The announcement by US President Barack Obama that he will postpone a Congressional vote on military action in Syria in order to allow for diplomatic progress to be made on Russia’s suggestion to disarm Syria’s chemical stockpiles is covered widely in the Guardian, Times, Telegraph and Financial Times. The Independent also focuses on Prime Minister David Cameron’s caution regarding the plan, as he warned MPs yesterday that the initiative must not turn into a “delaying tactic” by the Assad regime. The Times outlines the complex and lengthy process, both diplomatic and technical, in neutralising Syria’s chemical weapons, while the Telegraph provides a step by step guide to the technicalities behind chemical disarmament. The Financial Times reports that the Iranian regime has expressed its satisfaction at the Russian initiative, but has reiterated its full support for the Assad regime.

In the wealth of commentary on the latest diplomatic moves surrounding Syria, Roger Boyes in the Times says that the West must be under no illusions that although chemical disarmament may stave off the prospect of military conflict, it leaves a brutal and murderous dictator in power in Syria. In the Telegraph, Con Coughlin warns that Syria could procrastinate over chemical inspections and disarmament just as Saddam Hussein’s Iraq did in the 1990s. The Evening Standard’s Defence Editor Robert Fox implores the West to embrace Russia’s suggestion and give diplomacy a chance. Meanwhile, in the Independent, Andreas Whittam Smith declares that the popular Western rejection of military intervention in Syria signals the end of six hundred years of Western colonialism.

The Times reports on the recent crackdown by Egypt’s military against the plethora of smuggling tunnels beneath its border with the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, which Egypt’s rulers believe has been a rich source of weapons for Islamist groups in the Sinai Peninsula fighting Egyptian forces. The article suggests that the destruction of the tunnels has had a serious economic impact on the Gaza Strip and that Hamas is increasingly financially and diplomatically isolated.

Diplomacy over Syria also takes centre stage in the Israeli media this morning. Yediot Ahronot and Haaretz lead with the news that the Assad regime has agreed to dismantle its chemical weapons stockpile. However, Makor Rishon highlights US Secretary of State John Kerry’s warning that the United States will not wait long in order for Assad to comply and disarm. There is plenty of commentary surrounding the latest diplomatic developments. In Yediot Ahronot, Alon Pinkas says that the Obama Administration has handled the crisis in an unconvincing manner, but that it has achieved the effect of deterrence. However, in the same publication, Ephraim Halevy says that the episode has signalled Russia’s return as a central player in the Middle East.

The main story in Maariv is devoted to potential Iranian diplomatic activity during the upcoming United Nations’ General Assembly in New York. The report says that ambassadors from European Union countries are scheduled to meet with Iran’s foreign minister on the sidelines of the event, while Israeli officials are concerned that Iranian diplomatic activity could hamper Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s attempts to mobilise the international community to stop Iran’s nuclear development.

Meanwhile, Israel Hayom and Makor Rishon include features looking back at the Yom Kippur War of 1973, coinciding with the fortieth anniversary of the conflict.