• A US official says that three carriers and two landing groups are deploying around Iran. The official says the Roosevelt strike group and Makin Island force with 2,000 Marines left San Diego.
• UK Maritime Trade Operations says a 2.5-million-barrel supertanker was hit by an unknown projectile, causing a fire while passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
• The US Justice Department arrests a US Energy Department employee for allegedly attempting to provide material support to Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
• US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says Iran loaded zero crude oil onto tankers in September.
• President Masoud Pezeshkian says Iran “has never avoided” dialogue with the US, even though it’s been attacked three times during negotiations.
   

US-Iran talks

Trump says Iran must act ‘proper and smart’ or ‘won’t be around very long’

US President Donald Trump warns Iran that the current confrontation will end “very soon”, threatening severe consequences if Tehran fails to reach a deal with Washington.

Speaking at a Peterbilt Motors plant in Denton, Texas, Trump said Iran will either “do something very proper and smart, or they won’t be around very long”.

He also questioned whether Iran can be trusted to honor any agreement, saying: “When I make a deal with this company, you’re going to honor it. When you make a deal with them, it’s very possible that they won’t honor it.”

Analyst says Trump’s Marine deployment complicates diplomatic efforts

As the US-Israel war on Iran enters its eighth month, Professor Mohamad Elmasry of the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies says that the future of the conflict still remains unclear.

“There are a number of sticking points in this conflict, like the Strait of Hormuz, the war on Lebanon, and a number of other issues,” Elmasry said.

He added that US President Donald Trump’s recent deployment of 2,000 Marines to the Middle East makes any diplomacy unpredictable.

“I think we have to wait and see what ultimately happens,” he said. “I think my fear is that, right after the midterms, when Trump really doesn’t have anything to lose politically, he will choose to escalate, and the Iranians will actually issue an even harsher response this time around,” he added.

He pointed out that there are many energy targets throughout the Gulf, and with the help of allies like the Houthis in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, escalation from Iran’s side could be on its way.

US senators slam war in Iran, denouncing Trump for sending troops, price increases

Democratic Party senators have denounced the US war on Iran, laying the blame at US President Donald Trump’s feet.

US Senator Chris Van Hollen has said Trump “continues to hide service member casualties” but “is now sending up to another 10,000 troops to his illegal war of choice in Iran”.

Van Hollen, who sits on the Senate foreign relations committee, said in a post on X, “When Trump says he’s planning on renewing his war next month, believe him”, adding that “Congress must cut off funding”.

Democratic Senator Chris Murphy, who also serves on the committee, has said “the cost of the disastrous, incompetently run Iran War is enormous”.

In a post on X, Murphy said, “You see it most clearly in gas prices, but the rising price of diesel – nearly twice what it was before the war – is increasing the cost of everything.”

US diesel prices hit a record high of $6.53 ⁠⁠⁠⁠per gallon last week. Today, G7 countries agreed to release 100 million barrels of oil and fuel products in the coming weeks, starting with “substantial” amounts of diesel aimed at relieving price pressures.

Iran security chief criticizes Trump

Mohsen Rezaei, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, has criticized US President Donald Trump in a post on X.

“After one failure after another, the worst president in American history just keeps talking and talking and now his words have even outrun his own fantasies,” Rezaei wrote on Friday.

“You can win every day in your own imagination. But reality is shaped by Iran – by its people, its soldiers, and its missiles,” he said.

Poll finds 71% of Americans disapprove of Trump’s handling of Iran

With the November 3 midterm elections just over a month away, a new AP-NORC poll shows broad dissatisfaction with US President Donald Trump’s handling of Iran and the war.

Seventy-one percent of Americans disapprove of Trump’s handling of Iran, while 69 percent say the war has not been worth fighting.

The findings came as the Iran war remains a major foreign policy issue ahead of the midterm elections, and its economic fallout weighs on voters.

The poll found 65 percent of adults blamed Trump’s policies for higher-than-usual prices.

The midterms could also have implications for Trump’s ability to continue the war on the same terms. Congress has already seen repeated attempts to restrict his war powers over Iran, including a House resolution passed in June and a Senate measure narrowly defeated in September.

A shift in control of either chamber could bring greater congressional scrutiny of the war, including further votes on military authorization and funding.

Trump's weaponization of diesel export

Trump says US may ask Europe to release diesel stocks

US President Donald Trump says Washington may ask European countries to release diesel from their emergency stockpiles as the war on Iran continues to strain global fuel supplies.

“We may ask them to do that,” Trump told reporters on Thursday.

The comments came as the war on Iran has disrupted energy markets and pushed up fuel prices, adding pressure on governments to tap emergency reserves.

Trump may not ask but has threatened to ban or restrict American diesel exports (which total 1.2 to 1.5 million barrels per day) unless European allies help increase global supply. He demands because he wants diesel prices in the US down before the midterm elections.

Oil edges higher as markets weigh Iran tensions, fuel supply concerns

Oil prices tick higher as traders weigh renewed tensions over Iran against signs of improving regional supply and efforts to ease a global diesel shortage.

Brent crude rose 29 cents to $102.60 a barrel as of 00:22 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) gained 27 cents to $93.14 in early trading.

Prices had jumped sharply on Thursday after reports that the US was sending a third aircraft carrier and up to 10,000 additional troops to the Middle East as President Donald Trump weighs renewed strikes on Iran after the November midterm elections.

“Now I have to make a decision. They’ll either sign a very fair deal, or they won’t exist any longer,” Trump told reporters at the White House, according to Reuters.

Market concerns were also fuelled by China’s decision to halt most fuel exports for October. But those pressures were partly offset by recovering Saudi oil exports and a US push for European countries to release emergency diesel reserves.

EU discusses with US, other IEA members when to release diesel

EU ⁠Commissioner for energy Dan Jorgensen said ⁠on Friday the bloc ⁠is discussing with all members of the IEA, ‌not only the United States, when it is time to release ⁠diesel.

“This is one ⁠of the opportunities that we ⁠have, we ⁠have used it ⁠before and it is likely ‌that we would use it ‌again,” ‌he told Euronews.

Data published by the European Commission showed 12 EU member states have recorded new all-time highs for diesel prices, including Italy, Belgium, Romania and Poland, since the beginning of the US war on Iran.

Macron discusses energy crisis with Trump

French President Emmanuel Macron has discussed the global energy crisis in a phone call with Donald Trump.

Macron stressed the need for cooperation to address the rise in fuel prices, that France is working with the International Energy Agency to ease price pressures, and that it also intends to hold a meeting with G7 leaders.

The Trump administration has told Germany and France, to release emergency stocks to help ease rising global fuel prices.

Costs have soared across both European Union countries and the US, in recent weeks, as the conflicts in Ukraine and Iran continue.

EU ‘fully rejects’ US diesel export threat over release fuel reserves amid Iran crisis

The ⁠EU “fully rejects” the threat made by the ⁠US to ban diesel exports ⁠if Europe does not release more of its fuel stocks, according to European Commission ‌spokesperson Anna-Kaisa Itkonen.

“A ban would not be beneficial to anyone. It ⁠would undermine our trust ⁠in the United States as a reliable partner,” ⁠she said, adding that ⁠the next EU’s ⁠Oil Coordination Group meeting is scheduled for October 15, ‌but could be brought forward if ‌needed.

On Thursday, President Trump said the US could ask European countries to release diesel reserves to rein in rising diesel prices due to the war on Iran.

His comments came after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urged Europe to “immediately” tap its reserves.

The diesel crisis is about:

• Trump's war on Iran that has squeezed the global diesel supply, disrupting flows from Gulf producers.
• A Russian export ban, after Ukraine damaged many of its refineries, and a halt to October fuel exports by Chinese refiners, have deepened the shortage.
• Europe, which once relied mainly on Russian and Middle Eastern diesel, now increasingly depends on US imports. That has left it under growing pressure from President Trump, who is weighing a ban on diesel exports to lower prices at home ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.
• Today, EU countries discussed a French proposal to release 50 million barrels of diesel, about 17 percent of their emergency stocks, but the bloc must weigh easing costs against keeping reserves while Gulf supply remains uncertain.
• Last March, the International Energy Agency agreed to its largest-ever release of 400m barrels in response to the war. Members have now released about two-thirds, IEA chief Fatih Birol said this week.

White house calls on Germany and France to release diesel stocks

European countries are holding emergency talks over a possible US ban on diesel exports.

With fuel prices soaring and dependence on US supplies growing, governments are considering releasing reserves to ease pressure on consumers and farmers.

Macron to chair G7 leaders’ video call on Friday to discuss energy crisis

French President ⁠Emmanuel Macron ⁠will chair a video call with his counterparts from ⁠the G7 from 12:30 ⁠GMT to discuss possible measures regarding the global supply of crude and refined products, the Elysee ‌Palace said in a statement.

Macron is reported to have already spoken about the issue with President Trump and Canada Prime Minister Mark Carney in two ⁠separate calls overnight.

France has asked its EU partners to release additional diesel stockpiles, ⁠in response to calls from Trump to release ⁠more supplies in an attempt to reduce rocketing fuel prices, a source ‌familiar with details of the discussion told Reuters on ‌Friday.

US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on Thursday he was “highly confident” Europe could help ease soaring global prices by releasing emergency diesel inventories. ⁠⁠

EU presidency to convene meeting Friday to discuss global energy situation

The EU presidency has said it will convene a meeting today of COREPAR, the Committee of Permanent Representatives to the EU, to discuss the global energy situation. EU ⁠ambassadors ⁠will meet at 13:30 ⁠GMT, the Irish Presidency of the EU ‌said, according to a Reuters report.

“The diesel market is currently very tight, leading to high prices for consumers ⁠across the world,” a spokesperson ‌for the Presidency said. “The Presidency is committed to maintaining close ⁠collaboration and ⁠coordination with all ⁠member states and the Commission.”

Earlier, European Commission ‌spokesperson Anna-Kaisa Itkonen said the ⁠EU “fully rejects” a threat made by the ⁠US to ban diesel exports ⁠if Europe did not release more of its fuel stocks.

On Thursday, President Trump said the US could ask European countries to release diesel reserves to rein in rising diesel prices due to the war on Iran.

US export ban fears expected to push Europe towards fuel reserve compromise at G7 talks

Europe is trying to avoid the US implementing any sort of diesel export ban.

There is no real domestic supply here in Europe, and Russian supplies have been stamped out during their full invasion of Ukraine. That means the US has become a really crucial supplier.

In the room, there was some frustration among EU member states that the US has been pressuring nations in terms of its call for European countries to release fuel reserves.

All signs are pointing towards an announcement of a European release that will be seen as an offer of compromise to the US.

It is unclear what the exact details on what that kind of fuel release could look like for now, but Reuters reports that it could be about 100 million barrels, perhaps a mix of diesel and crude oil, but the details of that may be worked out later today at a G7 call, which is expected to be convened by France as soon as possible.

UK government says no cause for concern over energy supplies

The cost of a liter of diesel today is hovering just under two pounds ($2.65). We are at par with the record for diesel costs that were set during the last major price shock that happened in 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine. The cost of filling an average family diesel car in the UK is now about $145. That’s $45 more than it cost before the US-Iran war.

Because the UK imports 55 percent of its diesel, and about a third of that comes from the United States, the UK is vulnerable to any export ban that the US might be considering. The UK’s main diesel refinery, Fawley, is currently shut down for maintenance.

The UK has emergency reserves that it could release if things get really bad. There is a national emergency fuel plan which would involve reserve tankers and channeling scarce supplies to critical supply chains.

The government, however, are saying that there is no cause for concern, that supplies are secure, and that the UK is talking to its international partners, the US and the EU.

Trump says South Korea oil deal now includes additional $8.4bn oil recovery project

President Trump has said a US deal with South Korea has now expanded to include $8.4bn for an oil recovery project.

“I am thrilled to ‌announce the Republic of Korea Deal keeps getting BETTER!,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, referring to a wider agreement for Seoul to invest $200bn in US energy in exchange for lower tariffs.

“8.4 Billion Dollars for an enhanced Oil Recovery Project. Producing more Oil and Gas means American Energy Dominance and Energy Security in the World for the ‌Future!” Trump added.

He did not reveal any additional details about what the oil recovery project entailed or where it would be sited.

Washington’s war on Iran has caused major disruptions to global oil supplies that have put the US domestic market itself on the back foot amid shortages and soaring prices.

The US is pressuring the EU to bring fuel prices down

The White House is trying to find a way to bring fuel prices down and is putting pressure on European partners to help make that happen. Why? Because diesel is essentially the bloodstream of the US economy. It powers trucks and machinery, including agricultural machinery, and at the end of the day, when fuel prices are up, prices for consumers go up, as well.

Specifically, the United States is calling on European countries like Germany and France to free up around 100 million barrels of diesel from their emergency reserves. There has been some response, some consideration of this proposal, by European countries. France has proposed freeing up 50 million barrels of diesel from emergency reserves in Europe, as well as another 50 million barrels of crude oil from members of the International Energy Agency.

Yesterday, an US official made a statement, saying it is in the best interests of European nations to work with the United States as they pursue these multiple pathways to bring prices down. That’s really at the heart of this: increase the global supply of diesel and reduce fuel prices here at home.

Trump says Europe to release ‘massive amount’ of diesel reserves immediately

US President Donald Trump says countries in Europe have agreed to release a massive amount of their heavily stocked diesel oil, and the process to do so will begin immediately.

In a post on his Truth Social account, Trump wrote, “Europe has just agreed to release a massive amount of their heavily stocked Diesel Oil. The process will begin immediately. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

France says G7 to offer up to 100 million barrels of diesel and oil to each other over next 4 months

France has agreed to continue to coordinate actions to help energy supplies come out of the Strait of Hormuz, according to French President Emmanuel Macron, adding that G7 states intend to offer up to 100 million barrels of diesel and crude oil to each other over the next four months.

“It has been agreed to continue coordinating actions to help facilitate the exit of shipments from the Strait of Hormuz,” Reuters reported Macron as saying.

Macron said that G7 members had agreed that “no ban” will be placed on diesel exports between themselves.

The remarks come as US President Trump announced that Europe had agreed to immediately release a “massive” stock of its diesel reserves.

US is trying to avoid larger disruption to global energy markets

There are consequences, regardless of what happens here. At the heart of this, again, as we’ve talked about, diesel is the lifeblood of the US economy, and what’s at stake is affordability for average Americans. If Europe does not release additional reserves, there’s the obvious concern that the supply of diesel will remain very tight and prices will remain very high.

But there are also consequences if the United States moves forward with an export ban, which could keep prices very high in Europe and disrupt the global fuel supply around the world. So this is a delicate matter for the Trump administration and the White House. They’re trying to keep the global supply of diesel high so that prices can stay low, and they’re trying to avoid a larger disruption to global energy markets.

White House official: Trump 'secured' release of European diesel stockpile

US President Donald Trump spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron and G7 leaders and succeeded in negotiating the release of Europe’s diesel stockpile, according to a White House official.

Washington has urged European countries, namely Germany and France, to release about 100 million barrels of diesel from emergency reserves to bring down fuel prices that have dramatically risen due to the US war on Iran.

Russia to consider partial lifting of ban on diesel exports

Russia will consider ⁠a partial lifting ⁠of diesel export restrictions in ‌case of overproduction, Alexander Novak, Russia’s deputy prime minister said ⁠on Friday, according to Reuters.

On Wednesday, Moscow extended its ban on exports of diesel, marine fuel, and petrol for all fuel producers – in place on a month-to-month basis since around the middle of the year – until October 31.

The ban on exports was put in place as a result of Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries.

Novak ⁠said diesel production is currently meeting domestic demand.

IEA chief says oil prices starting to fall after reserve release decision

Oil prices have started to fall after a decision to release 100 million barrels of oil and fuel reserves, International Energy Agency (IEA) chief Fatih Birol has said, according to Reuters.

“We took a step today on diesel. We held a meeting with world leaders and announced that we would start releasing 100 million barrels of oil again,” Birol said. “Prices are starting to fall.”

Speaking in Istanbul, he said he hoped the move would be “a beneficial step both for the world and for Turkey.”

Best outcome of diesel release is to avoid price rises: Analyst

Neil Atkinson, former head of the International Energy Agency’s oil division, said that the G7’s release of 100 million in emergency reserves addresses the symptoms of the diesel squeeze, not its cause.

Atkinson said the global supply of crude oil products “remains significantly below pre-war levels”, with Gulf output recovering but still below normal.

He said diesel has been hit on several fronts: Europe is not receiving the Saudi and Kuwaiti supplies it relied on, Russia “has now ceased to export diesel at all” because of Ukrainian attacks on its refineries and China is no longer exporting diesel. With demand expected to stay high through the harvest and winter seasons, he said the G7 action “will help, but it doesn’t deal with the fundamental problem”.

Asked whether the situation justifies tapping strategic reserves, Atkinson said that “if a war between Iran, the US, and Israel – kicking off at the end of February, leading to massive disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz – if that’s not an emergency, then I don’t know what is.”

He said the best outcome is to avoid further price rises, adding “it’s a question of doing everything you can to douse the fire, but the root cause of the fire remains the disruption in the Middle East and in Ukraine”.

" addresses the symptoms of the diesel squeeze, not its cause."

The cause is starting an illegal war on Iran in June 2025 and on February 28, 2026, over an nuclear political issue that is much older than the two wars combine. The Israeli bombardment on Tehran's oil depots amid their assassination of the Iranian Supreme Leader, prompted the Iranians to shut the Strait of Hormuz. Trump threw oil on the fire by imposing a counter blockade.

On April 17, 2026, the US and Iran reached a ceasefire deal that included ending of all military activities on both sides and in Lebanon. Trump refused to lift his blockade prompting the ceasefire only lasting a few hours.

It's here where the energy crisis started and later escalated.

Trump says US not ‘doing the export ban’ after G7 releases crude reserves

US President Donald Trump has said the US would be “doing the export ban” in reference to his earlier threats to impose such a ban on European countries if they refused to release diesel and crude oil reserves as prices have surged.

Amid the pressure, G7 countries, earlier today, agreed to release 100 million barrels of diesel and crude.

G7 fuel release will ‘not make a major difference’

Neil Atkinson, former head of the International Energy Agency’s Oil Division says the G7 stock release will bring limited relief.

Atkinson said the 100 million barrels to be released over four months must be weighed against European demand of about 6 million barrels a day. “Spread over four months, it’s not going to make a major difference,” he said.

He said the release is split between crude oil and refined products, and that the crude portion is unlikely to move markets. “Crude oil releases come with various factors. For example, what is the quality of the crude? Is it the kind of crude that refiners want?” he said.

The main focus is diesel, where he said markets are under “great stress” worldwide. He noted that pump prices for European consumers are typically far higher than in the US, partly because of high taxation. The diesel release “will come as some relief to European consumers, but it’s unlikely to make a significant amount of difference,” he said.

Atkinson said member governments deserve credit, as the move followed a US threat to curb diesel exports. The G7 action “has kept the response to the crisis international and global,” he said, rather than Europe and the US acting alone.

US leads efforts to reinstate UN sanctions against Iran

The US has joined 66 countries in calling for renewing so-called “snapback” UN sanctions against Iran, in a joint statement issued by the State Department.

The statement marks the one-year anniversary 2025 mechanism that reinstated comprehensive UN sanctions against Iran.

Last month Russia and China vetoed a US-backed resolution at the United Nations Security Council that would have authorised UN experts to keep monitoring sanctions on Iran, reimposed in 2025 after western powers accused Iran of violating the 2015 nuclear pact. Tehran denies it is seeking nuclear weapons or violating the agreement.

The joint statement by US and its Proliferation Security Initiative allies calls upon all UN member states to respect and implement restored restrictions. It urges Tehran to cease its violations, return to international non-proliferation commitments, and cooperate transparently with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Read this external article for in-depth information

US escalates economic pressure across Iran

Washington has delivered a series of targeted financial actions aimed at choking off funding streams and industrial lifelines for Iran this week.

• On Tuesday, the Treasury Department kicked off the week’s enforcement push by sanctioning 10 individuals and entities across multiple international jurisdictions allegedly involved in procuring arms and weapons components for Iran’s Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics.
• On Thursday, the Treasury Department took direct aim at Iran’s industrial supply chains, hitting the regime’s rail and automotive sectors with fresh sanctions. Rolled out under Washington’s “Operation Economic Outcast”, the measures target key logistics networks that the US says Tehran relies on to circumvent existing trade restrictions and finance its regional operations.

Tanker struck by unknown projectile in Strait of Hormuz: UKMTO

A tanker has been struck by an unknown projectile while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, causing a small fire and a blackout on board, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said in a statement.

The master of the vessel reported the incident to UKMTO while the tanker was making an outbound transit, the agency said.

The fire has been extinguished and the vessel is underway, UKMTO said. There are no reported casualties or environmental impact.

Authorities are investigating, it said. UKMTO advised vessels to transit with caution and to report any suspicious activity.

Five Indian nationals evacuated to Oman after projectile attack on Kuwaiti tanker

Five Indian nationals have been safely brought ashore to Oman after their Kuwaiti-flagged oil tanker was hit by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz, the Indian Embassy in Muscat has said.

In a statement, the Indian mission thanked the Omani authorities for their assistance.

The vessel, identified as the Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) MT Kazimah III, caught fire after being struck during transit. Indian diplomats in Oman worked with local authorities to coordinate the emergency rescue of the five crew members, all of whom were unharmed.

The strike on the MT Kazimah III, owned by the Kuwait Oil Tanker Company (KOTC), marks the second attack on a KOTC supertanker in less than a week, following a similar strike on the Al Funtas. The incident comes amid a sharp escalation in projectile and drone attacks targeting commercial vessels and oil tankers.

Crude oil tanker struck by projectile off Oman

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency says the master of a crude oil tanker has reported being struck by an unknown projectile on the vessel’s port side, four nautical miles east of Oman.

UKMTO said all crew are reported safe and there has been no environmental impact reported so far. Authorities are investigating.

Vessels in the area have been advised to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity.

Nuclear programs

US envoy says Iran enriching uranium to 60% with ‘no credible civilian purpose’

US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz has accused Iran of violating its nuclear obligations and refusing to abandon its nuclear program.

“Iran broke the rules. They refused to abandon their nuclear ambitions,” Waltz told the UN Security Council.

“They are enriching uranium to 60 percent, which has no credible civilian purpose,” he said, adding that IAEA inspectors had been repeatedly denied access in Iran.

Waltz said the IAEA Board of Governors referred Iran to the UN Security Council for noncompliance “just two weeks ago” and accused Iranian negotiators of continuing to reject demands to give up the country’s nuclear program.

Tehran has rejected US demands to end uranium enrichment, saying its nuclear program is peaceful and that enrichment is a right under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Iranian officials have also accused the IAEA of politicization and rejected recent resolutions against the country as politically motivated.

• 20260925 - UN’s Guterres says Iran not seeking nuclear weapons, Iranian media reports.
• 20260926 - Iranian president says country will allow UN nuclear inspectors to return

US Senate vote on Saudi nuclear pact expected in December

Democratic ⁠senators in the US say they expect a vote before the end of the year on the Trump administration’s pact to share nuclear power technology with Saudi Arabia.

“The Senate will now have a ‌chance to fulfill its statutory responsibility to study and weigh in on the impact this agreement could have in ⁠driving a nuclear ⁠arms race in the Middle East and potentially undermining nuclear ⁠nonproliferation efforts around the world,” ⁠Senator Jeff Merkley, ⁠a Democrat, said in a statement reported by Reuters.

Senator Merkley is working with four other Democratic lawmakers to push for the vote on ⁠December 13.

The United States and Saudi Arabia agreed to a nuclear cooperation deal to establish a civilian nuclear program in the kingdom in July, but soon after, Trump announced a new condition on social media, saying that Saudi Arabia must first normalize relations with Israel.

Riyadh did not comment on Trump’s condition.

Washington has waged its war against Iran on the grounds that Tehran can “never obtain nuclear weapons”.

Russia’s envoy to the IAEA rejects US call for Iran to abandon nuclear program

Russia’s envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Mikhail Ulyanov, has rejected US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz’s call for Iran to abandon its nuclear program.

“Iran is not obliged to abandon its nuclear programme. It is Iran’s inalienable right,” Ulyanov wrote on X.

He also accused the Trump administration of basing its position on “wrong assumptions” about non-proliferation norms and the work of the IAEA.

Ulyanov was responding to Waltz’s comments that Iran had “broken the rules” and was enriching uranium to 60 percent with “no credible civilian purpose”.

The US call on Iran to abandon its nuclear program is infringing in the sovereignty of that country.

Other

US awards $24.4bn Raytheon contract to boost SM-6 missile production

The US Defense Department said in a statement that it has awarded a five-year contract worth up to $24.4bn to RTX’s Raytheon unit to produce Standard Missile-6 interceptors for the US Navy, as Washington pushes to replenish munitions stockpiles depleted by conflicts in the Middle East.

The agreement, which includes two additional option years, is designed to provide a steady supply of the SM-6 for both offensive strikes and missile defence missions.

The contract forms part of a broader push by the Trump administration to pressure contractors into ramping up output, following similar major deals this year including a provisional multi-year agreement for AMRAAM missiles and a Patriot interceptor contract.

Industry executives have noted that the US Congress has yet to appropriate funding for the deals, meaning contractors may face delays in scaling up investments until lawmakers take action. Meanwhile, RTX says it has invested heavily in expanding its workforce and strengthening supply chain partnerships to meet rising demand.

Washington says military action against Iran proves ‘unmatched technological prowess’, backs warfare study

The US defence secretary has directed the Pentagon’s chief technology officer to commission a study of future battlefields and the weapons and technologies needed to dominate them, according to a memo published via X.

The memo says US operations in Iran “showcased not only the skill and bravery of our war fighters, but also our unmatched technological prowess”.

The memo orders Chief Technology Officer Emil Michael to set up Project Meridian: The Future of Warfare through a partner organization. It says the project will identify the capabilities US forces need and propose solutions for developing, testing and fielding them.

The memo cites rapid advances in artificial intelligence, autonomy, directed energy, robotics and biotechnology, which it says “will profoundly alter the character of warfare”. It says the Department of Defense “must not take our current advantages for granted”.

British-Iranian man held in UK over alleged RAF plot

United Kingdom police have arrested a 25-year-old British-Iranian man in relation to a security incident at a Royal Air Force (RAF) station near Fairford, England.

The man is the sixth person to be arrested in what British authorities said was potentially an Iran-backed plot. The five other people arrested earlier were released on bail on Monday.

Andrew Silke, a professor of criminology at Royal Holloway, University of London, said that authorities will likely be thoroughly analyzing all suspects’ communications and interactions, looking for information on contacts who may have organised their involvement, and for any payment the suspects may have received.

“The authorities can investigate all of these links to establish if they lead back to foreign government sources or agencies,” he said.

King of Jordan calls for de-escalate agreement in the region in call with US secretary of state

Jordan’s King Abdullah II has called for a comprehensive de-escalation agreement that guarantees the security and sovereignty of Arab states, in a phone call with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

According to a statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the king stressed the “pivotal role” of the United States in supporting regional stability.

He also pointed to the outcomes of the latest round of the Aqaba Meetings held recently in France, which aims to mobilise international support for the Lebanese army so it can preserve Lebanon’s security and stability.