US, Morocco, and Israel Agree to Upgrade Diplomatic Ties in New York Talks
Following talks in New York, the United States, Morocco, and Israel committed to establishing full embassies and direct flights, with future discussions planned on Iran's postwar strategy.
The conversation that mattered
In a trilateral meeting in New York on September 17, US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz, Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita, and Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs Gideon Sa'ar agreed to deepen diplomatic and economic ties. The commitments include Morocco and Israel upgrading their diplomatic missions to full embassies, exchanging ambassadors, and restoring direct flights before the end of the year.
This agreement marks a significant step in the diplomatic relations between the three nations. Looking ahead, US President Donald Trump is expected to meet with leaders and foreign ministers from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries in New York next Tuesday, September 22, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly to discuss the next steps in the war with Iran and postwar plans.
Today's meetings
US Ambassador Mike Waltz
Actor Two: Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita and Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar
Venue Or Format: New York talks
What Was Discussed: Deepening diplomatic and economic ties, including upgrading missions to full embassies and restoring direct flights.
Signal: Marks significant progress in normalization efforts between Morocco and Israel, facilitated by the US.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung
Actor Two: Leaders from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan
Venue Or Format: First Korea-Central Asia Summit in Seoul
What Was Discussed: Elevating cooperation framework to presidential level and adopting the "Seoul Declaration" for cooperation in critical minerals, energy, trade, and investment.
Signal: Establishes a permanent, high-level structure for Korea's engagement with Central Asian nations.
Singapore Foreign Minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan
Actor Two: Qatar Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al Thani
Venue Or Format: Third Implementation Monitoring Mechanism Meeting in Qatar
What Was Discussed: Reviewing bilateral cooperation and endorsing a joint statement.
Signal: Reinforces ongoing bilateral engagement and commitment to a rules-based international order.
India's Charge d'Affaires
Actor Two: Pakistan's Charge d'Affaires
Venue Or Format: Summoned in Delhi and Islamabad
What Was Discussed: Protests over a naval incident at sea.
Signal: Indicates heightened bilateral tensions following an unspecified maritime event.
Joint statements + readouts
United States, Morocco, and Israel
Topic: Upgrading diplomatic and economic ties
Key Line: Morocco and Israel moving to upgrade their diplomatic missions to full embassies, exchange ambassadors and restore direct flights before the end of the year.
South Korea and Central Asian nations (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan)
Topic: Comprehensive cooperation and regional stability
Key Line: The leaders adopted the 'Seoul Declaration,' outlining plans to strengthen reciprocal and practical cooperation in agriculture, livestock, fisheries, critical minerals, energy, trade, and investment.
Singapore and Qatar
Topic: Bilateral cooperation
Key Line: The co-chairs endorsed the Joint Statement on the Third IMM Meeting at the conclusion of the meeting.
Multilateral pulse
First Korea-Central Asia Summit. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung hosted leaders from five Central Asian nations in Seoul, establishing a presidential-level cooperation framework and adopting the "Seoul Declaration" to boost cooperation in various sectors.
Bilateral threads worth following
US ↔ Iran
Current State: US plans discussions on postwar strategy with Gulf leaders.
Last Move: US President Trump is expected to meet Gulf Cooperation Council leaders in New York on September 22 to discuss the next steps in the war with Iran.
India ↔ Pakistan
Current State: Tensions heightened following a naval incident.
Last Move: Both countries summoned each other's charges d'affaires on September 17 to lodge protests over vessels colliding at sea.
India ↔ China
Current State: New Delhi rejects Beijing's boundary commission with Pakistan.
Last Move: India's external affairs ministry rejected the operationalization of the China-Pakistan 'Boundary Joint Commission' on September 17, reiterating India's claims over Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
US ↔ Morocco
Current State: Diplomatic ties are set for an upgrade.
Last Move: The US and Morocco, along with Israel, agreed on September 17 to upgrade diplomatic missions to full embassies and restore direct flights.
What we'll be watching next 72h
- Eurogroup meeting on September 18, 2026.
- Informal meeting of EU economic and financial affairs ministers, September 18-19, 2026.
- Informal meeting of EU transport ministers, September 20-21, 2026.
- UN General Assembly in New York, starting September 21, 2026.
Reporting + analyst voices: grounded via Google Search at publish time.