SpaceX Falcon 9 launched the classified USSF-385 mission from Space Launch Complex 4E (SLC-4E), Vandenberg Space Force Base on Saturday (Sept. 26), at 1400 UTC, marking the sixth and final Falcon 9 launch from the West Coast base in September.

The first-stage booster, B1100 successfully landed on the autonomous droneship 'Of Course I Still Love You' in the Pacific Ocean about 8.5 minutes after liftoff as planned. B1100 completed its 10th flight, having previously launched the NROL-95 mission and eight Starlink missions. The Falcon 9 has now flown 108 times in 2026. The vast majority of these missions — 75% of them — Starlink broadband constellation, which currently consists of more than 11,000 satellites in low Earth orbit.

The payload details remain classified, and SpaceX terminated its live webcast shortly after the first-stage booster landed, omitting views of the upper-stage flight and payload deployment as requested by the military customer.

USSF-385 is understood to be the third in a series deploying satellites based on SpaceX’s Starshield, a government-focused variant of the Starlink constellation designed for resilient low-Earth-orbit communications and sensing which aims to provide the U.S. military with a proliferated fleet of hundreds of spacecraft, making the network too large for adversaries to blind with anti-satellite weapons.

The mission caps a rapid deployment pace, representing the fourth national security launch from SLC-4E in just 43 days. This follows USSF-366 (Aug. 15), USSF-153 (Sept 10), and USSF-259 (Sept 17).

Vandenberg has become SpaceX’s primary site for Falcon 9 flights as operations at Cape Canaveral shift toward Starship.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed this week, that Tehran has submitted a seven-day plan to the United States via Qatari mediators to end the war, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and restart nuclear talks. The proposal, presented on the sidelines of the 81st U.N. General Assembly in New York, is a compressed version of the June Islamabad Memorandum that previously collapsed, designed to move from a 60-day negotiation window to a seven-day implementation timeline.

The proposal outlines a plan that includes an immediate end to all hostilities, including in Lebanon and Gaza; lifting U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports; sanctions waiver on Iranian oil exports; and the release of at least $12 billion in frozen Iranian assets.

If Washington accepts the terms, the seven-day clock starts the following day, with the Strait of Hormuz reopening on the final day to allow comprehensive nuclear negotiations to begin immediately, including frameworks to re-admit UN nuclear inspectors (IAEA) to inspect nuclear stockpiles and damaged facilities.

Araghchi said that a deal before the U.S. midterm elections would be preferable, noting that the economic impact of the strait's closure on global energy prices is a critical pressure point. He detailed the proposal to reporters and in private briefings on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.

While U.S. officials described discussions as "positive and constructive," they emphasized they are not rushing into an agreement, and UAE and Saudi Arabia have reportedly expressed skepticism about the latest push.

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz—through which roughly 20% of global oil flows—triggered record-high energy and gasoline prices globally.

Pezeshkian Vows Iran Will Resist US-Israeli Aggression 'Until The Very End'

Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian appeared on Fox News on Thursday, following a defiant address to the UN General Assembly the day prior. He slammed the U.S. and Israel for imposing war on Iran, insisting Tehran does not seek conflict but will resist "until the very end."

The president said that "it is America that must choose whether it wants to end this or not," placing the responsibility for peace squarely on the Donald Trump administration. Despite seeking a deal, he vowed Iran would "keep resisting" U.S. sanctions and military strikes, stating, "We will find ways, and the life of our country will continue."

Pezeshkian categorically rejected any intent to build nuclear weapons, citing a religious decree by the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei that deems it "unholy and illegal." He said Iran is ready to dilute its 60% enriched uranium reserves and accepted verification under the NPT framework.

The president noted the war was "imposed" on Iran by U.S. and Israeli "instigations." He expressed willingness to revive the June memorandum for peace, which collapsed over disputes regarding the Strait of Hormuz. He denied that U.S. midterm elections influence Iran's timeline for a deal.

On the cinflict in Yemen, Pezeshkian said that the Houthis are "responsible for their own actions" and that Iran has "no systematic relationship" with them, contradicting U.S. claims of direct Iranian command.

The interview followed Pezeshkian's historic UN speech on Wednesday, where he became the first world leader to address the UNGA while his country is at active war with the host nation. He held up photos of Ali Khamenei, who was assassinated in a US-Israeli strike on February 28, 2026, and in which over 150 schoolchildren were killed. The U.S. and Israeli delegations boycotted or walked out of his address. The conflict, now in its seventh month, has seen repeated breakdowns in diplomacy.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian delivered a historic and defiant address to the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday, becoming the first world leader to speak in person while his country is at active war with the host nation, the United States. Speaking a day after President Donald Trump threatened to "annihilate" Iran if a peace deal was not reached, Pezeshkian accused the U.S. and Israel of committing terrorism, war crimes, and violating international law.

Pezeshkian held up photographs of Ali Khamenei, the late Iranian Supreme Leader who was assassinated in the first hours of the U.S.-Israeli offensive in February 2026, as well as images of over 150 schoolchildren killed in a U.S. airstrike on a primary school in Minab.

The Iranian president said that a UN fact-finding mission found "reasonable grounds" to believe the U.S. committed a war crime in that attack. He further condemned the targeting of Iranian universities, hospitals, and infrastructure, asserting that Iran has "only defended itself" and will fight "until our last breath."

Addressing Trump by name, Pezeshkian rejected the U.S. president's characterization of Iran as a "bully" or "terrorist," declaring, "We have been the victims of terrorism." He vowed Iran would never "bend the knee" to sanctions or bullying but emphasized that Tehran remains "ready for dialogue and diplomacy and negotiations without accepting the language of force."

"The United States president described us as terrorists. We have been the victims of terrorism... We will never bow our head or bend at the knee in the face of sanctions, increased pressure, and increased bullying," Pezeshkian said.

Pezeshkian specified that any deal must include the end of the U.S. naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz and the release of frozen Iranian assets. He heavily criticized Israel's "double standard," noting that Israel possesses nuclear weapons and kills civilians in Gaza yet faces no sanctions, while Iran is punished for seeking equal rights.

"Atomic and nuclear bombs are in the hands of the Israeli regime, but the inspectors are requested to come to Iran. Israel kills, but Iran is subject to sanctions," the Iranian president said.

Despite the fierce rhetoric, Pezeshkian closed his speech by stating that Iran remains willing to return to the negotiating table, provided force and coercion are dropped. "We are ready for dialogue, diplomacy, and negotiations without accepting the language of force," he said.

The U.S. delegation walked out during Pezeshkian's speech, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio subsequently dismissed the speech, questioning Iran's standing to lecture on human rights.

Pezeshkian, elected in July 2024 as a reform-minded candidate initially seeking to ease Western sanctions, has seen his presidency defined by intense military conflict. Following the military strikes in early 2026 and the assassination of Supreme Leader in February 2026, Pezeshkian has had to balance pressure from hardline factions at home while attempting to keep diplomatic channels open abroad.