• Oil prices rose about 4 percent, with Brent settling at $104.28 a barrel and WTI at $91.49, amid renewed concerns over the US war on Iran and risks to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
• US President Donald Trump said Washington was having “productive discussions” with Iran and pledged not to attack the country before the November 3 midterm elections.
• Iranian media reported “massive explosions” in the southern Strait of Hormuz, with Fars citing unnamed military sources as saying tankers using “unauthorised” routes may have struck sea mines.
• The US Treasury imposed sanctions on 27 companies, six individuals and 22 vessels over Iranian oil sales.
• Iran’s Defence Ministry said weapons production rose to 2.5 times its pre-war level and that output was sufficient for a “sustained and prolonged war”.
• The USS Abraham Lincoln returned to San Diego after a deployment that set a record for consecutive days at sea during the Iran war.

US war on Iran

At least 81 US aircraft worth up to $3.3bn lost or damaged in Iran war

At least 81 United States military aircraft, including fighter jets and drones, have been lost or damaged during Operation Epic Fury, the code name for Washington’s military campaign against Iran launched earlier this year.

The statistic comes in a report released on Monday by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), a nonpartisan government agency that provides budget-related research to the legislature.

It estimated that, as of August 1, the cost of US aircraft losses during the US-Israel war on Iran was between $1.9bn and $3.3bn.

The report this week highlights the growing price tag for the war, which began on February 28. A lasting ceasefire has remained out of reach as the conflict continues into its eighth month.

Iran pursuing national and international avenues for justice over Minab school attack

Iran’s deputy minister for human rights, Askar Jalalian, has announced that efforts are being made to seek justice for the victims of February’s Shajareh Tayyebeh school attack in Minab, at both national and international levels, according to the Iranian state news agency IRNA.

Jalalian said his country’s legal affairs office is pursuing judicial proceedings for the victims of the school attack, with all national resources mobilized. It was not specified what avenues were being used to conduct any international legal proceedings.

Last month, a United Nations-mandated fact-finding mission concluded that the United States may have committed war crimes when it carried out two strikes – one on the school in Minab, the other on a sports complex in Lamerd – on February 28.

Local officials put the death toll in Minab at 156, including 120 schoolchildren and 26 female teachers. Independent sources cited by the UN mission put the toll at 157, including 15 children aged six.

Jalalian added that the government is working to raise international awareness of the Minab school attack and make it part of the country’s national history.

Trump signals return to war with Iran after the midterms

Donald Trump has said that he does not intend to bomb Iran before the November midterm elections, even though several US media outlets have reported that the Pentagon has drawn up plans to relaunch attacks before that vote.

The US president has been accused of misdirection on the issue in the past. US forces attacked Iran on February 28, as talks were ongoing and despite Trump saying just the day before that he had not made any decision. Last year, the US struck Iran towards the end of Israel’s 12-day war in June, despite Trump saying he would announce a decision about attacks “in two weeks”.

Striking Iran ahead of the midterm elections would be risky for the administration as the war remains deeply unpopular with Americans.

Resuming the war afterwards may have less of a negative impact on Trump, who is not eligible to run for another term as president anyway.

IRAN-US talks

Pentagon preparing new Iran strike plans, New York Times reports

The Pentagon has drawn up plans for a three-day campaign of strikes against Iran, targeting its missile and drone arsenal, energy facilities and military command centers, The New York Times has reported.

The paper reported that US President Donald Trump has repeatedly rejected proposals to resume major combat operations, citing progress in diplomatic talks. Trump said yesterday he would not attack Iran before the November midterm elections.

Earlier this month, the US deployed a third US aircraft carrier to the waters around as Tehran has intensified attacks on shipping.

Iranian president says he seeks peace based on ‘shared interests, rather than on threats’

Iran’s president says the success of talks with Washington depends on them being conducted without “pressure and threats”.

Speaking at the summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States in Turkmenistan, Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran wants “cooperation instead of wearisome competition, mutual interdependence instead of unilateral dependence and security based on trust and shared interests, rather than on threats”, according to Iran’s Fars news agency.

The president emphasised the importance of multilateralism instead of independence, and promised that the region can become “a network of energy production, transmission and exchange, rather than competing to eliminate each other from the energy market”.

“The countries of this important and strategic region must be among the key players in shaping a multipolar world,” Pezeshkian added.

Kremlin says Trump welcomed Russia’s involvement in Iran settlement efforts

The Kremlin has said US President Donald Trump welcomed Russia’s involvement in efforts aimed at reaching a settlement over Iran.

The comment comes a day after Putin told Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian that Moscow was ready to “do everything we can” to help end the war.

Pezeshkian says regional diplomacy must go beyond meetings

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian says regional diplomacy should be used as a practical tool to manage crises, maintain dialogue and prevent further escalation.

In a post on X, Pezeshkian said diplomacy in the region “shouldn’t just be about holding meetings”.

“It must be a real tool: for crisis management, maintaining dialogue, preventing escalation, and driving practical cooperation,” he said.

Nuclear issue

Iranian lawmaker says Tehran does not seek nuclear weapons

Iranian lawmaker Alaeddin Boroujerdi has said Iran is not seeking the production of nuclear weapons, in response to comments by US Vice President JD Vance.

Boroujerdi, a member of the Iranian parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, told Iran’s Nour News agency on Thursday his country’s nuclear program is pursued in compliance with the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

“Iran’s enrichment activities are unrelated to the US, and Washington should focus on fulfilling its own obligations regarding nuclear arms reduction,” he said.

Vance had called on Iran to make a “meaningful” reduction in its uranium enrichment capacity as part of an agreement to end the war.

Trump reiterates claim Tehran ‘weeks away’ from having nuclear weapon

Trump has doubled down on remarks that Washington stopped Iran from deploying a nuclear weapon.

Without evidence, Trump said Tehran “would have blown up the Middle East” and then “headed for our country” had the US and Israel not launched a military campaign.

The president also repeated comments about Tehran striking Los Angeles and San Diego that sparked bipartisan backlash earlier this week.

“They would have probably hit places like San Diego, Los Angeles first,” he said.

Strait of Hormuz

IRGC Navy official says ‘non-compliant vessels in Hormuz are punished every night’

Ali Mohammadi, political deputy of the IRGC Navy, says Iranian forces have been carrying out operations every night in the Strait of Hormuz against vessels Tehran considers to be violating its rules.

Speaking to Iran’s Fars news agency, Mohammadi said the IRGC Navy had maintained “complete and absolute” surveillance of the strait since the first day of the war and would continue both offensive and defensive operations.

He also rejected figures cited by US President Donald Trump and media outlets about the amount of oil passing through Hormuz, saying estimates of three million to eight million barrels were “incorrect”.

According to Mohammadi, those figures amounted to “media speculation” aimed at lowering oil prices and influencing the market.

He added that the IRGC Navy could impose its will “at any point” in the Strait of Hormuz on vessels it considers to be in violation, and accused the United States of creating insecurity in the Gulf and the wider region.

Saudi Central Bank governor says East-West Pipeline has ‘helped immensely’ during Hormuz disruptions

Saudi Central Bank Governor Ayman Al-Sayari says long-term investment in energy infrastructure has helped the kingdom continue supplying customers despite disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea.

Speaking at the Istanbul Economic Forum, Al-Sayari said the kingdom’s East-West Pipeline had “helped immensely”, allowing Saudi Arabia to move oil from fields in the east to the Red Sea coast. He said the pipeline was carrying about 5.8 million to 6 million barrels, helping offset part of the decline in supply through other routes.

The East-West Pipeline was temporarily shut last month after Saudi Arabia said it was hit by several drones launched from Iraq, causing injuries and material damage. No group claimed responsibility for the attack.

Erdogan’s regret over failure to reopen Strait of Hormuz

Turkey's president has expressed regret that months of efforts to end the disruption in the Strait of Hormuz have not succeeded.

During a speech at the International Justice Summit in Istanbul, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said international agreements were increasingly being disregarded and rulings by international courts were not being enforced.

“International agreements have lost their effectiveness. Likewise, decisions issued by international courts are no longer being enforced.”

Erdogan also criticized the current international system, saying the UN system could not be considered “legitimate and equitable” if it failed to reflect the will of the international community.

IRGC says it hit tanker ‘illegally’ transiting Hormuz, causing ‘massive’ fire

Iran’s IRGC says it struck a “giant LPG gas carrier named NV Sunshine” that was “attempting to pass through the illegal route” south of the Strait of Hormuz.

In a statement shared by the semi-official Tasnim news agency, the IRGC said the carrier “suffered a massive fire in the engine room and propulsion system”.

“The IRGC Navy sailors are in charge of managing the Strait and will not allow the presence of aggressive armies in this region, and will deal decisively with the enemy’s mischief to disrupt this management,” the statement added.

The United Kingdom Maritime ⁠Trade Operations ⁠separately reported a ⁠vessel ⁠was struck by an unknown projectile ⁠13 nautical miles west ⁠of Al Jazeera in the United Arab Emirates, causing a fire that has since been extinguished.

It was not immediately clear if it was the same incident.

IRGC threatens ‘punitive measures’ against ‘offending vessels’ outside Hormuz

Iran’s IRGC has threatened to punish vessels that “fall for the deception of the American aggressors” even outside the Strait of Hormuz.

“From now on, dealing with offending vessels will not be limited to the Strait of Hormuz, and any vessel that passes through an unauthorised passage will be pursued throughout the region and its punishment will be definitive,” the IRGC said in a statement reported by Tasnim.

The lines came moments after the IRGC said it struck an LPG gas carrier attempting to transit the strait.

IRGC navy renews warning to shipping in Strait of Hormuz

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) navy has renewed a warning for any shipping taking unauthorised routes through the Strait of Hormuz, according to state media.

On a social media account, the IRGC navy said any vessel violating designated routes to cross the strategic waterway would be pursued and punished, Islamic Republic News Agency said on Friday.

The post was published after reports of an explosion on an LPG vessel while it was attempting to transit the unauthorised route on Friday morning.

IRGC navy said all maritime freight must coordinate with the Persian Gulf Strait Authority to cross the channel.

Unverifiable claims

US Central Command claims it redirected 133 vessels during ‘ironclad’ blockade on Iran

US Central Command (CENTCOM) claims that it has redirected 133 commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.

In a post on X, CENTCOM said US’s blockade against Iran was “ironclad” and showed a US Navy Sea Hawk taking off from the USS John Paul Jones aircraft carrier.

Control over the Strait of Hormuz has been a major stumbling block during stalled negotiations to end the US’s war against Iran.

Oil & Oil markets

Global stocks fall as oil jumps 4 percent on Middle East war concerns

Global shares fell on Thursday as a sharp rise in oil prices and concerns over mounting corporate debt weighed on markets, Reuters reported.

Wall Street’s S&P 500 fell about 0.5 percent, while the Nasdaq dropped nearly 1.3 percent. Chipmakers were among the weakest performers, despite strong earnings from major Asian semiconductor companies.

Oil prices settled about 4 percent higher as concerns over the US war on Iran and possible supply disruptions from a hurricane approaching the US Gulf Coast boosted crude.

Brent futures rose $4.08, or 4.1 percent, to $104.28 a barrel.

European markets also declined, with the STOXX 600 falling 0.75 percent, while France’s CAC 40 dropped 0.5 percent amid continued concerns over government debt and inflation.

Oil prices fall as Trump comments on Iran talks ease supply concerns

Oil prices have fallen as Middle East supply concerns eased after US President Donald Trump said he will not attack Iran before US midterm elections next month.

The price of Brent – the major international benchmark for oil prices- fell $1.37, or 1.3 percent, to $102.91 a barrel by 04:50 GMT.

On Thursday, Brent crude had risen to $101.53 a barrel as of 01:16 GMT on persistent worries about supply from the Middle East, amid an ⁠increase in attacks on ⁠shipping in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.

Oil prices fall following Trump remarks on attacking Iran

Oil prices have dropped after President Trump announced he would not attack Iran before the US midterm elections in November.

Brent crude futures had fallen about $1.10, or 1.1 percent, to $103.18 a barrel by 13:30 GMT, Reuters reported.

US West Texas Intermediate crude futures fell $0.49 or 0.5 percent to $91.00.

The decline comes after prices recorded significant gains in Thursday’s trading.

Trump says deal with Russia to supply 300,000 tons of diesel ‘immediately’

US President Donald Trump said Russia has agreed to supply over 300,000 tons of diesel fuel to the American and global markets “immediately”.

Trump said the deal happened after a “highly successful” discussion with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Trump added that Russia would then deliver ⁠3 million tons ⁠of diesel fuel within a short period of time.

Another 500,000 tons of fuel would be supplied in November and 1 million tons thereafter.

The US economy has struggled to with high prices, partially due to global uncertainty about fuel supplies caused by the war in Iran.

Putin’s envoy says diesel deal will ‘benefit the world’

Russian President Putin’s envoy Kirill Dmitriev has weighed in on the deal with Washington to release 300,000 metric tons of diesel.

Dmitriev wrote on X that Trump and Putin “just had a successful call”.

“Russia-US cooperation on diesel and energy will benefit the world.

Kremlin says Putin and Trump discussion touched on Iran

The Kremlin says a phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump focused on resolving the Ukraine war and also touched on Iran.

The statement came after US President announced a diesel fuel deal between Russia and the US to “to supply oil to American and world markets”.

Ukraine warned Russia will “repay” concessions on diesel with more “terrorism”

Ukraine’s Zelenskyy warns US-Russia diesel deal shows ‘obvious weakness’

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Washington’s deal with Russia to allow the release of 300,000 tonnes of diesel “plays into Russia’s hands”.

At Trump’s direction, the US Treasury has issued a temporary general licence to allow the supply of Russian diesel to the global market.

“Any easing of sanctions against Russia without a clear and lasting de-escalation agreement with Russia is an obvious weakness,” Zelenskyy wrote on X. “Gifts to Putin will not bring peace or any benefit to the civilised world. Russia will ‘repay’ the diesel with further terror and perfidy.”

“Allowing Russia to sell petroleum products is an investment in a war that must be ended, not prolonged,” he added.

Russia has supplied weaponry and intelligence to Iran for decades.

Analysts say Moscow deal unlikely to lower fuel prices

Trump’s agreement to allow Russia to release 300,000 tons of diesel will not lead to sustained lower fuel prices, analysts have said.

“I cannot overstate how much of a nothing burger this is,” Rory Johnston, an oil market researcher and founder of CommodityContext.com, wrote on X, noting that Russia typically exports more diesel when its refinery fleet is not under attack.

In comments reported by the Reuters news agency, Jim Mitchell, director of oil trading analytics at Wood Mackenzie consultancy, said the deal was “clearly not a fix, but another stream to aid a very tight diesel market”.

The 300,000-ton expected initial delivery is equivalent to roughly 2.25 million barrels of diesel, Reuters noted.

The US exports about 1.5 million barrels of diesel per day.

US arbitrary sanctionism

Under modern international law, the legality of unilateral sanctions is inherently tied to whether the state imposing them is responding to an initial illegal act. Because the attacking belligerent is the original violator of the prohibition on the use of force (Article 2(4) of the UN Charter), any "arbitrary sanctions" it levies cannot be legally justified.

Sri Lanka not planning to aid Iranian ships facing food, fuel shortages

Sri Lanka’s government says it has no immediate plans to provide supplies to 19 Iranian ships anchored nearby in international waters.

Foreign ministry spokesperson Thushara Rodrigo said Sri Lanka would put its national interest first, adding that companies supplying ships are aware of possible secondary sanctions from Washington.

The ships 24 nautical miles (44km) from Sri Lanka’s coast have reported shortages of food, water and fuel, Rodrigo said in comments reported by the AP news agency.

(delusional) US politics

US Senator Chris Murphy accuses Pentagon of ‘cover-up’ over Iran war costs and damage

US Democratic Senator Chris Murphy has accused the Department of Defense of trying to hide the costs and failures of the war on Iran after he was denied access to US military facilities in the region.

“The reason was made up,” Murphy said in an interview with CNN. He said officials told him it was unsafe, but argued that he had previously visited US positions in Iraq and Afghanistan during active fighting.

“This was not a question of safety. This is a question of cover-up,” Murphy said, adding that Defense Department officials in the region also refused to brief him at the US embassy.

Murphy said the State Department allowed him to inspect damage at the embassy, which he described as “extensive”.

“The attack on the US embassy happened at night. Had it happened during the day, there would have been lots of Americans killed,” he claimed.

Trump says ‘big announcement’ coming on diesel amid soaring prices

US President Donald Trump says he’ll soon release news about diesel and claimed that nearly record-high prices will soon come “tumbling” down.

“We have a big announcement coming up on diesel, I think,” the US president said from the White House.

“We stopped Iran from having a nuclear weapon,” Trump continued. “The prices will come tumbling, and it’s going to be over soon, one way or the other.”

The Trump administration recently pressured European countries to release emergency diesel stocks to help ease soaring diesel prices.

Analysts say Moscow deal unlikely to lower fuel prices

Trump’s agreement to allow Russia to release 300,000 tons of diesel will not lead to sustained lower fuel prices, analysts have said.

“I cannot overstate how much of a nothing burger this is,” Rory Johnston, an oil market researcher and founder of CommodityContext.com, wrote on X, noting that Russia typically exports more diesel when its refinery fleet is not under attack.

In comments reported by the Reuters news agency, Jim Mitchell, director of oil trading analytics at Wood Mackenzie consultancy, said the deal was “clearly not a fix, but another stream to aid a very tight diesel market”.

The 300,000-ton expected initial delivery is equivalent to roughly 2.25 million barrels of diesel, Reuters noted.

The US exports about 1.5 million barrels of diesel per day.

Trump reiterates claim Tehran ‘weeks away’ from having nuclear weapon

Trump has doubled down on remarks that Washington stopped Iran from deploying a nuclear weapon.

Without evidence, Trump said Tehran “would have blown up the Middle East” and then “headed for our country” had the US and Israel not launched a military campaign.

The president also repeated comments about Tehran striking Los Angeles and San Diego that sparked bipartisan backlash earlier this week.

“They would have probably hit places like San Diego, Los Angeles first,” he said.

Democratic leader says diesel deal aids Putin ‘who helps the Iranians target Americans’

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has described the deal for Russia to supply over 300,000 tonnes of diesel fuel to the global markets, as a “filthy deal.”

Schumer said in a social media post on Friday that the Russian president Vladimir Putin “is helping the Iranians to target and try to kill American troops in the Middle East” and “illegally and viciously invaded our ally Ukraine.”

The top Democratic senator said US President Donald Trump “is doing a deal with the devil to try to help his flailing political fortunes from the shockingly high diesel prices caused by his own reckless, illegal war in the Middle East.”

Trump had said earlier on Friday that Putin agreed to “immediately” supply the diesel fuel. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Washington’s deal “plays into Russia’s hands”.

House Foreign Affairs Committee Democrats blame Trump for ‘disastrous Iran war’ sending fuel prices soaring

Democrats on the US House Foreign Affairs committee have criticised President Donald Trump over rising fuel costs and his decision to buy Russian diesel.

Representative Gregory Meeks, the committee’s top Democrat, blamed the war on Iran for higher gasoline and diesel prices in a post on the committee Democrats’ X account.

“His disastrous Iran war has sent gas and diesel costs soaring and Americans are paying the price,” Meeks said.

He also criticised Trump’s announcement on Friday that the US would buy Russian energy, saying it came weeks after the president signed legislation to sanction buyers of Russian fuel.

“I condemn this reversal: Instead of putting economic pressure on Putin for his invasion of Ukraine, Trump continues to appease him”, Meeks said.

Trump earlier said Russia would immediately supply more than 300,000 tons of diesel, with additional shipments planned for November and thereafter.

Other developments

OpenAI says Iran-linked network used ‘fake journalist’ personas to place US-Iran war articles

OpenAI says it disrupted an Iran-origin influence operation that used fake journalist identities to place articles about the US-Iran conflict in online publications around the world.

The company said the network, which it dubbed “Bogus Bylines”, used seven fake personas to pitch long-form articles to small and medium-sized outlets focused on international affairs, geopolitics and the Middle East. OpenAI said it identified almost 100 articles published or syndicated under those names across roughly a dozen outlets.

According to OpenAI, the operators used ChatGPT to refine articles and pitches, generate social media comments and prepare internal reports. The accounts originated in Iran and used VPNs to obscure their location.

The company said most of the articles and comments focused on the US-Iran war, while some social media activity dealt with US politics. The operation also generated comments designed to portray the US as the aggressor, Israel as an unreliable ally and Iran as a resilient victim.

OpenAI said the social media activity attracted little engagement, but the fake journalist personas succeeded in getting their articles published by real outlets, at least one with a substantial audience.

Trump also uses AI for mis- and disinforming the public.

Then, anyone who invents must be aware that his invention may a potential dual-use.

It is hypocrite to accuse anyone for using an invention other then what it is developed for while it carries a dual-use character.

US senate debate features Iran war

The leading candidates in Michigan’s heated Senate race have faced off in their first televised debate, with less than a month remaining before the United States midterm elections.

Both candidates agreed the US-Israeli war against Iran should end, but they had opposite views on Washington’s relationship with Israel and its role in the conflict.

High gasoline prices and inflation, Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed said, were directly caused by the Iran war, and he blamed the Trump administration for Iran’s decision to shut down the Strait of Hormuz, a critical trade route.

“This is what happens when you start wars you never should be fighting,” El-Sayed said. “We literally taught the Iranian regime that they have a choke on the Strait of Hormuz, and now we’re living in that reality.”

Relations between Iran and Russia expanding across several sectors: Pezeshkian

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian says relations between Tehran and Moscow are expanding, according to a report by the Iranian news agency IRNA.

After meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Turkmenistan, Pezeshkian noted that trade, economic ties and communication between the two countries are progressing positively.

He added that Iran was determined to expand its relations with Russia in line with the two nations’ joint strategic roadmap and the present time was the most appropriate for Russia and Iran to deepen and expand that cooperation.

US senator calls Iran war a ‘national humiliation’ and a ‘debacle’

US Democrat Senator Chris Murphy has called the US’s war against Iran a “national humiliation”.

In a post on X, Murphy said, “It’s making us less safe and driving up prices on everything.”

He claimed US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth denied him access to US military bases and leaders during a visit to the Middle East to “hide the truth”.

Murphy said, “This war is not working, we are losing.”

He added, “There is a cover up campaign underway right now, so the American people don’t see the actual cost of this war.”

He said that there had been substantial damage, running into billions of dollars at US bases in the Gulf and demanded transparency about the destruction caused by the Iran war.

“Not a single member of Congress is allowed in [to US bases] to see that damage because Trump doesn’t want Americans to know what a debacle this has been,” Murphy said.