• US President Donald Trump has signalled that a decision on Iran is coming, saying “the only question is, it’ll either be the easy way or the hard way”.
• Iran’s embassy in Abu Dhabi says the United Arab Emirates has released a group of Iranian prisoners who had been jailed for years, in the latest in a series of detainee releases.
• The United Kingdom’s Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency says a crude oil tanker was attacked off the coast of Oman on Saturday. Iran’s IRIB state broadcaster also reported an explosion on a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian rial falls to new low

The Iranian rial continues to decline due to US sanctions and a blockade on Iran’s oil exports.

One US dollar now costs nearly 2.7 million rials, up from just over 2.6 million on Friday, according to free-market tracking website bon-bast.com, while alanchand.com reported 2.695 million rials per dollar.

Iranian state television said the central bank began selling up to $2bn to support the currency, which has lost more than half of its value in the past year.

The inflation rate in Iran is at about 73 percent.

Hegseth says US blockade of Iranian ports remains ‘ironclad’

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says Washington’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz remains “ironclad”, and that Trump has “options” if Iran continues to “play games” with the vital sea passage.

Hegseth told reporters that the US controlled the strait and that Tehran had “literally gotten nothing through”, according to The Associated Press.

He urged Iran to “make the right choice”, saying: “If they don’t, the president is going to have all the options he needs on the table. But he is not going to let these things extend unnecessarily. He understands what the mission is, and we can get it done when called upon.”

Hegseth also reiterated Trump’s resolve to stop Iran from having a nuclear weapon, adding that it was a “vital national interest of the United States of America”.

“The message is very simple: Iran will never ever ever have a nuclear weapon. President Trump is hell-bent and determined to ensure that they do not; they will not,” Hegseth said.

Iran’s top negotiator says Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until US meets conditions

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who is also the speaker of Iran’s parliament, says Washington has made “some proposals through a mediator” after Tehran presented a seven-day roadmap to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

But he said the US should know “that the era of wasting time and dictating unilateral demands is over” and Iran’s position remains “clear and definite”.

“The Strait of Hormuz will not open until our seven conditions based on the Islamabad Memorandum are met,” he added.

Ghalibaf says Iran will ‘both fight and negotiate’

Ghalibaf said Iran was neither “excited” nor “intimidated” by US actions and would “both fight and negotiate”.

“We are present on the military battlefield with all our might and will confront them with new surprises, and we also use the tools of diplomacy to establish our superiority in the military field and impose the rights of the Iranian people,” he added.

Last month, Iran conveyed a formal set of conditions to the US through Qatari mediators for ending the war. The conditions included an end to the war on all fronts, the release of its frozen funds, an end to the naval blockade on Iranian ports, an end to US interference in Iran’s internal affairs,; an end to US cooperation with Iran’s adversaries and an end to all US attacks on Iranian territory.

Iran ‘serious’ about diplomacy, ‘serious’ about defending itself: Araghchi

Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi has said Tehran is “serious about finding diplomatic solutions, just as we are serious about defending ourselves”.

“We are ready to reach a just solution through diplomatic channels, and at the same time we are prepared to deliver a more devastating response to any military aggression,” Araghchi added, speaking at a meeting with foreign ambassadors, the Tasnim news agency reported.

The foreign minister’s comments follow similar remarks made by Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s parliament speaker today – which we earlier reported – that hinge on Tehran’s proposal of a seven-day roadmap to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran tells US there is no military solution to the war

No military solution exists to the US war on Iran, its foreign minister says, with talks on ending the seven-month conflict at an impasse.

“If our enemies again choose the path of military confrontation our response will be stronger than before, and we will defend ourselves with even more force,” Araghchi said.

“There is no military solution nor any solution based on new sanctions.”

Iran still reviewing US response to Hormuz proposal

The proposal Iran put forward at UN meetings in New York City, which was outlined by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, has received a US response through intermediaries and is under discussion.

“These views are currently under review in Iran. If the Islamic Republic of Iran’s final response is prepared, the necessary steps will be taken through the appropriate channels,” said Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi.

President Donald Trump said late last month that he rejected the Iranian plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days. Iran said negotiations through mediator nations are ongoing.

Tehran and Washington have ‘completely different priorities’ in talks

The Americans would like to re-insert the nuclear point in any negotiations with Iran.

Spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry Esmail Baghaei said the nuclear issue has not been presented in the seven-point proposal offered to the United States, or during negotiations on the margins of the UN General Assembly.

Iran is focused on what should be done right now, saying the nuclear file is a long-term situation. It’s been going on for many decades and is not going to be resolved in seven days. So for the Iranians, the priorities are completely different.

Iran insists it’s not budging with regards to its seven demands, including the lifting of sanctions and the ending of US-Israeli “aggression”.

The Israelis and their allies like to erase the history of the introduction of nuclear militarization, which began by the United States as the introducer with the secretly ran Manhattan Project 1942. David Ben-Gurion's obsession about this project is the root of the Israeli introduction of nuclear militarization in the Middle East in 1956.

In 1967, and under Golda Meir, the Israelis secretly managed to have three nuclear warheads. A year after the six-day war with Arab countries, Menachem Begin told the world at the UNGA: "One must make sure that no enemy has a reactor."

But "one" were the Israelis, as no UN member state (India and Pakistan were not nuclear powers at that time) saw in other member states a nuclear enemy. "Make sure" is hasbara for 'prevent that' or 'act preemptively.' That is what the Israelis always have done against Iran since 2010.

Like the war on Iran, Tehran was never the conflict maker but the Israelis and the Americans.

Iran and US engaged in ‘cognitive warfare’ as conflict drags on

Iran has consistently been skirting any discussion on its nuclear program and that’s why Tehran has pushed the Strait of Hormuz issue so forcefully, a defence analyst says. ‏

The US strategy for the last few months has been to get Hormuz open again with the nuclear file pushed back as a second priority, Alexandru Hudisteanu said.

The US naval blockade of the key waterway, meanwhile, is severely impacting Iran by keeping oil tankers more or less out of business, he added.

“So the nuclear file at this point – unless there is a clearer advantage that the US can push in the Strait of Hormuz – I think Iran will try to shield it again,” Hudisteanu said.

Iran and the US are currently in a struggle of “cognitive warfare”. President Trump’s latest statement signaling a decision on Iran is coming “the easy way or the hard way” is an example.

“Let’s have this deal as the Trump administration wants and let’s have it as fast as possible, and I think that would be the easy way he is hinting at,” said Hudisteanu.

“The hard way will be this continuation of the state of conflict on Iran, more pressure in the markets, more pressure with economic sanctions and, of course, the continuation of the blockade which has … proven to be more effective.”

Iran to increase missile range as US forces retreat from the Gulf

Iran ⁠will upgrade its long-range missiles with US forces now positioned as ‌much as 1,000km (620 miles) away from the Iranian coast, army spokesperson Mohammad Akraminia says.

“During this war, we concluded that ⁠we absolutely must increase ⁠the range ⁠of our missiles, and we have now ‌moved in that direction,” he told Fars news agency.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told foreign ambassadors and diplomats on Sunday that Tehran ‌hopes Washington will choose diplomacy, but he warned it is prepared to respond if the US again chooses military action.

On Thursday, unnamed sources told Reuters news agency Iran is preparing a broader and more forceful response if the US resumes large-scale military attacks.

“If they again move ‌towards ‌military solutions, we are more prepared than before and will take whatever action is necessary to defend ourselves,” Araghchi said.

Iran’s ‘porcupine strategy’ a deterrent to new US attack

Military analyst Alexandru Hudisteanu says another American aircraft carrier is on its way to the Middle East and will likely arrive just before the US midterm elections.

“We will see an overlap of three aircraft carriers in the region increasing the military pressure the US can impose on Iran. It signals options,” Hudisteanu said.

“It expands the quantity of tools the US has. We’re talking about three carrier air wings able to do 24-hours a day of combat missions. Additionally, we have a Marine expeditionary unit joining with this third aircraft carrier.”

This gives the Trump administration more options “in case they want to go to this military coercive type of negotiations or diplomacy”, he said.

Hudisteanu noted Iran over the past seven months of war has learned many lessons and implemented “a porcupine strategy” – making it clear “the cost is so big that the opponent will not do it”.

Iran ‘maintains readiness for other scenarios’ if peace efforts fai

Iran says the United States has replied to its “7-day plan” and the response is now under internal review.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the plan aims to end fighting with the US, reopen the Strait of Hormuz and restart talks on a final peace deal, with terms closely matching a June memorandum of understanding that unraveled during renewed fighting in July.

Those views are “currently undergoing internal review”, Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said. Iran will announce its final position “through appropriate channels” once it’s ready.

Iran also “maintains its readiness for other scenarios”, Gharibabadi added.

Iranian general says supply chain for missile production remains intact

Brigadier General Ali Balali, an adviser to the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force, says Iran’s supply chain for weapons and missile production remains fully intact.

He told state media that Iran has no concerns in any sector required for its defence production, adding that all components needed for missile production are manufactured domestically and are exportable.

“We can continue the fight for as long as necessary,” he said.

Balali said Iran relies on indigenous capabilities and a clear understanding of operational requirements to drive innovation in missile development. He said the country has reached a level of maturity in the field that no longer requires foreign assistance.

“Since we are both the developers and manufacturers of these systems, and also understand operational requirements, we continuously pursue innovation,” he said.

Medvedev says Russia ready to mediate between US and Iran

Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, has been speaking to Iranian media about the US and Israel’s war on Iran.

He said Russia is ready to act as a mediator between the US and Iran to end the war and that Moscow would never sacrifice its relationship with Tehran.

Medvedev also said:

• Relations between Iran and Russia are at an “unprecedented level”, and trade between the two countries increased by 20 percent last year.
• Russia and Iran face extensive sanctions and must seek other mechanisms on financial cooperation. About 90 percent of trade between Shanghai Cooperation Organization member states is conducted in national currencies.
• The planned Rasht-Astara railway, which will link the Iranian city of Rasht to Astara on the border with Azerbaijan, will be transformational. The project, financed by Russia and Iran, is key to the International North-South Transport Corridor that connects Europe and Russia to the Gulf and India via Azerbaijan and Iran.
• Russia has plans to build a new nuclear power plant in Iran in addition to the Bushehr facility.
• Iran plays a key role in ensuring security in the Strait of Hormuz.

Lebanon cannot ‘sit and wait’ for US-Iran settlement

Lebanese PM Nawaf Salam says the country cannot “sit and wait” for a US-Iran settlement, adding that “if it happens, that’s good. And if it doesn’t happen, are we to remain sitting and waiting”.

According to a series of posts by his office on X relaying his remarks to Lebanese broadcaster NBN, he also said: “We are certainly affected by all regional variables”.

“The state cannot remain in a state of waiting. We must head south and to all regions and bear our responsibilities.”

Salam said “not a day passes” without reaffirming that Lebanon’s goal is the complete Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory. He also called for an end to Israeli attacks, a solidified ceasefire and work toward the release of prisoners.

Former Iranian and US diplomats agree that the war on Iran is likely to get worse in the coming weeks.
When US leaders insist that the war on Iran is about nuclear weapons and not about oil, Iran’s leaders don’t believe them, argues former Iranian diplomat Hossein Mousavian.

Mousavian and former US diplomat Alan Eyre – both of whom were involved in previous negotiations on Iran’s nuclear programme – tell host Steve Clemons that the conflict is not heading to a peace deal or even a “permanent stalemate” any time soon.

IAEA inspectors’ return to Iran remains undecided: Baghaei

The return of International Atomic Energy Agencys inspectors has not been discussed among Iran’s top leadership, the Foreign Ministry spokesman says.

The US proposal on ending the war is similar to previous ones – focused on Iran’s nuclear file, whereas Tehran wants to focus on the Strait of Hormuz, said Esmaeil Baghaei.

He also said the main problem holding up the peace process is the “volatility and fluctuation of the decision-making process” by the United States.

“This is reflected in their conflicting statements as well as their fluctuating demands. This is a problem faced not only by Iran, but by all the countries dealing with the United States. These countries are openly complaining about the crisis,” said Baghaei at a news conference.

US Senator Chris Murphy arrives in Middle East to ‘view war damage’

US Senator Chris Murphy has arrived in Qatar on a Middle East trip to view the “damage” from the US-Israel war on Iran and to “meet with those who are working to end the conflict”.

In a post on X, Murphy said he would also be visiting Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh, and described himself as the “first Democrat to come to the Middle East since the war began”.

He set out three aims for his trip. First, he said, it was important for members of the Senate “to see the damage that has been done to US facilities firsthand”. Second, he said he would meet Qatari and Saudi officials to talk about the impact of the war and be briefed on “efforts to end the war”. Third, he said it was important “to pull back and think about what our approach should be to the Gulf moving forward”.

“This is a very important time for members of the United States Senate on both sides of the aisle to be present in the Middle East as this war rages on,” he added.

Iran arrests dozens, dismantles ‘four US-Israeli backed sabotage networks’

Iran’s Intelligence Ministry has arrested 31 people belonging to four “US-Israeli-backed networks linked to efforts to foment unrest and carry out acts of sabotage” in southern Kerman province, according to Iran’s Press TV.

The ministry said the suspects in Sirjan county were organised into networks to “lure teenagers and young people” and had prepared “large quantities of Molotov cocktails” to “damage urban surveillance cameras in preparation for street unrest and acts of sabotage”.

The ministry also accused the groups of “violence and destruction” during the January nationwide protests.

The protests – which erupted over economic hardship and swelled into nationwide demonstrations calling for an end to clerical rule – ended with the killing of thousands of people, including protesters and security forces.

Portugal opens probe into US use of airbase for war on Iran

Prosecutors in Portugal have opened an investigation into the legality of the government’s authorization of the US’s use of the Lajes airbase during ‌the war on Iran.

The Prosecutor General’s Office said in a statement that “the probe was opened following a complaint filed by members of the Left Bloc party”.

It did not provide further details.

Portugal’s center-right government authorised several US transit flights through the Lajes airbase in March, drawing criticism from left-wing opposition parties.

Portugal has a longstanding agreement with the US that allows Washington to use the base without prior authorization during peacetime. But it requires Lisbon to give approval once hostilities begin.

Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel has previously said the US was given permission to use the base only after assurances that any operation would be defensive, necessary, proportionate and limited to military targets.

".. only after assurances that any operation would be defensive, .."

Netanyahu started the war on Iran on February 28th preemptively while Jared Kushner falsely told the president that Iran was going to attack. However, the Pentagon fond that Iran was not preparing an attack before Netanyahu began his resumption of his June 2025 war on Iran. Trump had let himself lured into that war after Netanyahu promised him that the war would bring the Iranian regime to a collapse.

US aircraft carrier arrives in Thailand’s Phuket after 6 months of Iran war

US aircraft carrier the USS George HW Bush is visiting Thailand after a long deployment during the war on Iran.

For the last six months, ⁠the carrier and its strike group supported have US attacks on Iran and Washington’s naval blockade of Iranian shipping in the area.

A total of about 4,800 service members will have five days of leave in the Thai holiday destination. Some sailors have already been seen coming ashore.

Phuket is the first port call for the strike group since departing the US in March, the US Navy said in a statement.

Conditions aboard the US’ carriers in the Middle East have drawn criticism from families of sailors, who have reported poor quality food, declining mental health, and even suicide attempts.

Thailand ‌is the United States’ only treaty ally in mainland Southeast Asia, which is why the USS George HW Bush and the USS Abraham Lincoln earlier this year docked there.

The reports from October 1st, claiming that the Trump administration is boosting its fire power with the arrival of a third aircraft carrier, the USS Theodor Roosevelt, is not correct.

The USS Theodor Roosevelt is relieving the USS George W. Bush.

With the USS George Washington (CVN-73), the USS Theodor Roosevelt remain the only two aircraft carriers in the Arabian Sea.

Ship reports strike on engine room in Strait of Hormuz

The UK’s Maritime Trade Operations shipping monitor says a vessel has been struck by an “unknown projectile” in the Strait of Hormuz.

The master of the tanker reported a strike on the engine room. The crew are reportedly safe and there was no environmental impact.

Commercial vessels continue to be targeted in the vital strait as Gulf states try to get energy supplies to desperate global markets.

OPEC+ reportedly to keep November oil output targets steady

OPEC+ is set to keep oil production targets steady for November, a news report says.

Gulf OPEC+ producers have been pumping well below output targets in the face of continuing export disruptions from the US-Israeli war on Iran, with exports fluctuating at 60-80 percent of normal levels ‌in recent months.

The war has also delayed the group’s output capacity review – crucial to determine members’ 2027 output quotas – because it has thrown estimates of future production potential into uncertainty, unnamed industry sources told Reuters news agency.

OPEC+ has been raising output targets for much of 2026 after years of production cuts, but most of the increases stayed on paper because of the ⁠Middle East conflict.

Iran’s president appoints acting oil minister

Iran’s President Pezeshkian has appointed Hamid Bord as acting minister of petroleum after accepting Mohsen Paknejad’s resignation, says Mehdi Tabatabaei, a deputy for communications and information in the president’s office, on X.

Bord previously served as chief executive of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), having earlier managed subsidiaries, including the Maroun Oil and Gas Company and the National South Oilfields Company.

The leadership change comes as Iran’s oil industry contends with production, export and infrastructure challenges amid ongoing sanctions.

The resignation follows weeks of uncertainty over Paknejad’s position, after reports of tensions at a cabinet meeting.

Abbas Araghchi denies Iranian diplomats ‘kicked out’ of US

Iran’s foreign minister has refuted American claims that Iranian diplomats were “kicked out” of the US after refusing to leave following the UN General Assembly in September.

“All Iranian diplomats who attended UNGA, except one who departed earlier, left as scheduled,” Abbas Aragchi said on X.

The response comes after US publication Axios quoted an unnamed US official as saying two Iranian diplomats did not obey a State Department demand to the Iranian mission to the UN on Monday that its entire delegation must leave immediately.

Taking pride in expelling diplomats is “inappropriate” and “oozes of desperation and defeat”, Aragchi said, adding it’s also “inconsistent with UN host nation obligations”.