Trump shows his openness to dealing with Iran amid regional escalation and Houthi attacks

US President Donald Trump reiterated on Monday (September 14, 2026) his “openness” to dealing with Iran with the aim of putting an end to the war with it.

The US President wrote on his platform, Truth Social, “The failed Iranian nation wants to reach an agreement, quickly and urgently. I will decide whether the United States chooses to engage in that or not, which is something we are open to.”

Trump's statements came after Gulf countries postponed a scheduled meeting with Iran after the Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen launched a new attack on Saudi Arabia, highlighting fears of the possibility of the conflict spreading to the region.

An Iranian nuclear official was prevented from attending a meeting in Vienna

On the other hand, Iran denounced preventing the head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization, Mohammad Islami, from entering Austria to participate in the general conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

US Energy Secretary Chris Wright confirmed that Washington rejected Islami's request to obtain an exemption from the sanctions imposed on him, and to obtain a visa to enter Austria.

The Austrian Foreign Ministry told Agence France-Presse that the relevant committee in the Security Council rejected his request to grant him an exemption.

Iranian television reported that Eslami and his delegation took a regular flight to Vienna on Saturday, but were intercepted on the way “due to obstacles placed by the United States,” noting that the Iranian official returned to Tehran on the same day.

Tehran summoned the Austrian Chargé d'Affairs in protest against this decision. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baghaei considered Vienna's refusal to issue visas to the Iranian delegation "a completely unjustified decision." He added, "It is clear to us that this incident occurred under American pressure, but that does not absolve the Austrian government of responsibility."

In late September of last year, Britain, France and Germany activated the “snapback/trigger” mechanism stipulated in the international agreement concluded on the Iranian nuclear issue in 2015, which led to the re-imposition of UN sanctions that had been suspended under the agreement, against the backdrop of accusing Tehran of not fulfilling its obligations.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen denounced on Monday (September 14, 2026) the “continuous attacks” launched by “Iranian agents” in the Gulf region, following the recent attacks launched by the Yemeni Houthis on Saudi Arabia.

“I condemn the Houthi attack on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” von der Leyen wrote on the X platform.

She added, "We stand in solidarity with our partners in the Gulf in the face of the continuing attacks launched by Iranian agents... We are all concerned."

She stressed, "We will continue to work with our partners to ensure the freedom and security of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and to achieve stability in the Middle East. We are all concerned with this matter."

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Tehran: “Iran does not interfere in Yemeni affairs”

For its part, Iran denied any involvement in the conflict in Yemen, stressing that the Houthis are "completely independent." Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baghaei said, "Iran does not interfere in Yemeni affairs," stressing that the Houthis are "completely independent and make their decisions according to their own interests."

On Monday, Houthi rebels again targeted Saudi Arabia.

The Houthis, an essential part of the network of Iranian-backed armed groups in the Middle East known as the “Axis of Resistance,” accused Saudi Arabia of launching more than 50 raids on their areas during the past 24 hours.

Over the past period, the Houthis have repeatedly announced targeting areas in Saudi Arabia, especially oil facilities in the south of the Kingdom bordering Yemen. On Monday, they announced a rare attack with drones and missiles on the King Khalid Air Base in Khamis Mushait in southern Saudi Arabia.

In July, Yemen returned to the forefront of regional escalation, with the renewed confrontation between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia in the wake of the war between the United States and Iran.

The confrontations began after the Houthis accused Riyadh of bombing Sanaa Airport to prevent an Iranian plane from landing there, before they announced the imposition of a naval blockade on the Kingdom and resumed targeting its tankers and oil facilities, thus ending a truce with the Saudi-backed Yemeni government concluded in 2022.

US President Donald Trump ignored a report that Iran obtained satellite images of a base in Jordan from Chinese entities before an attack that killed three US soldiers there in July. A recent report in the Wall Street Journal cited unnamed US officials regarding the attack in Jordan. When asked if he would raise the issue in his upcoming meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump did not respond directly, but instead equated China's surveillance activities with those of the United States.

He told reporters on Air Force One, "They are basically doing what we do. When they say that China is spying on us, I tell them: You are right, and we are spying on them, too." The Chinese and US presidents are expected to meet in the United States on September 24, although China has not yet officially confirmed that the meeting will take place. Yesterday, Sunday, Trump reiterated that he has a good relationship with his Chinese counterpart. The Wall Street Journal report, which Reuters has not yet been able to verify, stated that US officials refused to reveal the identity of the Chinese entities that provided Iran with the images, and did not claim direct involvement by Beijing.