moscow for talks with Putin.

• Abbas calls Palestinian elections for November — The first parliamentary vote in nearly 20 years; Fatah doubts it can be organized.

• Ethiopia denounces "interference" as Tigray fighting spreads — The army says it repelled TPLF attacks; internet is cut in the north and residents are panic-buying.

• US military weighs Cuba contingencies — Reserve units could back SOUTHCOM with police and medical support over four months under planning reported by US media; Havana says it is preparing for all scenarios.

📖 Full report: https://telegra.ph/COMBATE-Digest---combate-20260926-0000Z-09-26

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