LiveLive Updates September 09, 2026Share to FacebookShare to XArticle printing is available to subscribers onlyPrint in a simple, ad-free formatSubscribeComments: Zen reading is available to subscribers onlyAd-free and in a comfortable reading formatSubscribeSeptember 09, 2026UpdatesMiliband defends West Bank sanctions after rejecting pleas from Jewish leaders, Chief RabbiBritain's Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband speaks at the House of Commons in London, Britain, on Tuesday. Credit: House of Commons/ReutersBritain's Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband speaks at the House of Commons in London, Britain, on Tuesday. Credit: House of Commons/ReutersHours after announcing West Bank trade sanctions, U.K. Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has defended the move in an exclusive interview with British newspaper the Jewish News.Miliband rejected allegations that new measures endanger British Jews, saying that, "any person who targets British Jews because of the actions of the Israeli government is an antisemite in my view. That's very, very important, and I couldn't have said it more plainly. Indeed, I think that view is shared across the House of Commons, and I believe we all have a responsibility to protect British Jews as a government, as a society. I say that loudly and clearly."Miliband also acknowledged that he dismissed pleas from Jewish communal leaders, including Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, reiterating his position that the United Kingdom could not adopt a strategy of passivity in the face of ongoing settlement expansion and the destruction of the two-state solution.Miliband also said that "our quarrel is not with the Israeli people. Our quarrel is with, our disagreement is with the policies of the Netanyahu government.""I don't believe that the actions of the current government in Israel are making the Israeli people safer or more secure; I think the opposite is sadly true," he added.Responding to criticism regarding the timing ahead of the Israeli election, Miliband told the newspaper that the British government cannot outsource its moral responsibilities or wait for a convenient moment to address what it views as unlawful occupation."If we're frank with each other, people will always say there's no good time to take these measures. Imagine a world where a new government was elected; people will be saying well now is not the time," he said. "With the greatest sort of humility, I'd say we as a British government can't outsource our political moral responsibilities to the Israeli opposition or to the Israeli electorate."Jordan says its air defenses downed 18 of 20 missiles from IranJordan's air defense systems have destroyed 18 of 20 ballistic missiles originating from Iranian territory, the state news agency reported on Wednesday, citing the armed forces.Two missiles fell in unpopulated areas and there were no casualties, the news agency reported the military as saying.Monitoring and assessment operations were continuing, the agency reported.South Korea says Hormuz talks with France concern contribution options, not troop deploymentSouth Korean President Lee Jae Myung discussed the Strait of Hormuz with French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday, but the talks concerned possible contributions to international efforts to ensure security and freedom of navigation, not troop deployment, Seoul's presidential office said.National security adviser Wi Sung-lac also said a review of South Korea's potential role was not linked to U.S. investment talks and that Iran had sought explanations over reports on a possible South Korean role.RECAP: Israel retaliates over settlement sanctions; U.S. ramps up pressure on IranHere are Wednesday's latest updates:■ Israel announced a series of retaliatory measures against Britain after London and 10 other countries announced restrictions on trade with Israeli settlements, with Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar saying Israel will close the British Consulate in East Jerusalem, remove British representatives from the International Gaza Support Center in Kiryat Gat, end British training of Palestinian Authority security forces in the West Bank and bar 12 British politicians and nationals from entering Israel. Sa'ar called Britain's measures "scandalous" and warned Israel would consider further action against other countries taking similar steps.■ Britain defended its decision to target settlement activity, with Prime Minister Andy Burnham saying the measures were intended to support a two-state solution rather than target Israelis, while U.K. Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis and the Jewish Leadership Council condemned the move as dangerous for British Jews. Mirvis called it "truly a dark day for British Jews," while the council warned that the policy could become a de facto boycott of Israel.■ Israel accused Canada of interfering in its election after Ottawa joined the settlement trade restrictions, with the Israeli embassy in Ottawa saying Canada had chosen to sacrifice bilateral trade for political gain and rejecting its claim that Israeli settlement expansion is undermining the possibility of a two-state solution.■ The Trump administration signaled opposition to Britain's settlement measures, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio warning they could have implications for efforts to implement Trump's 20-point Gaza plan and the Board of Peace, while saying Washington would not impose similar measures. ■ The UAE said direct communication and intelligence-sharing channels with Israel remain open after Haaretz reported that President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed personally warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before October 7 that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was preparing a major operation, but the Emirati Foreign Ministry did not confirm or deny that the conversation took place. Netanyahu's office has denied that the warning occurred.■ Iran said its air defenses shot down a U.S. drone over the Bandar Abbas region in southern Iran, according to Iranian state media and Tasnim, with no immediate confirmation from Washington. Separately, a U.S. official said an older American underwater military drone malfunctioned more than a day earlier while surveying regional waters in support of the war with Iran.■ A small Iranian oil tanker was reportedly hit by a U.S. projectile near Kharg Island, while Fox News, citing U.S. officials, reported broader U.S. strikes targeting Iranian oil tankers near Kharg Island and Jask as part of an effort to pressure Iran economically.■ The U.S. Treasury sanctioned 36 targets tied to Iran's aviation sector, including 27 Iranian airlines, as part of a campaign to cut off the country's remaining economic lifelines, saying the airlines and associated front companies and foreign intermediaries help Iran move weapons and illicit cargo and acquire U.S.-origin aircraft and sensitive technology. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned companies dealing with the sanctioned airlines that they risk being cut off from the global financial system.■ A UN commission investigating Syria said some Israeli military actions there may amount to war crimes, citing increasingly sustained ground incursions, raids and detentions of civilians, and said it had identified 49 Syrians, including two children, detained by Israeli forces on Syrian territory. Israel rejected the findings as an "Israel-bashing session," saying its deployment in southern Syria is temporary and necessary for security.■ More than 30 people from Jerusalem and the West Bank were arrested over alleged terrorist activity, Israeli security agencies said, including five East Jerusalem residents accused of planning attacks on checkpoints. Security forces said weapons and military equipment allegedly intended for attacks were also uncovered.■ Opposition leader Yair Lapid accused the government of another major diplomatic failure over the settlement sanctions, saying Israelis had been prepared for British action but not for the other countries joining it. Lapid called Britain's restrictions a serious mistake that would strengthen extremists while accusing the government of leaving Israel increasingly isolated.In the NewsU.S. Jewish Umbrella Group Condemns Import Ban on Goods From Israeli SettlementsEarliest Known Drug Use and Its Consequences Discovered in IndonesiaThe U.K.'s Sanctions on Settlements Matter. So Do Their LimitsBen-Gvir's Party Petitions to Ban Arab Israeli Party, Citing Support for TerrorIn Southern Syria, Netanyahu Vows to Prevent 'Terror Army' on Israel's BorderRemembering and rebuilding two years laterICYMINetanyahu Got an Explicit Warning Before Oct. 7. 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