• US President Donald Trump says the Iran war will conclude through either “the nice way or the not-so-nice way”, adding during a speech in Maryland that people will find out which path soon.
• He also says millions of barrels of oil have transited through the Strait of Hormuz in recent days, claiming that shipment levels are now matching or sometimes exceeding pre-war figures.
• Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warns that any “miscalculation and renewed aggression” against Iran will face a “painful and devastating response”.

US-Iran talks

Vance demands Iran curb uranium enrichment to secure deal

US Vice President JD Vance says Iran must make a “meaningful” reduction in its uranium enrichment capacity as part of any agreement to end the war with the United States.

“If you don’t want a nuclear weapon, then why do you need 60% enriched fuel?” Vance told Reuters.

“If you want to show commitment to not building a nuclear weapon, don’t build highly enriched fuel. That’s a very basic threshold issue,” he said.

Vance added: “I think if they want to show a commitment to not building a nuclear weapon, they would do something meaningful on their enrichment capacity.”

He said Washington remained open to an agreement but would require concrete steps from Tehran, adding: “We’re not going to trade words for actions.”

Vance also said the US was in talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, but added: “One of the things we picked up on is it’s not totally clear how their country makes decisions.”

Hormuz ‘closed in a serious sense’; Iran won’t surrender vital ‘bargaining card’

The Strait of Hormuz is closed in a serious sense even if it is partially open at times, according to Abbas Khamayar, a former Iranian diplomat and professor of international affairs.

“In reality, there have long been verbal skirmishes over whether this strait is open or closed,” Khamayar said, while the US insists it’s operational, Iran maintains it’s controlled by its armed forces and restricted to those with explicit permission.

“The validity, or credibility, of these two narratives lies in the market and at petrol stations in the United States,” he argued, adding assessments shouldn’t rest on “tweets and statements intended to manage the market or influence elections” but on fuel-supply realities.

“This card remains a strategic one in Iranian hands to confront American attacks,” Khamayar said. “The Iranian account should be believed because the results are found beyond tweets.”

Iran still bases its position on the decision that Hormuz will not be opened, adding Tehran will not lose what he described as a “highly important bargaining card”.

Iran reiterates it won’t discuss nuclear file with US until war ends completely

Iran is now studying a US response to its proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and move towards a more comprehensive peace agreement.

But it has stressed there is no discussion of the nuclear file with Washington and Tehran is not considering doing so.

Those negotiations are deferred until after the provisions of the Islamabad memorandum of understanding are implemented or, at a minimum, until Iranian conditions conveyed to the United States are met.

Iran says it has a peaceful nuclear program that was under strict monitoring by the International Atomic Energy Agency, noting its nuclear facilities were targeted unlawfully several times by the US and Israel.

Tehran says it was prepared to demonstrate good faith and the peaceful nature of its program after signing the memorandum of understanding with the US.

Tehran has accused the IAEA of providing the United States with a pretext to target Iranian nuclear facilities through reports it considers political and biased. Therefore, there is an insistence among the leadership of the Islamic Republic this matter be addressed only after the war has ended completely.

Iran has made enough concessions and it is up to the US to restore trust

Iran has already made “more than enough concessions” in talks with Washington over their conflict, and it is up to the US to restore trust, according to Hadi Afqahi a former Iranian diplomat.

“Every time we negotiate with the Americans, those negotiations end in war,” Afqahi said. “Normally, wars begin and then end through negotiations, but what America does is the opposite of the recognized rule.”

He said the 12-day war and the 20-day war were both preceded by negotiations, and that a 13-day war began even after the memorandum of understanding between the two sides was signed. “The Americans backed down when the Iranian responses proved painful for the American side,” he said.

“Iran has already made more than enough concessions and offered facilitation, particularly during the Geneva negotiations.

“It is now the American side that must restore the trust it has shot at three times. Iran cannot make more concessions, or offer more facilitation, than it has done so far,” he said.

Iran’s latest message went to the US through the Qatari mediator, he said. “Now we are in fact waiting for the American response.”

Iran vows ‘preemptive strikes’ if threatened by ‘the enemy’

Army spokesman Brigadier-General Mohammad Akraminia says Iran has carried out “preemptive operations” against the “enemy” before and will do so again if necessary to prevent an attack.

In an interview with Fars news agency, Akraminia said the military has continued daily production of “equipment” throughout the war and is prepared to counter any aggression with its “large stockpile of weapons”.

Iran is prepared to conduct a “more crushing, broader, more decisive, and faster” response in the event of an attack, he added.

Iran says peace deal with the United States ‘not out of reach’

President Masoud Pezeshkian held a phone call with Russian leader Vladimir Putin to discuss the US-Israel war on Iran.

“Iran is fully prepared to reach a balanced and fair agreement that ensures lasting peace and security in the region,” the Fars news agency quoted Pezeshkian as saying.

“Our red line is the national interests and rights of the Iranian people. If the United States adheres to international legal frameworks, reaching an agreement is not out of reach.”

The president also said Iran is “ready to cooperate and collaborate with its neighbours to achieve the region’s own peace and security – without the presence or interference of extra-regional countries”.

Putin, meanwhile, underscored the need for the US and Israel to pay war reparations and ensure Iran receives “long-term security guarantees to prevent a repeat of the aggression”, Fars reported.

Araghchi says Iran ‘serious’ about diplomacy to secure national interests

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said that while Iran is determined to defend itself, officials are serious about using diplomacy to secure the country’s interests and national security.

In a meeting with Iranian officials, Araghchi said Iran’s delegation to the United Nations General Assembly in New York used the visit to present the seven-day proposed peace plan to the US to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, according to his Telegram channel.

President Donald Trump rejected the Iranian proposal a day after it was presented late last month, and US officials issued a counterproposal seeking to revive negotiations to end the war.

Iran says conditions to end war ‘clearly and firmly’ set out

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei says Tehran has “clearly and firmly” set out its conditions for ending the war on all fronts and restoring security to the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.

According to Iranian state broadcaster IRIB, Baghaei said Iran would also deliver its response to proposals from the US side through mediators.

Claims

Iran claims US attacks damaged over 100 petrochemical and pharmaceutical sites

Iran’s representative to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons says US attacks have damaged 111 petrochemical and pharmaceutical facilities across the country.

“The US military aggression against Iran’s chemical industries has affected supply chains and the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention,” Hadi Farajvand said, according to Iranian state broadcaster IRIB.

Iran has previously raised concerns at the OPCW over attacks on its industrial and chemical infrastructure, warning that attacks on such facilities could release hazardous substances and pose risks to public health and the environment.

Oil flow through Hormuz over last two days down 60 percent: Iranian media

Iranian media is reporting a 60 percent decrease in oil passing through the Strait of Hormuz, saying that the flow of crude oil has faced a significant drop in the last two days, reaching around 3.8 million barrels per day.

The weekly average of oil passing through the Strait is estimated to be about 9.3 million barrels per day, Tasnim news agency said.

The claim comes as an IRGC adviser said that the strait is “fully controlled” by Iran and will remain closed until the US accepts its demands, adding that the volume of oil currently being smuggled out is “very small”.

Hormuz strait

Hormuz ship attacks surge

Oil exports from the Gulf have resumed significantly in recent days, despite a surge in attacks on ships around the Strait of Hormuz, maritime experts and trackers say.

Gulf oil flows, excluding Iran, recovered to more than 81 percent of pre-war levels in September, while crude exports from the wider Middle East exceeded pre-war levels on 14 days during the month, maritime intelligence firm Kpler reported.

However, the recovery has come as attacks on tankers increase and shipping companies face higher freight, insurance and security costs.

Oman evacuates injured crew from attacked tanker in Strait of Hormuz

Oman’s air force has evacuated 10 crew members of a Panamanian-flagged oil tanker following an attack in the Strait of Hormuz.

The On Peace tanker was struck 9 nautical miles (about 17km) off the Omani port city of Limah on Tuesday, according to the Omani Ministry of Defence. The attack set off a fire on board the vessel.

“The crew members were transported to the Khasab hospital in Musandam governorate and received medical treatment,” the ministry said in a statement on X

IRGC says foreign warships retreated 1,000km from Gulf

Brigadier-General Yadollah Javani, deputy commander of the IRGC’s political bureau, says foreign naval vessels have withdrawn more than 1,000km (620 miles) from Gulf waters, the IRNA news agency reports.

Javani said the Revolutionary Guard Corps’ missile, drone, and naval capabilities have changed the balance of power in the Gulf and Sea of Oman.

“Previously, dozens of foreign warships and vessels roamed the Gulf,” the state-run IRNA news agency quoted him as saying. “Today, the enemy’s fleet has moved more than 1,000km away from our territorial waters and does not dare approach.”

He said the Middle East’s future will be shaped by the “collective security of Islamic countries and the complete withdrawal of the aggressors”.

Trump is making his war more costly this way, as a distance of 1,000 kilometers more also means more fuel for the fighter jets is needed.

Adviser to IRGC says ‘illegal routes’ in Hormuz to soon be blocked

Transit ⁠routes ⁠in the Strait of Hormuz deemed illegal ⁠by Iran will soon ⁠be completely shut down, an adviser to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) says.

Mohammadreza Naqdi said the transit corridors were created by blasting and ⁠damaging some of ⁠the rocky passages in the strategic waterway and ⁠have been used by ⁠small boats ⁠smuggling oil.

His comments to the semi-official ‌Fars news agency challenge the narrative that Gulf oil ‌flows through the strait are regaining pre-war ‌levels.

“Soon, a small number of the routes that violators have created by blasting and destroying some of the existing rocky paths in the Strait of Hormuz will be blocked,” Naqdi was quoted as saying.

Hormuz fully controlled by Iran; will continue until all demands met: Adviser

Mohammadreza Naqdi, an IRGC adviser, says the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the United States accedes to Iran’s demands.

“The Strait of Hormuz is closed and the armed forces have complete control over it, and this situation will continue until Iran’s legitimate demands are met,” Fars news agency cited him as saying.

He added the volume of smuggled oil is “very small” with small vessels used to transfer oil onto tankers.

Oil exports from the Gulf have resumed significantly in recent weeks despite a surge in attacks on ships around Hormuz, maritime experts and trackers say.

Gulf oil flows, excluding Iran, recovered to more than 81 percent of pre-war levels in September, while crude exports from the wider Middle East exceeded pre-war levels on 14 days during last month, maritime intelligence firm Kpler reported.

Iran, Oman to present Hormuz deal to international body soon, Tehran says

An agreement with Oman regarding the safe passage of vessels in the Strait of Hormuz will soon be presented to the relevant international body, according to Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei.

“The consultation process between Iran and Oman has been carried out well, and the two sides, in addition to agreeing on the geographical coordinates of safe routes to and from the Strait of Hormuz, have also reached an understanding on how to reflect the issue at the relevant international authority level, which, God willing, will be done soon,” Baghaei was quoted by the official IRNA news agency as saying.

US rejects IRGC claims that Strait of Hormuz is closed and under Iran’s control

US Central Command (CENTCOM) says claims made by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) that the Strait of Hormuz is closed and controlled by Tehran are “false”.

In a post on X, CENTCOM said that traffic carrying commercial goods and energy supplies – including 20 million barrels of crude oil – was flowing through the strait “right now”.

“The United States and regional partners clearly control the strait,” the statement said.

The rebuke comes in response to comments by Mohammadreza Naqdi, an adviser to the IRGC commander, to the semi-official Fars news agency on Wednesday reiterating Tehran’s position on the strategic waterway.

He also said that transit routes deemed illegal by Iran would soon be closed.

Persian Gulf

UKMTO reports incident north of Qatar’s al-Shamal city

A tanker has reported an incident 51 nautical miles (94km) north of Qatar’s al-Shamal city, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency (UKMTO).

Oil & Oil market

Oil prices climb above $101 a barrel

Oil prices are continuing their upward trajectory, with Brent crude futures gaining 93 cents, or 0.92 percent, to reach $101.51 a barrel as of 00:22 GMT.

US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude went up 82 cents, or 0.92 percent, to trade at $90.25.

The gains came as the market weighed supply constraints from a storm heading for US oil-producing regions and attacks by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis on Saudi Arabia against increased supplies of Middle East crude, according to the Reuters news agency.

IEA to meet on proposed oil reserve release, EU diplomats say

The International Energy Agency’s governing board is set to hold an informal meeting to discuss a proposed release of oil and diesel stocks, two EU diplomats told Reuters.

The meeting will be held on Wednesday afternoon.

EU member-state representatives have already reviewed the proposal at a meeting earlier Wednesday morning, the diplomats said.

Under pressure from Trump, the G7 last week agreed to release 100 million barrels of diesel and crude oil from emergency reserves and pledged not to impose energy export restrictions.

But confusion persists across the oil and energy industry over how many barrels Europe and the US plan to supply to ease shortages and record-high prices.

IEA agrees to accelerate release of 100 million oil barrels to reduce fuel costs

The International Energy Agency (IEA) member governments have expressed support for accelerating oil stock releases in an attempt to reduce rising fuel prices caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

According to IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol, the governments affirmed their commitment to the March 2026 Collective Action, in which member countries agreed to release 400 million barrels of oil from emergency reserves to address the supply disruption driven by the US-Israel war on Iran.

The announcement comes after President Donald Trump threatened to ban US diesel exports if the Group of Seven countries did not release fuel into the markets. On Friday, the G7 agreed to release 100 million barrels of oil.

In a statement, Birol said about 325 million barrels of oil have already been released under the agreement and added that the release of all the oil stocks pledged but not yet deployed would bring about 100 million barrels to market.

Birol noted that some IEA member countries had released “greater volumes than they initially pledged”. He also said IEA countries “still have significant levels of publicly held emergency oil stocks – equivalent to around 1.1 billion barrels, including over 200 million barrels of diesel”.

France to release 10 million barrels of diesel amid rising fuel prices

French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has announced plans to release 10 million barrels of diesel from France’s strategic stocks to try to ease surging fuel prices, in part due to the US-Israel war on Iran.

On Friday, President Emmanuel Macron “convened an emergency meeting of the G7, which ⁠decided to mobilise strategic reserves ⁠in a coordinated manner”, Lecornu said in a national address.

The emergency meeting came amid threats from President Donald Trump to ban US diesel exports if the countries did not release fuel into the markets to ease prices. The meeting resulted in an agreement to release 100 million barrels of oil from the G7 stocks.

“As part of this effort, we will make 10 ⁠million barrels of diesel from our reserves available ⁠to distributors in ⁠France,” Lecornu said.

Lecornu said the release of diesel stocks will “lower prices at the ‌pump by an estimated amount ranging from 0.12 to 0.18 ‌euros per ‌liter of diesel”, or about $0.50 to $0.75 per gallon.

Oil prices slide to just over $100 a barrel

Oil prices have started on a downward trajectory, with Brent crude futures losing 38 cents, or 0.38 percent, to settle at $100.20 as of 20:31 GMT – shortly after New York markets closed – after reaching $101.51 earlier today.

The loss was attributed to the International Energy Agency’s agreement to speed up the release of oil stocks and prioritise diesel in a bid to curb record-high fuel prices, as the US-Israel war on Iran squeezes global supplies, according to the Reuters news agency.

US (global) arbitrary sanctionism

Economic warfare will not break the Iranian people, officials say

Official Iranian statements have focused on the economic dimension of the US war currently impacting people’s lives.

Iran is trying to stress despite the economic crisis it faces – particularly the steep rise of the dollar against the national currency – it will not allow the United States to achieve its plan of pushing the Iranian economy into collapse.

The governor of Iran’s central bank, Abdolnaser Hemmati, has said Iran has no problem with foreign currency reserves, and may inject $2bn into the market to control exchange rates. He stressed government measures remain underway to support the public sector.

The pressure the US seeks to exert – whether through military action or talk of negotiations – is aimed at provoking unrest inside the country, Iranian officials say.

Iran has reaffirmed its position time and again – it will not retreat in the face of threats, pressure, or severe economic sanctions.

Germany confirms it will release oil reserves amid pressure from US

Germany will participate in releasing energy reserves as was earlier directed by the International Energy Agency, the country’s economy ministry has told Reuters.

G7 countries, under pressure from the US, agreed last week to release 100 million barrels of diesel and crude oil from emergency reserves and pledged not to impose energy export restrictions.

But there has been confusion over the volume breakdown of diesel and crude. It is also unclear whether this would interfere with an earlier pledge in March to release 400 million barrels.

A spokesperson for the German government did not refer to the most recent proposal.

President says Iranians must ‘endure hardship’ to stand up to the West

President Masoud Pezeshkian says if necessary, cultural and sports complexes will be closed in Iran to provide electricity and energy needed for industrial production as the US blockade hammers Iran economy.

“We must not allow the production cycle to be damaged. We will reduce the consumption of electricity, gas, gasoline, water and other energy sectors,” he told Iran’s Fars news agency.

“[The] condition for resistance and standing up to the West is for everyone to endure hardship.”

(delusional) US politics

US’s Rubio: Iran has lost ‘complete control’ of Hormuz Strait

Iran has failed to take advantage of “multiple opportunities” to reach an agreement with the United States on its nuclear programme, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says.

Speaking at a press conference in Greece, he added Iran has “lost complete control” of the Strait of Hormuz.

Rubio says US able ‘to provide security’ in Middle East with military might

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to ensuring Iran never gets a nuclear weapon as Tehran tries to “drive our forces out of the region”.

At a news conference in Athens with his counterpart, Rubio added that Greece will cooperate with the US in the besieged Strait of Hormuz “if necessary”.

The US has the “ability to provide security” in the Middle East because of its powerful military capabilities, he said.

As a result of “crippling” sanctions, the Iranian economy is “about to reach a place few countries in the world have been”, said Rubio.

“Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, simple, period, end of story, and anything they agree to that would be acceptable to the United States has to be something that ensures that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon.”

Iran is trying to “build up a conventional capability so massive that they would become untouchable”, he added.

Iran’s former oil minister denies Trump claim he resigned over war pressure

Ex-Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad has pushed back against President Trump’s accusation that he quit his job because Iran has “no oil”.

Trump on Tuesday said the resignation and an almost 300 percent inflation rate were evidence that Iran’s economy is under severe pressure.

Paknejad resigned on Sunday for “personal reasons” and was replaced by acting minister Hamid Bovard. “My resignation has nothing to do with Trump’s claims last night,” he said in a statement.

Before the US-Israel war on Iran began, Iranian oil exports averaged 18 million barrels per day between March 2025 and February 2026.

Iran must be ‘contained’ not negotiated with

The US should deal with Iran through a policy of “containment” rather than negotiations, according to Adolfo Franco, a Republican political strategist.

“This is not about negotiations or concessions, we are talking only about a policy of containment,” Franco said. “In fact, it is no different from North Korea, and Iran must be contained.”

The Islamic Republic “has been engaged in aggression and terrorist acts for 47 years, and it supports terrorist groups in different parts of the world”, he alleged.

“This is not only the view of the United States but of a number of countries,” said Franco.

Containment means military and economic pressure. “We cannot speak of negotiations but rather of understandings and settlements. This is the only way to deal with a non-conventional state or regime.”

He acknowledged “Iran still has some military capabilities, so the situation will remain complicated”.

Any concessions from Tehran, Franco said, would have to include its nuclear program.

“Iran must be stripped of all the capabilities it uses for terrorism and aggression against others. Continued economic pressure is certainly effective and will continue for as long as this regime remains in power.”

Iran says Trump seeks ‘to hide his own failures’ with claims on Iranian oil minister resignation

An Iranian government spokesperson has said President Donald Trump’s claims about the resignation of Iran’s oil minister due to pressure from the US war were “a futile effort to hide his own failures”.

Spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said the oil minister’s resignation was “not a sign of weakness”, but flexibility in a stable political system.

While speaking to reporters yesterday, Trump said the Iranian oil minister “just quit”, claiming that the official told him, “We have no economy, we have no oil, we have nothing.”

Trump claims war on Iran to end quickly as ‘whole country right now is wiped out’

US President Donald Trump has said that the war on Iran “will be over very quickly” as the “whole country right now is wiped out”.

He also told reporters that Iran’s “military is now wiped out”.

When the war ends, “oil prices will come tumbling”, Trump added.

Trump has been known to make grandiose, often false or exaggerated statements during the ongoing US-Israel war on Iran.

Hegseth claims US sank 59 Iranian navy vessels

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has said the US has sunk 59 Iranian navy vessels during the ongoing US-Israel war on Iran. He was speaking to the crew of the USS Abraham Lincoln after they arrived in San Diego.

“They had a modern navy before this conflict started, and then they had to deal with the USS Abraham Lincoln and what you’re capable of doing,” Hegseth said, adding that the aircraft carrier helped enforce an “impenetrable steel wall” in the Strait of Hormuz.

The USS Abraham Lincoln returned to San Diego after a controversial 320-day deployment enforcing the US naval blockade and supporting combat operations.

The deployment was met with widespread scrutiny following reports in August alleging crew members were experiencing deteriorating mental health conditions and low morale on board. In September, the US Navy confirmed there had been “eight suicide attempts” by personnel during their deployment.

“There were a few folks in the media who tried to turn USS Abraham Lincoln into some sort of a symbol of dysfunction or a symbol of low morale,” Hegseth said while speaking to the crew members. “When I talk to your leadership, I know it’s the exact opposite,” he added.

RAF Airbase Fairford, England

‘False flags’: Iran describes claims of its role in global security incidents as ‘raft made of lies’

Iran’s Foreign Ministry has described accusations of Iranian involvement in various security incidents, including the suspected plot on the RAF Fairford airbase in the UK, as a “raft made of lies”.

“False flags are an old craft: manufacture the incident, assign the blame and harvest the consequences,” Iranian Foreign Minister spokesman Esmaeil Baqeai said in a social media post.

As the international public grows sceptical of “an unlawful war of aggression against Iran, and where the aggressors have no honest way to justify a war of choice, even a raft made of lies can look like salvation to those who are drowning,” Baqeai said.

Yesterday, the UK police arrested a 22-year-old British national on suspicion of a “terror” offence. The arrest was linked to a security incident near the UK airbase that hosted US warplanes used in the Iran war.