Middle East Leaders Confront Iran War, Gaza Crisis and Houthi Threat at UN

— The Middle East is set to dominate this year’s United Nations General Assembly as global leaders begin their annual debate Tuesday. Key U.S. partners from the region are arriving in New York with a daunting question before them: How will the Middle East emerge after months of war with Iran, a renewed Houthi campaign and no clear resolution for Gaza?

The leaders of Jordan, Türkiye, Qatar and Egypt are scheduled to speak during the General Debate, which starts Sept. 22. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is also expected to participate.

President Donald Trump is expected to hold talks with Gulf leaders on the sidelines of UNGA, focusing on the conflict with Iran and the broader direction of the region. U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz told News Media that the administration hopes to hear directly from Gulf governments about their concerns, calling the discussions a significant diplomatic opening.

Rich Goldberg, a senior adviser with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said the war with Iran has reshaped the Middle East’s strategic calculations. In his view, the upheaval could also create openings for expanded energy cooperation and stronger ties between Israel and Arab nations.

“The opportunity for regional integration and normalization works alongside energy infrastructure meeting the moment, the crisis of needing bypasses for Hormuz,” Goldberg said.

Goldberg said an overland pipeline system could move Gulf energy toward the Mediterranean, possibly through Israel, and lessen the region’s reliance on exposed maritime routes.

“We can make the Strait of Hormuz irrelevant,” he said, pointing to possible energy corridors linking Saudi Arabia with Israel and connecting Qatar to the Mediterranean.

Yet the region’s energy security concerns extend well beyond the Strait of Hormuz. Renewed Houthi operations along Yemen’s Red Sea coast are drawing attention to the Bab el-Mandeb, another vital shipping chokepoint. In a Sept. 11 analysis , Washington Institute analysts April Longley Alley and Allison Minor said the campaign had “shattered the status quo” on Yemen’s western coast.

Gaza poses its own complex diplomatic test. Arab governments are pressing for a political settlement, but they remain at odds with Israel over Palestinian statehood and how the territory should be governed and rebuilt.

In a Sept. 6 joint statement, the foreign ministers of Jordan, Egypt, Qatar, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia and Pakistan rejected any forced removal of Palestinians from Gaza. They reaffirmed support for a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, and cautioned that displacement proposals could weaken Trump’s Gaza peace plan.

Qatar has also condemned fresh Iranian strikes on Arab countries, along with Houthi attacks targeting Saudi Arabia and commercial shipping in the Red Sea. At the same time, Doha has emphasized that the Palestinian cause remains a central priority.

France, Britain and Canada said in a Sept. 8 joint statement that they intend to prohibit imports from Israeli settlements and consider targeted actions against settlements and those supporting them. The three countries also plan to co-chair a UNGA meeting aimed at advancing a two-state solution, a year after recognizing Palestinian statehood.

The diplomatic divide will be visible in the assembly hall as well. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was refused a U.S. visa for the second year in a row, prompting the General Assembly to vote Thursday to let him deliver his speech remotely by video.

Netanyahu is expected in New York just weeks ahead of Israel’s Oct. 27 parliamentary election. The vote will be the country’s first national election since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attacks and comes as international backing for Israel has weakened. A June 2026 Pew Research Center survey reported that a median 67% of adults in 36 countries viewed Israel unfavorably, while 25% expressed a favorable opinion.

For the United States, the central challenge will be preserving regional security partnerships while navigating intense disagreements over Gaza and the future of America’s relationship with Israel.

Goldberg said some of the most important negotiations may happen away from the UNGA floor. Arab leaders, he predicted, could take a more measured public stance while presenting a different, more candid message during private meetings with Trump and senior U.S. officials.

“We may see the old propaganda of criticizing Israel and saying everybody wants a different future, and they’re going to support Gaza and the Palestinians, they demand a Palestinian state,” Goldberg said.

Behind closed doors, he predicted the discussions would focus on U.S. security guarantees, the next steps in confronting Iran and expanding regional energy infrastructure.

“What will be a pathway forward politically that the U.S. can provide to these leaders so that they can normalize with Israel alongside the necessary infrastructure upgrades that they need to make for their own energy securities and physical securities going forward?” Goldberg said.