Diplomatic efforts intensify as US and Iran exchange threats of war

At least seven people have been killed and four others wounded after unidentified gunmen opened fire on a vehicle near the Masyaf Bridge in Syria's western Homs province, according to the Homs Media Directorate.

The directorate said two of those wounded were in critical condition.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has said it was "absolutely essential for the United States to take on Iran", arguing that only Washington had the capability to target Tehran's nuclear programme.

Speaking at the Euronews Defence and Space summit, Rutte said only the US was "capable of taking out the nuclear capability of Iran".

He described Iran's nuclear programme as a potential near-term threat "not only for Israel and the Middle East" but also for Europe.

Rutte acknowledged that the Iran war had its "downsides", but said increased European defence spending would allow countries on the continent to "take care of their backyard themselves".

"It should be us taking care of the Houthis and the Red Sea", instead of the US, Rutte said.

Bahrain has joined a US-led multinational attack drone unit, US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced.

The kingdom has become a member of Task Force Falcon Strike, which CENTCOM describes as the world's first multinational attack drone unit.

"We're excited to welcome Bahrain to Task Force Falcon Strike after the kingdom affirmed its commitment to join CENTCOM in building the world's first multinational attack drone unit," Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of CENTCOM, said in a statement posted on X.

"Bahrain is a steadfast partner in strengthening regional security and stability," the statement added.

CENTCOM first announced the creation of Task Force Falcon Strike on August 13, saying it would deploy one-way attack drones operated from above, on and below the sea by US military personnel and forces from regional partners.

The initiative builds on Task Force Scorpion Strike, the US military's first dedicated one-way attack drone squadron in the Middle East.

Task Force Scorpion Strike was used in strikes against Iranian port facilities in July.

"We're excited to welcome Bahrain to Task Force Falcon Strike after the kingdom affirmed its commitment to join CENTCOM in building the world's first multinational attack drone unit. Bahrain is a steadfast partner in strengthening regional security and stability." - Adm. Brad… https://t.co/OpkrH1GF1R

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) September 30, 2026

President Donald Trump hailed the withdrawal of US-led coalition forces from Iraq on Wednesday as a "victory" for Washington, despite fears that it will embolden pro-Iran armed factions.

"This Day is a victory for the United States, a victory for Iraq, and a decisive victory over ISIS," Trump said in a post on his Truth Social network, referring to the Islamic State group that the coalition battled.

Trump said Iraq now had a "wonderful" prime minister and added: "I had a choice to stay or to leave, and felt, without question, that it was time for America to go home!"

Additionally Trump called the US military exit from Iraq as the end of a "very expensive excursion into Hell".

A plane carrying passengers from an earlier diverted flydubai flight has landed at Tel Aviv airport on Wednesday, AFP TV images show.

The second aircraft, also operated by flydubai, landed on the tarmac of Ben Gurion airport at 1534 GMT, after the passengers' earlier flight was diverted to Saudi Arabia due to an altercation between the pilots.

Saudi Arabia turned down a request by Israel to allow its planes to bring back Israeli passengers from a flydubai flight that made an emergency landing in the kingdom, two security sources said on Wednesday.

The request was made to allow Israeli military planes to bring back Israelis from Saudi Arabia, which has no diplomatic relations with Israel, the sources said.

Saudi Arabia's government media office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Israeli air force was preparing to send Super Hercules planes to pick up Israeli passengers, one of the sources said.

The passengers were set to continue their journey on flydubai aircraft, the airline said.

The co-pilot of a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv tried to crash the plane after stabbing the pilot, but passengers then held him down while other pilots landed the plane safely in Saudi Arabia, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday.

Israeli strikes killed at least six Palestinians in two separate attacks in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, the territory's health officials said.

Medics said an Israeli airstrike on a vehicle killed at least four people and wounded 14 others in the Tel Al-Hawa neighbourhood in Gaza City, while an earlier airstrike on an apartment elsewhere in the city killed a woman.

Later on Wednesday, an Israeli airstrike outside a mosque in Khan Younis killed one person and wounded others, medics said, taking the day's death toll to at least six.

Palestinian journalist Mohammed al-Najjar has been killed in an Israeli drone strike on the al-Mawasi area, north of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, according to the Nasser Medical Complex.

Further details about the strike, including whether there were any other casualties, were not immediately available.

Lebanon's National News Agency (NNA) says Israeli artillery has struck the southern town of al-Khiam.

NNA also reported that an explosion was heard in the nearby town of Houla.

We'll bring you more as soon as we have it.

Israeli leaders said on Wednesday that a "jihadist" pilot had aimed to crash a flydubai plane with mostly Israeli passengers, who overpowered him and prevented a "major disaster".

"During the flight, as they approached the country, one of the pilots stabbed the other pilot, and apparently tried to crash the plane with everyone on board," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video message.

He said he spoke to an Israeli passenger who broke into the cockpit as the plane started to plummet and fought the pilot who was trying to bring down the aircraft.

"Another air crew member who was on the plane entered the cockpit and managed to stabilise the aircraft," Netanyahu said.

"I salute these heroes, who showed extraordinary resourcefulness and courage. They saved many lives; they prevented a major disaster."

Defence Minister Israel Katz described the incident as "an attempted jihadist terror attack" that was "thwarted only thanks to the heroism of several Israeli passengers".

Katz did not identify his source for assigning a motive to the pilot, whose identity has not been revealed.

Netanyahu said the pilot who allegedly stabbed his colleague "has been arrested and is currently being interrogated by the Saudi authorities".