• US President Donald Trump tells reporters that the country faces a choice to either make a deal with Iran or “blow them up”.
• US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth claims American forces have “destroyed”
• Iran’s military and crippled its nuclear ambitions.
• UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said there were “strong indications” that Iran was involved in the alleged bombing plot at the Royal Air Force (RAF) Fairford airbase in the UK used by the US military.
• Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has rejected the UK’s claims.
• CENTCOM says its forces have redirected 125 commercial vessels to enforce compliance with the US naval blockade of Iranian ports.
   

Iran pushes for stronger ties with China amid US sanctions

Iran’s IRNA news agency reports that the country’s Finance Minister Ali Madanizadeh has told China’s ambassador to Iran, Cong Peiwu, that Iran is determined to strengthen comprehensive ties with China.

Referring to China’s position in the global economy, Madanizadeh highlighted the two countries’ potential for cooperation in industrial investment, new technologies, clean energy, the digital economy, logistics and industrial projects, IRNA said.

On Tuesday, China-based firms and business leaders were sanctioned by the US Treasury for procuring weapons and parts for Iran’s military.

However, China remains one of Iran’s largest trading partners, and the Trump administration has faced scrutiny over how forcefully it would confront Beijing over its participation in Iran’s economy.

Madanizadeh thanked China for its support for Iran’s sovereignty and its humanitarian assistance during the recent war, and highlighted the importance of cooperation through BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and financial institutions.

He said that the two countries are moving towards a new chapter of strategic partnership and implementation of the 25-year comprehensive cooperation plan, IRNA added.

US-Iran talks

Oil prices hold steady amid US-Iran talks and monthly gains

Oil prices held largely steady during early trading in Asia on Thursday, tracking previous gains and steep monthly increases as market participants weighed the latest developments in US-Iran peace discussions alongside regional crude export trends.

Brent crude futures climbed 12 cents, or 0.1 percent, to $98.15 per barrel as of 00:45 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) settled at $90.35 a barrel, slipping 7 cents, or 0.1 percent.

Both major benchmarks advanced by roughly $1 a barrel in the prior session.

According to Reuters, Brent advanced by approximately 14 percent in September, its strongest monthly performance since July, while WTI finished the month up about 5 percent.

Iran’s UN mission dismisses US expulsion claim as ‘baseless’

Iran’s mission to the United Nations said the Iranian delegation left New York on Monday as per schedule.

The announcement came shortly after Axios reported that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio demanded the Iranian delegation leave the country immediately after negotiations broke down, citing a US official and a second source with knowledge of the matter.

In a post on X, Iran’s UN mission dismissed the reports, saying: “Having achieved nothing, the State Department has resorted to propagating baseless and worthless news.”

Is Iran losing its leverage over the Strait of Hormuz?

As Iran and the United States work with mediators to end seven months of war, the reality in the Strait of Hormuz is shifting in ways that could prove to be a game-changer in ongoing negotiations.

According to the latest data, traffic through the key waterway has steadily increased with some estimates putting oil and petroleum flow through Hormuz at nearly 80 percent of what it was before the US-Israeli war on Iran began on February 28.

This could dent Iran’s leverage in reaching a favorable deal for itself in its attempts to end the fighting, which has seriously hampered its already heavily sanctioned economy amid the US blockade of Iranian ships and ports.

Despite that, experts believe it would be a mistake to think normality in the strait is imminent, or that Iran will fold easily despite growing economic hardship.

“The fact that oil is getting through the Strait of Hormuz is encouraging, but flows are not yet regarded as completely secure or guaranteed, particularly while the wider conflict remains unresolved,” Susannah Streeter, chief investment strategist at Wealth Club, said.

Iran will continue seeking dialogue with US, president says

President Masoud Pezeshkian says Iran “has never avoided” dialogue with the United States even though it’s been attacked three times during negotiations.

Speaking at a meeting with entrepreneurs, Pezeshkian said the government is “seriously seeking to resolve all issues and problems related to the business sector”, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported.

“We have never avoided dialogue and will not do so, although the United States targeted our country three times. There is good coordination and synergy among the heads of state and everyone is seeking to resolve problems and shortcomings,” he said.

Despite “restrictions at sea”, Iran is seeking to expand import-export avenues via land with Pakistan, Iraq, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan, Pezeshkian added.

 

Trump says Iran’s offer to open the Strait of Hormuz was ‘simply not enough’

The US president has given a wide ranging interview to Time Magazine, addressing the ongoing US-Israeli war on Iran.

The interview was conducted a few days ago but published today.

Here is a summary of what he said:

• Iran’s situation is very bad, their economy is collapsing, and they want to make a deal, but I want it to be a real deal.
• Resuming attacks on Iran after the midterm elections is possible.
• What I rejected a year ago, I will not agree to today. Iran could be destroyed, and that’s possible.
• The Iranians made an offer regarding the opening of the Strait of Hormuz. I have seen some aspects of it, but not all of it, and it is simply not enough.
• We have a lot of weapons and our situation is excellent. We are now stockpiling and holding large quantities and will distribute them to our allies. The reports concerning our ammunition shortages were mostly false news.
• We have closed the Strait of Hormuz to Iran and we control it.
• Iran cannot possess nuclear weapons because they are crazy and cannot be allowed to do so.
• Oil prices will fall as they did before once a deal is struck with Iran.

Iran acting defense chief accuses US of covering up challenges amid war

Iran’s acting Defense Minister Majid ibn Reza has accused the Trump administration of trying to cover up the issues it faces as a result of the war.

In a post on X, Reza said the US’s claims of destroying Iran’s military capabilities “change nothing.”

“Don’t hide the confusion in the White House with fanciful war plays; public opinion pressure, troop exhaustion, and rising war costs have thrown your calculations into disarray,” he posted in Farsi.

He added: “You will see Iran’s capability and initiative in the field, and you will taste its political impact.”

The post was also shared by state broadcaster IRIB.

Strait of Hormuz

Iran not challenging US Navy escorts as it ‘doesn’t want resumption of hostilities’

Iran has not lost its leverage over the Strait of Hormuz despite the US Navy escorting ships through the waterway, according to Mehran Kamrava, professor of government at Georgetown University in Qatar.

“My assumption is that Iran does not want a resumption of hostilities, and is therefore not challenging the US Navy in its escort of ships through the Hormuz,” Kamrava said.

The strait remains central to efforts to end the months-long US-Israeli war on Iran. Tehran is seeking relief from a US naval blockade that has severely restricted its oil exports, while Washington wants to secure the free passage of ships through the waterway.

But Kamrava questioned whether the mounting economic pressure would force Tehran to accept negotiations on US terms.

He said the Trump administration was underestimating both the resilience of the Islamic Republic and its determination to remain in power.

“There is no doubt that the sanctions and the blockade are undermining the middle classes,” Kamrava said. “But the steady weakening of the middle class only strengthens the state.”

“I sincerely doubt that the blockade and sanctions will have the effect that the Trump administration hopes they would.”

Roosevelt aircraft carrier strike group heading to Middle East: US official

A US official has said that three aircraft carriers and two landing groups are preparing to deploy around Iran.

According to the official:

• The Roosevelt aircraft carrier has departed with its strike group from its San Diego base, heading for the region.
• The Makin Island Marine Expeditionary Force also departed from San Diego on Monday for the Middle East, with more than 2,000 Marines serving with the landing force.
• By the end of November, three aircraft carriers and two landing groups will be deployed around Iran.
• With all this power concentrated in the Middle East, leaders will have many options for dealing with Iran.

US aircraft carriers heading to Middle East to boost CENTCOM firepower

Soon there will be three aircraft carriers in US Central Command’s (CENTCOM) area of responsibility, which covers the Middle East and Central and South Asia.

The USS Theodore Roosevelt left on Sunday from San Diego, California, followed by a Marine Expeditionary Unit on Monday.

This brings thousands of troops to CENTCOM’s area of responsibility along with more firepower from F-35 and F-18 fighter jets, boosting US military power in the region which the Department of Defense has consistently maintained.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has said they’re ready to go if President Trump orders any strikes amid threats of fresh US attacks on Iran.

It will take the strike group a few weeks to reach the region, a US official said.

Millions face hunger with fertilizer flows stymied in Hormuz

A senior UN official warns continued disruption to fertilizer shipments through the Strait of Hormuz could have severe consequences for food security around the world.

“The consequences of inaction … are a tragedy for developing countries,” said Jorge Moreira da Silva, UN under-secretary-general and head of the UN Task Force for the Strait of Hormuz.

Countries most dependent on fertilizer supplies from the Gulf are among the world’s most vulnerable economies, he noted, citing Sudan, Somalia, Mozambique, and Tanzania as examples.

The Hormuz crisis has already triggered a sharp increase in fertilizer prices and a decline in its use – developments that could reduce agricultural productivity and worsen food insecurity, Moreira da Silva said.

“We need seven days to put the monitors on the ground to ensure the transit of fertilizers … We are ready, but we are still dependent on the political will of the parties,” he said.

As Strait of Hormuz traffic grows, Iran struggles amid blockade

According to the latest data from tanker-tracker websites, traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has been steadily increasing, with some estimates putting oil and petroleum flow through the key waterway at nearly 80 percent of what it was before the US-Israeli war on Iran began on February 28.

This could dent Iran’s leverage in reaching a favorable deal for itself in its attempts to end the fighting, which has seriously hampered its already heavily sanctioned economy, amid the US blockade on Iranian ships and ports.

Despite that, experts believe it would be a mistake to think normality in the Strait of Hormuz is imminent, or that Iran will fold easily despite growing economic hardship.

“The fact that oil is getting through the Strait of Hormuz is encouraging, but flows are not yet regarded as completely secure or guaranteed, particularly while the wider conflict remains unresolved,” Susannah Streeter, chief investment strategist at the UK-based Wealth Club, said.

Supertanker hit in Strait of Hormuz, Iranian media reports

A supertanker has been hit in the Strait of Hormuz and is now burning, according to Iran’s Fars news agency which cited local sources.

The 2.5-million-barrel tanker was travelling “illegally” in the strait and was hit 8 km off the coast of Oman, Fars reported.

Iranian media did not immediately allege a perpetrator of the attack, nor which flag the tanker was traveling under.

Tanker hit while transiting Strait of Hormuz, causes fires: UKMTO

The ⁠UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) ⁠says a tanker was hit by an unknown projectile causing a fire while passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

It added that crew ⁠was reported safe, but ⁠damage and ⁠any environmental ⁠impact were unknown.

Persian Gulf Strait Authority says several tankers attacked in Strait of Hormuz in recent days

The Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) says several tankers were attacked in the Strait of Hormuz in recent days, including three that are owned or chartered by the UAE, Iran’s IRIB broadcaster reports.

According to a statement by the PGSA: “Investigations show that the tankers AL RUWAIS, SINBAD and MERSIN PROSPERITY have attempted to transit the Strait of Hormuz several times in the past two months”.

“It is noteworthy that the names of these three tankers are also included in the latest update of the Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) non-compliance list,” it added.

Oil & Fuel

Trump still considering diesel export ban as Iran war halts supplies

President Trump says conversations on banning diesel exports are happening “every day” as the ⁠White House races to curb soaring energy prices.

Gasoline prices have jumped more than 40 percent over the past year and diesel climbed to a record of $6.53 a gallon a week ago. The price spike is largely driven by a combination of a reduction in supply because of the US-Israeli war on Iran and interruptions to refining.

The ⁠Trump administration and Republican candidates have been under pressure to bring down fuel costs as November’s midterm elections approach, and Trump’s economic approval ratings remain under strain.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright ⁠said the disruptions are more widespread.

“We’ve lost some diesel exports from the Middle East, although we’re restoring ⁠those, and we’ve lost diesel exports from China. So that’s a lot of interruptions,” he said.

Oil falls following US-Iran counterproposal

Oil prices have dropped about 1 percent amid a cautious diplomatic back-and-forth between Tehran and Washington, Reuters reports.

Brent crude futures fell 1.1 percent to $96.92 a barrel as of 04:30 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude dipped 1.4 percent to $89.18 a barrel.

Both benchmarks rose about $1 a barrel on Wednesday.

Brent saw a monthly gain of about 14 percent in September – its biggest since July – while WTI increased by about 5 percent on the month.

Gulf crude exports recover but Strait of Hormuz remains ‘fragile’

While energy shipments have recovered through the Strait of Hormuz the situation remains fragile and costly, an analyst says.

Abdul Khalique, head of the maritime centre at Liverpool John Moores University, said the route itself has changed significantly with tanker-to-tanker transfers now playing a greater role.

Security risks also persist, Khalique added, with warnings issued following tanker attacks in Hormuz on September 29.

“The strait is functioning under protection but remains fragile,” he said. “Brent near or above $100 reflects depleted inventories, scarce refined products, costly and risky shipping, constrained bypass routes, and the risk that current flows could be disrupted again.”

Commodity analytics firm Kpler said Middle East crude oil exports have recovered to about 80 percent of pre-war levels. But the figure remains 3.2 million barrels per day (bpd) below the 19.5 million bpd exported in February before the US-Israel war on Iran began.

Diesel prices in Europe hit record high, says EU commission

The average price of diesel in Europe has hit an all-time high of 2.24 euros per litre ($9.56 per gallon), according to European Commission data.

European airlines are facing challenges due to supply difficulties and dealing with the increase in fuel costs.

Since the US-Israeli war on Iran, petrol and diesel prices have rocketed due to decreases in supply and pauses in refining.

Europe must work with US to boost diesel supply: White House official 

Following a reported US threat to ban diesel exports, a White House official said that it was in Europe’s “best interests” to work with Washington as they “pursue multiple pathways to boost the supply of refined products and lowers costs for consumers”.

The official explained that they “work every day for weeks, for months on this issue”.

“I think you’ll see them [diesel prices] move meaningfully down in the coming weeks and days, and we’ll have some announcements about that,” the source said.

“We’re tight on diesel because we’ve lost diesel exports from Russia … some diesel exports from the Middle East, although we’re restoring those, and we’ve lost diesel exports from China.

“So, that’s a lot of interruptions. But American refiners are running at record highs,” they added, stating that announcements from Europe about new supplies will also push prices down.

Germany’s ⁠Economy Ministry said on Thursday that it ⁠had not been asked ⁠by the International Energy Agency to release parts of ‌the nation’s strategic oil.

Trump administration claims Iran ‘loaded zero crude oil’ into tankers in September

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has claimed that “Iran loaded ZERO crude oil onto tankers in September”, in a post on X.

“The Trump Administration is cutting off the Iranian regime’s most critical source of revenue,” Bessent said.

Nuclear issue

UN chief calls for global shift away from nuclear weapons

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says that the world has lived under the nuclear shadow for more than eight decades and that future generations must not.

“Let’s replace threats with dialogue, arms racing with arms control, paralysis with concrete action, and choose a future free from nuclear weapons,” Guterres wrote in a post on X. The remarks did not refer to any particular conflict.

Guterres has been the UN chief since January 1, 2017, and his decade-long mandate ends on December 31 this year, with a successor yet to be named.

Putin says Russian offer to hold Iran’s uranium still valid

Russian ⁠President Vladimir Putin has said he ⁠hopes the Strait ⁠of Hormuz will open to international shipping and that sanctions ‌on Iran would eventually be lifted.

Speaking in Moscow at the Valdai Forum, Putin said Russia’s earlier proposal to take in Iran’s enriched uranium – if removed from the country as part of a future peace deal with the US – is still valid.

Iran denies report claiming Tehran to give nuclear inspectors’ access in exchange for sanctions relief

US news outlet Bloomberg has reported that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi suggested in recent talks that Tehran was willing to restore nuclear inspectors’ access to bombed facilities in exchange for sanctions relief, a claim Tehran denies.

According to the report, which cited unnamed diplomats with knowledge of the talks, the foreign minister had raised the idea during meetings at the UN with European and Middle East diplomats

However, in response to the Bloomberg article, Iranian news outlet Fars reported, citing a source with knowledge, that the claim that Araghchi’s proposal to the US to allow nuclear inspectors at its sites was false.

US conducts ‘non-proliteration experiment’, claims it helps Washington’s ability to ‘detect nuclear explosions’

The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) conducted “a subsurface, non-nuclear chemical high-explosive experiment” at a national security site in Nevada. Washington said the test “increases the United States’ ability to detect low-yield nuclear explosions”.

“It takes nuclear expertise to detect nuclear activities, and experiments like these ensure America remains unmatched in detection,” Brandon Williams, NNSA administrator, said as the US continues its campaign against Iran on grounds that Tehran can “never obtain a nuclear weapon”.

The NNSA said the experiment reinforces the Trump administration’s “leadership in global nuclear security” and “unmatched capabilities to detect foreign nuclear testing”.

“With this experiment, we are sending a clear message: under this administration, America will never be outmatched,” Williams was quoted as saying.

US arbitrary sanctions

US envoy to UN announces independent panel for Iran sanctions after Russia, China veto

The US ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, has slammed China and Russia’s veto of the establishment of an expert panel intended to monitor and implement snapback sanctions against Iran, and announced the creation of the US’s own panel.

The snapback sanctions against Iran, established under a 2015 UN Security Council resolution, were reimposed in September 2025, after allegations that Iran had breached its nuclear agreement.

China and Russia vetoed the UN Security Council resolution, despite voting favorably on six previous resolutions.

“We are going to establish our own panel,” Waltz said after speaking at the UN General Assembly.

In a video published on X, Waltz invited member states to join the panel “to make sure Iran can never have a nuclear weapon”.

Iranian UN mission says China, Russia ‘rightly’ vetoed resolution monitoring Iran sanctions

The Iranian mission to the United Nations has said China and Russia “rightly” vetoed the US-led draft Security Council resolution to extend monitoring of sanctions against Iran.

In a statement posted on X, the Iranian mission said it “stressed that the Security Council must uphold the UN Charter” instead of serving “the narrow interests of those who violate them” at the UN General Assembly meeting on the veto.

“The US and its Western allies have no credibility to lecture Iran on non-proliferation or international law while violating both, shielding the Israeli regime from accountability, and remaining silent on its nuclear arsenal,” the mission said in the statement.

Earlier, we reported that the US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz said the envoy intends to establish its “own panel” of experts to monitor sanctions against Iran, following China and Russia’s veto.

US issues new sanctions on Iran targeting Russia-linked shadow banking network

The US Treasury Department has announced new sanctions targeting a crypto-based shadow banking network with ties to Russia that is used by Iran, intensifying its campaign to isolate Tehran economically.

US Treasury targets Russia-linked ‘A7 Network’ for aiding Iran to evade sanctions

Earlier, the United States Treasury Department announced new sanctions on a Russia-linked shadow banking network, A7, used by Iran to evade sanctions, as part of its “Operation Economic Outcast” to sever Iranian financial lifelines.

In a statement published on the Treasury Department’s website, the agency said its Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned the A7 network as a “significant transnational criminal organization”.

“The A7 Network was created and backed by US-sanctioned persons in order to evade sanctions,” the statement said, adding that the network developed a “global web” of companies intended to “disguise payments linked to sanctioned sectors and persons as ordinary commercial activity”.

The statement also announced that the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) proposed a rule to prohibit transactions involving companies linked to the A7 Network and will assist financial institutions in detecting suspicious activity.

US issues new sanctions on Iran, targeting rail and automobile conglomerates

The US Treasury Department has announced new sanctions targeting Iranian rail and automotive conglomerates alongside the measures it announced today against the Russia-linked A7 Network.

“Much like the petroleum sector, Iran’s automotive and rail industries have been co-opted by the regime and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)”, the Treasury Department said in a statement published on its website.

The sanctions target Iran Khodro Company (IKCO) and SAIPA Iranian Automobile Manufacturing Company (SAIPA), which represent more ⁠⁠than 90 percent of the domestic car market, according to the Treasury Department.

The Treasury Department said Iran has grown increasingly dependent on the rail and car-making industries due to the US blockade on the Strait of Hormuz.

“Because the rail and automotive sectors represent some of the regime’s largest remaining sources of revenue and logistical capacity, today’s action strikes directly at the critical arteries Iran relies on to sustain its economy and evade sanctions,” the Treasury Department said.

US Treasury Bessent says new sanctions on Iran continues effort to ‘isolate’ country

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says the Treasury is dismantling the infrastructure that allows Iran and “other adversaries to evade sanctions, move illicit funds, and undermine the integrity of the global financial system,” following Washington’s latest sanctions on Tehran.

“Today’s action targeting A7 continues Treasury’s unprecedented efforts to isolate Iran and its financial enablers and sends a clear message that if you facilitate illicit finance for America’s adversaries, you will lose access to the US financial system,” Bessent wrote on X.

Fresh sanctions imposed today targeted Iran’s rail and automotive conglomerates and international suppliers to those sectors.

RAF Airbase, Fairford, England

UK says Iran may be linked to alleged airbase plot, drawing angry denial

The United Kingdom’s Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said there are “strong indications” that Iran played a role in an alleged security incident at an airbase used by the United States, prompting a forceful denial by Tehran.

Burnham told the BBC broadcaster on Wednesday that investigations into the suspected plot at the Royal Air Force base in Fairford were ongoing. Five British men in their 20s were arrested near the base on Sunday, on suspicion of “terrorism” and explosives offences. They were all released on bail a day later.

“There are strong indications that Iran played a part in what happened over the weekend at RAF Fairford, but of course it remains an ongoing, complex and serious police investigation,” Burnham said. “We are working closely with our colleagues in the United States of America.”

He did not provide details about what the suspects were planning or why the UK thinks Iran was involved.

But the prime minister said he would “update people more in due course”.

Iran summons UK ambassador over ‘false accusations’ over RAF Fairford incident: Iranian state media

Iran’s foreign ministry has summoned the British ambassador to Tehran, Hugo Shorter, over “false accusations against Iran” relating to a suspected plot at RAF Fairford in England, Iranian broadcaster IRIB and other domestic news agencies have reported.

According to the reports, Majid Takht-Ravanchi, the ministry’s political deputy, conveyed his country’s “strong protest” against the British government’s accusations to the ambassador.

Takht-Ravanchi rejected the British government’s claim that a sabotage plot at the military base, which is used by the United States, was linked to Iran, emphasizing that the UK needed to provide an explanation and a correction of its “inappropriate approach towards Iran”.

US knew Iran might attack a UK asset prior to RAF airbase arrests, says Homeland Security chief

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin has said Washington knew Iran might attack an asset in the UK prior to the arrests of five men near the RAF Fairford airbase at the weekend.

“We had already been watching this with our counterparts in London, giving them a heads-up,” Mullin said in an interview with the US media outlet Fox News, adding “we just didn’t know where it was coming from”.

The men were arrested on Sunday near the RAF Fairford airbase on suspicion of offences including “preparation of a terrorist act” under UK anti-terrorism laws. The suspects were released on bail by police the following day.

Yesterday, UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said there were “strong indications” Iran had a role in the security incident near the airbase.

US President Donald Trump said he was surprised the five suspects were released, saying: “I wouldn’t have done that.”

In the interview, Mullin said the UK’s “laws are much different than ours. I question the same thing. Why are you releasing these individuals?”

British Counter Terrorism police say UK-Iranian national arrested during airbase investigation

United Kingdom Counter Terrorism police have announced the arrest of ⁠⁠a dual ⁠⁠British Iranian national on suspicion ‌‌of preparing “terrorist acts”.

Counter Terrorism Police have been investigating “suspicious” activity at RAF Fairford on Sunday morning, with Prime Minister Andy Burnham saying there are “strong indications” Iran played a role.

Iran denies involvement in the alleged plot on the airbase in Gloucestershire, which has long been used by US and NATO forces. Since March, the US has launched attacks on Iran from the base, and the UK has authorised US bombers based there to strike Iranian missile sites targeting ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

Burnham has told reporters that London is continuing to work with Washington on “an ongoing, complex and serious police investigation.” US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that the suspects were looking to do “big damage”.

Counterterrorism police arrest 27-year-old man amid RAF Fairford investigation

More on the dual-national British-Iranian man arrested by British counterterrorism police.

The man in question, aged 27, was arrested this afternoon in the borough of Westminster, London, on suspicion of “preparation of terrorist acts under Section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006″.

According to the police statement, officers also questioned a second man, a 26-year-old UK national, under caution and searched two properties in Westminster

“The investigation into circumstances surrounding events in Gloucestershire is hugely complex, and our specialist teams are interrogating multiple lines of enquiry,” Vicki Evans, the senior national coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing, said.

“As we’ve made clear, we’re looking at all possible angles – including possible foreign state involvement. I’d like to thank the public for their continued support and patience whilst we work through this investigation,” Evans added.

Five men in their 20s arrested on Sunday remain on police bail.

Other

Pope, UN’s Albanese, ICC, ICJ could win Nobel Peace Prize; Trump unlikely

President Trump is unlikely to win this year’s Nobel Peace Prize as he wages war with Iran, analysts say, despite his desire to take the international honour.

Pope Leo, the International Criminal Court, the International Court of Justice, or UN special rapporteur Francesca Albanese could be considered for this year’s award, they say. The announcement is due on October 9.

Leo, the first US-born pope, has said he would continue to speak out against war after the US president called him “weak” for criticising the US-Israel war on Iran.

“The pope stands for more than just as a religious figure. He has emerged as a leading thought ⁠leader,” said Karim Haggag, director of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

Albanese, meanwhile, has been under fire ⁠from the US and Israel for her criticism of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza and intensifying occupation of the West Bank.

Trump has reportedly been nominated by the leaders of Cambodia, Israel and Pakistan, but his chances are “quite low”, said Oeivind Stenersen, a historian who has written about the Nobel Peace Prize.

Iran and Japan foreign ministers discuss Middle East turmoil

The Iranian Foreign Ministry says Abbas Araghchi held a telephone call with his Japanese counterpart Motegi Toshimitsu.

Japan’s Foreign Ministry said both “confirmed that they would continue to maintain close communication towards a diplomatic resolution of the situation” in the Middle East.

Toshimitsu “reiterated that it is important to restore free and safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, and to discuss the future of the Strait of Hormuz with the entire international community”.

Iranian, Russian prosecutors discuss judicial cooperation

Iranian Prosecutor General Mohammad Movahedi-Azad and his Russian counterpart, Aleksandr Vladimirovich Gutsan, emphasized the need to expand judicial cooperation and strengthen both bilateral and multilateral legal ties, Iran’s IRNA news agency reports.

Movahedi-Azad, who traveled to Kazan, Russia, for a meeting of the Prosecutors General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states, met with Gutsan today, and the two officials emphasized strengthening cooperation between the prosecutors general within bilateral and multilateral frameworks.

The Iranian prosecutor expressed appreciation for Russia’s support amid the ongoing war with the US and Israel and said that the SCO meeting was an opportunity to counter Western unilateralism with international organisations “held hostage” by the US and Israel.

Gutsan also described protecting Iranian and Russian citizens abroad as a priority for cooperation.

Trump says Iran will be ‘hit very hard’ if involved in FlyDubai incident

US President Donald Trump told reporters that if Iran is linked to the Flydubai incident this week, Tehran will be “hit very hard”.

Trump said that he has been briefed on the situation, saying that the accused pilot “could have been” linked to Iran.

The US leader added that Washington’s war on Iran “should help” the Republicans during the upcoming midterms citing voters as being against Iran developing a nuclear weapon.

Regarding rising oil prices, Trump said: “Oil is coming down as soon as Iran is finished, and they are finished pretty much right now. We are getting more oil out of the Hormuz Strait now than we did before the war.”

“We control the strait,” he added, saying “they’ll either sign a very fair deal, or they won’t exist any longer.”

Saudi defence minister says he spoke with US counterpart to review strategic partnership

The Saudi Arabian defence minister has said he spoke with US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to review the Saudi-US strategic defence partnership.

In a statement on X, Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman said he discussed “coordinating our efforts to strengthen regional security and stability” on a call with Hegseth.

“We also explored several regional and international topics of mutual interest,” he said.

Putin praises Iran’s ‘courage and heroism’ in face of US attacks

Speaking in Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that “the whole world is focused on what is happening and is amazed at the courage and heroism of the Iranian nation and its resilience”.

As Washington issues new financial measures on Iran, Russia is already under a broad range of US sanctions and operates largely outside the US-led economic framework.

Moscow and Tehran have spent years building commercial and military ties that circumvent the West. On top of sanctioned oil, Russia and Iran have also reportedly exchanged weapons and military equipment via the Caspian Sea despite US financial measures against Moscow.

US waives human rights conditions for $320m military aid to Egypt amid Iran war: Report

The US State Department waived human rights conditions for more than $300m of military aid to Egypt in light of Cairo’s “helpful role” since the launch of the US war with Iran, according to a letter to US lawmakers obtained by the Reuters news agency.

In the letter dated September 21 to various congressional committees, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the US “has made a determination to waive the certification requirement with respect to $320 million in FY 2025 Foreign Military Financing for Egypt”.

According to an accompanying memo justifying the decision, that portion of military aid was deemed “necessary for counterterrorism, border security, or nonproliferation programs or is otherwise important to the national security interest of the United States.”

“Exercising this waiver authority is essential for the US-Egypt relationship and US national security priorities, particularly in light of Egypt’s helpful role following Operation Epic Fury,” the memo said, dated September 4 and bearing Rubio’s signature.