Yesterday’s meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations’ (UN) General Assembly between Iran’s foreign minister and senior representatives of the P5+1 nations (UK, United States, France, China and Germany) is covered prominently by the Financial Times, Independent, Evening Standard and the online editions of the Guardian and Telegraph. All report that the talks were received positively by P5+1 leaders and that formal negotiations will resume between the two sides next month, with Iranian leaders stating their desire to reach an agreement over nuclear development within months not years. However, the Times, Telegraph, Daily Mail, Independent and Independent i highlight that Iran’s President Rouhani has called for Israel to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Both the Times and Independent suggest that Iran could use Israel’s alleged nuclear capability as an excuse to delay compliance with the international community over its own nuclear programme.

David Blair in the Telegraph provides an analysis of potential diplomacy on Iran including an insight into Tehran’s nuclear technology. In the Guardian, Simon Jenkins says that the West should wholeheartedly embrace Rouhani, while an editorial in the Times argues that the West should tread a careful diplomatic path with Iran, but engagement would send an important message to the Iranian people that the West is not their enemy.

The online editions of the Guardian, Telegraph and Independent cover the agreement of a draft resolution on Syria by the five permanent members of the UN Security Council. The resolution will be put to vote as early as today. Although it was described by the UK as “binding and enforceable,” the resolution does not authorise the use of force should the Assad regime fail to comply over disarming its chemical weapons stockpile.

The Telegraph online reports that US Secretary of State John Kerry has said that Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA) will look to intensify talks in order to reach a final status peace agreement over the coming months. Representatives of both sides were upbeat following a meeting of international donors to the Palestinians yesterday in New York, where Israel announced a variety of measures to help boost the Palestinian economy. However, the Telegraph online also covers PA President Mahmoud Abbas’ speech to the UN General Assembly yesterday at which he described the prospect of peace as “bleak.” The Financial Times includes a feature on increasing calls for Jewish prayer rights on the Temple Mount site in Jerusalem , which is also the al-Aqsa mosque compound. Israel currently does not allow Jews to pray publicly at the site, citing Muslim sensibilities. The Independent and Independent i include a feature on the dismantling of the Palestinian encampment of Makhul by Israeli security forces last week following a court order over its illegal construction.

In the Israeli media, both Maariv and Israel Hayom devote their front pages to comments made yesterday by Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani, who suggested that Israel should sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Maariv’s headline, next to a picture of Rouhani asks “What’s hiding behind the smile?” while Israel Hayom’s headline pointedly comments “Look who’s talking.” Maariv previews Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s appearance at the UN General Assembly next week, which it says will look to counter Iran’s public diplomacy efforts. Haaretz says that Netanyahu will find it difficult to reverse the momentum which Iran has generated this week towards encouraging the international community to engage with Tehran. Meanwhile, YNet covers the meeting yesterday which took place between Iran’s foreign minister and P5+1 representatives.

Both Maariv and Israel Hayom give prominence to the condition of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, the spiritual leader of ultra-Orthodox Sephardi political party Shas, who remains in a Jerusalem hospital. Hospital spokespeople said that there is only a very small chance that his grave condition will improve.