• Iran and Oman are close to establishing safe commercial shipping routes in the Strait of Hormuz after reaching an understanding on a “temporary safe passage route”, Iran’s foreign ministry says.
• US State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott warns that Iran must choose between diplomacy and “facing further consequences” as Washington maintains its blockade against Iranian oil.

US war on Iran

US lawmakers press Pentagon over civilian deaths in Iran

A group of 77 US Congress members is “demanding answers” from the Pentagon on the protection of civilians after two deadly US strikes in Iran this year.

On September 1, a US air strike killed five civilians, including two children, at a wedding in Kuhestak, Hormozgan province.

In a post on X, Democratic Congresswoman Yassamin Ansari said it was “the latest in a horrifying pattern of civilian casualties” resulting from Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s “disastrous and illegal war” in Iran.

She also highlighted a February 28 strike on a school in Minab, Hormozgan province, which killed 120 children.

Iran moves to sustain wartime defense production

Iranian defense officials have met to discuss securing weapons production under wartime conditions after the nomination of Mehrdad Akhlaghi as the country’s new defense minister, state media reported.

According to the semi-official Tasnim news agency, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Commander Major-General Ahmad Vahidi said during a meeting with Akhlaghi that the defense industry serves as a strategic pillar for the armed forces on the battlefield.

It added that discussions focused on expanding cooperation between Defense Ministry industrial complexes and the IRGC to maintain equipment and arms output during the conflict.

US seeks Iran’s surrender, seizure of oil: Iranian official

The US “does not want Iran’s independence and its goal is to surrender the will of the Iranian people and seize the country’s resources, including oil”, an Iranian vice president has said.

IRIB reported, quoting Mohammad Jafar Ghaempanah, that the US started the war, but it ended at the negotiating table.

“We are not looking for war; they started the war and war will ultimately lead to diplomacy,” Ghaempanah said.

‘More advanced weapons’ now in Iran’s arsenal, IRGC claims

Hossein Mohebbi, the spokesman for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), says Iran has acquired “more advanced weapons” since what he referred to as the “40-day war”, Iran’s state media report.

Although launching a new war against Iran would be “irrational” for the United States, the possibility remains very real, as the Trump administration needs a “win” prior to the midterm elections, Mohebbi was reported to have said.

He also warned that Iran is prepared to respond to any “renewed aggression” with greater force than before.

EU aviation safety agency eases Jordan airspace warning

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency says it now recommends airlines take potential risks into account when flying in Jordanian airspace, easing earlier guidance that advised carriers to avoid the airspace altogether.

The conflict zone information bulletin on Jordan was, however, extended until November 16, it said on its website.

Speaker says Iran’s military might ‘dramatically improved’ after US-Israel war

Iran’s parliament speaker and top negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, has given a national television address focusing on the ongoing war with the United States:

• Iran’s firepower, air defence systems, and offensive might have dramatically improved during recent wars of aggression.
• We must fight with all our might at the necessary time.
• The June Islamabad memorandum of understanding is a document of defeat imposed on the United States.
• We must be strong enough for the US, the world, and the region to understand that they cannot achieve their objectives.
• The cycle of war, negotiations, and deterrence will continue until Iran becomes strong enough that its adversaries no longer consider attacking.
• The US must change its behaviour and accept the legitimate demands of the Iranian people.
• Whenever we achieve military victory on the field, we must cement the victory in the political sphere.
• As martyred leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei used to say, the enemy is seeking to devour Iran’s resources.

IRAN-US talks

Iran vows to fight to force US acceptance of its demands

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf says Tehran is not seeking an endless war or prolonged negotiations with the United States but will fight until its demands are met.

In a televised speech, Ghalibaf said Iran intends to negotiate to create “sustainable deterrence”, according to the state broadcaster IRIB.

Separately, he said in a social media post that deadlines set by the US government, including the economic pressure campaign on Iran, have all passed and the Islamic Republic is still functioning.

He mockingly called for US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics, saying his predictions on the outcomes of US pressure have demonstrated the meaninglessness of the concept of time.

“Time’s relative; turns out it could be irrelevant. Nobel in Practical Physics for Treasury?” Ghalibaf said.

Nuclear issue

Hegseth says will do ‘what is necessary’ to stop Iran from having nuclear weapons

Hegseth says will do ‘what is necessary’ to stop Iran from having nuclear weapons as he’s heckled by protesters

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has said that President Donald Trump’s responsibility is to do “what is necessary” to prevent Iran from possessing nuclear capabilities.

“The protesters spouting off slogans – Iran really will never have a nuclear weapon,” Hegseth said during a panel at the annual meeting of the Association of the US Army.

Hegseth was interrupted multiple times by antiwar demonstrators, with one accusing him of being a war criminal and another calling him a “coward”.

The defence secretary also reiterated the claim that the US military controls the Strait of Hormuz during the panel with other Defence Department officials.

Strait of Hormuz

Drone strikes boat near Iran’s Bandar Kolahi, injures 3 fishermen, governor says

Three fishermen have been injured after an unidentified drone struck their boat near Bandar Kolahi, in Iran’s Hormozgan province, according to the governor’s office.

The exact area is Sirik County near Bandar Kolahi in Tiyab District of Minab County. It is in Southern Iran. This means that the drone boat could only be one from the US.

UKMTO says two vessels hit by ‘unknown projectiles’ in the Strait of Hormuz

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency has reported that two commercial vessels were hit by “unknown projectiles” in separate incidents in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday.

In the first incident, a 50,000-tonne container ship was hit while entering the strait. The vessel suffered minor damage, reported no casualties, and was able to safely continue its passage, according to the maritime security monitoring agency.

In the second incident, a 19,000-tonne container vessel was struck by an unknown projectile while exiting the waterway. It also sustained minor damage, with no injuries reported on board, and continued its journey, the agency said.

Qatar backs diplomacy on maritime navigation in talks with Germany

Qatar has reaffirmed its support for diplomatic efforts to secure freedom of maritime navigation and pave the way for a comprehensive agreement that brings lasting peace to the Middle East, according to its Foreign Ministry.

Majed al-Ansari, adviser to the prime minister and Foreign Ministry spokesperson, made the remarks during a meeting with German State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Geza Andreas von Geyr, who is visiting Doha, the ministry said in a statement on X.

The two discussed regional diplomacy and joint coordination to de-escalate tensions, as well as cooperation in the economy, investment, security and defence, the ministry added.

Iran steps up surveillance in the Strait of Hormuz

Iran’s military said it has expanded its surveillance of the Strait of Hormuz by deploying new units to attack ships, amid a desperate tussle between Tehran and Washington to control the waterway – among the world’s most important passages for energy transport.

With the United States’ naval blockade of Iran’s southern ports in place and sanctions tightening, Tehran has repeatedly said it will pursue military and diplomatic efforts to put pressure on Washington to submit to its demands regarding reopening the strait.

Tehran’s latest announcement coincides with a surge in attacks in the waterway and a fall in oil transit after crude flows had risen back to pre-war levels in September.

Chris Featherstone, a political scientist at the University of York in the United Kingdom, said that the increased attacks and their impact on energy flows demonstrate the fragility of the strait as a key pathway for oil exports.

Singapore maritime authority condemns attacks on two cargo ships in Hormuz

Two Singapore-registered container vessels were hit by projectiles while transiting the Strait of Hormuz with one later sinking.

GFS Pride sustained damage and a fire on board and sank, but all 21 crew members were safely evacuated with no injuries reported, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said in a statement.

GFS Giselle sustained hull damage and later arrived under its own propulsion at a safe anchorage. All 22 crew members are safe with no injuries reported, it added.

“MPA is deeply concerned about the continued attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, including the latest incidents involving two Singapore-registered vessels. Such attacks are unprovoked, unjustifiable, and a breach of international law,” the authority said.

Iran says a cargo ship sank after hitting a sea mine

A cargo ship sank after striking a naval mine in the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) navy says.

There were few details from Iranian officials including about the fate of the crew. State television quoted an IRGC statement saying the ship was traveling on what it called “an illegal and dangerous route” when it hit the mine Wednesday morning.

The unidentified ship – shown tilted in the water and spewing a thick plume of smoke – was carrying 2,500 containers, the broadcast said.

Iran has repeatedly warned vessels from trying to transit through the strait without its approval. The US military has been guiding ships through the critical trade waterway on a route nearer to Oman’s coast.

Earlier we reported two Singaporean cargo vessels were attacked with projectiles, with one sinking and the other making it safely to port.

US CENTCOM says it destroyed ‘Iranian-affiliated’ vessel in Gulf of Oman

US Central Command (CENTCOM) says it destroyed an Iranian-affiliated sailing vessel “conducting surveillance and targeting US Navy ships in the Gulf of Oman”.

“Crew members were ⁠safely removed prior ⁠to destruction of the dhow. Repatriation ⁠efforts are ongoing,” ⁠it said in a post, adding the ‌incident took place on October 6.

“Over the past seven months Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has continued to indiscriminately target thousands of civilian mariners transiting regional waters.”

The post was accompanied by video that appears to show CENTCOM targeting the vessel.

Iran’s IRGC says attacks on ships were response to third US ‘violation’

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) says it attacked ships deemed to be violating its restrictions in response to broken commitments by the United States.

IRGC spokesperson Brigadier General Hossein Mohbi said Washington had violated its commitments by launching attacks twice during negotiations before breaking them a third time after the Memorandum of Understanding was signed in June, according to Iran’s Fars News Agency.

Mohbi said the subsequent attacks on ships were authorised and carried out through coordination with senior officials, saying Iran’s armed forces always follow the chain of command.

He described the attacks as a “decisive and crushing response” to the third alleged US violation.

US military rejects Iranian claim of psychological pressure on sailors

Central Command (CENTCOM) has pushed back against an Iranian official’s claim that the US military is using threatening language against Iranian civilian sailors.

It also defended its blockade against Iran and accused Tehran of attacking civilian mariners in regional waters.

In a statement posted on X, CENTCOM described the claim by Iran’s ambassador to the International Maritime Organization that US forces are causing “serious stress and psychological pressure” on civilian crews as “false”.

Iran filed a formal protest last week with the organization, saying US military forces are misusing an emergency channel, turning it into “an instrument of military intimidation and psychological pressure against civilian crews”.

CENTCOM said the US blockade against Iran has been in place for months and was communicated professionally.

It also accused Iran of being the “only country attacking civilian mariners transiting regional waters”, while saying commercial traffic “continues to flow through the Strait of Hormuz with coordinated protection from US forces and regional partners”.

CENTCOM wrote:

"On Oct. 6, U.S. forces destroyed an Iranian-affiliated dhow conducting surveillance and targeting U.S. Navy ships in the Gulf of Oman. Over the past seven months, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has continued to indiscriminately target thousands of civilian mariners transiting regional waters in addition to U.S. Navy warships. Crew members were safely removed prior to destruction of the dhow. Repatriation efforts are ongoing."

France’s Macron to visit Kuwait, UAE, Bahrain and Qatar next week

French President Emmanuel Macron will travel to Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Qatar to meet leaders from Monday to Wednesday next week.

According to a statement from his office, Macron plans to discuss the dire situation in the Strait of Hormuz and its impact on energy prices.

Before the US-Israel war on Iran began on February 28, Hormuz typically handled about 125 large commercial vessels a day and shipments through it accounted for about 20 percent of global crude and liquefied natural gas supplies.

In retaliation for the US-Israeli strikes, Iran effectively closed the strait and has stepped up attacks on vessels trying to break its new transit regulations.

Iran’s military said it has expanded its surveillance of the Strait of Hormuz by deploying new units to target ships amid a desperate tussle between Tehran and Washington to control the waterway – among the world’s most important passages for energy transport.

Persian Gulf

Gulf’s internet as Iran threatens data centers

Iran’s security chief, Mohsen Rezaei, has warned that cables, data centers and AI facilities across the region could be attacked if the US war on Iran erupts again.

The warning comes as the capture of Yemeni territory along the Red Sea coastline last month by the Iran-backed Houthis has raised concerns over the safety of internet cables linking Europe and Asia.

Iran hit data centers and US business interests in Bahrain and the UAE during the height of the war. Tehran said the attacks were in response to US attacks on Iranian civilian installations.

Oil & Oil markets

Oil prices edge higher as traders weigh Saudi supply risks and Russian diesel

Oil prices are continuing their upward trajectory, with Brent crude futures gaining 89 cents, or 0.8 percent, as of 00:30 GMT to reach $106.58 a barrel.

US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude went up 80 cents, or 0.9 percent, to trade at $94.94.

The gains came after oil settled on Tuesday, when Brent fell 0.9 percent while WTI rose 0.4 percent, as traders weighed supply risk from fighting between Yemen’s Houthis and Saudi Arabia against the prospect of increased diesel from Russia, according to the Reuters news agency.

Brent futures closed at $105.69 a barrel on Tuesday while WTI settled at $94.14.

The Houthis attacked an administrative building belonging to state-owned oil firm Saudi Aramco in the city of Dhahran, causing a limited fire, Saudi Arabia’s energy ministry said on Wednesday.

Recent attacks threaten Middle East energy export recovery

Crude oil exports from Middle East Gulf producers rose by 4.4 million barrels per day (bpd) in September to ‌about 75 percent of pre-war levels, the International Energy Agency says.

A 3.7 million bpd rise in shipments through the Strait of Hormuz drove the increase, lifting flows to 10.9 million bpd because of robust ship-to-ship transfer activity in the Gulf of Oman.

“However, the recent escalation in attacks on regional energy infrastructure and tanker traffic is threatening to derail further gains,” the IEA said.

The agency predicts global oil supply will fall by 5.8 million bpd this year before reversing course to rise by 7.7 million bpd in 2027, tipping the market back into surplus.

Oil prices were little changed on Wednesday, with Brent futures trading at ⁠$105.80 per barrel at 09:32 GMT, up 0.1 percent from the previous close. Diesel refining margins were up 2 percent on ⁠the day at $85.42 per barrel.

Oil prices gain on attacks in Saudi Arabia; Iran’s new Hormuz tactics

Oil prices have risen after the Houthis attacked Saudi Aramco’s headquarters and Iran said it’s deploying new tactics ⁠to target cargo ships and keep oil prices high.

Brent crude futures settled up 37 cents, or 0.35 percent, at $106.06 a barrel. US West Texas Intermediate crude gained 95 cents, or 1.01 percent, to $95.09 – a three-week high.

Attacks on ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz and strikes between Saudi ⁠Arabia and the Iran-allied Houthis are driving up oil prices, said Phil Flynn, senior analyst with the Price Futures Group.

“We’re seeing a lot of fear trade today,” Flynn added.

Iranian officials declined to provide details of the new strategy to target commercial vessels, but one said Iran started using different offensive tactics about 10 days ago.

Gulf oil flows excluding Iran surged in September to more than 81 percent of prewar levels, led by a recovery in Saudi exports. Iranian exports fell to zero because of the US blockade.

“More crude reaching international markets does not necessarily mean more oil is being produced,” Saxo Bank analyst Ole Hansen said in a note. “Some of the recovery reflects a redistribution of available barrels, including volumes that would otherwise have supplied regional refineries.”

Global diesel shortages could persist well into 2027, IEA says

Global diesel markets could remain tight well into next year, with resulting high prices driving inflation and hurting economic growth, the International Energy Agency says.

The agency’s warning ⁠comes on the eve of a meeting that will discuss the scale and timing of releases from the agency’s emergency stocks aimed at calming energy markets.

Diesel is used widely in industry, agriculture, and motoring, meaning its record-high prices have created both political and economic pressure. US President Donald Trump’s administration has told European Union countries to draw down inventories or face a potential US ⁠diesel export ban.

“Record diesel prices are already having broad economic consequences by raising the cost of goods and impacting real incomes, economic activity, and inflation,” the agency, which advises industrialized countries and manages their emergency oil stocks, said in a monthly report.

The diesel market remained under significant strain as the prolonged supply disruptions have caused inventories to be drawn down at ‌a time of year when they usually rise, the IEA said.

“As the remaining buffers in the system continue to erode, in the absence of a resolution to the conflicts in the Middle East, oil markets may experience more turmoil in the months ahead before any eventual surplus emerges in 2027,” the IEA said.

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.

US rejects reports Iran sent $200m to Hezbollah, says group must disarm for aid

Hezbollah says it will give families in Lebanon up to $14,000 if their homes were destroyed or left uninhabitable due to Israeli attacks.

More than 1.2 million people were displaced as a result of Israel’s aerial offensive and ground invasion of southern Lebanon that began in April.

Last week, media reports said Iran provided $200m to help displaced families, but the US has questioned if any such money exists.

The US spokesperson for the State Department, Tommy Pigott, who referred to the ongoing economic pressure campaign by the US against Iran … says that it has effectively cut off Tehran’s ability to finance its proxy networks, speaking specifically about Hezbollah, the Trump administration taking it one step further, saying that whatever revenue Hezbollah does have is coming from illicit sources.

How can the US reject reports about Iranian money transfer to Hezbollah while saying that whatever revenue Hezbollah does have is coming from illicit sources. The latter is also money transfer but by other means.

From currency brokers to crypto, Iranians find ways to circumvent US sanctions

Decades of international sanctions have severely restricted Iran’s access to the global financial system, making cross-border payments difficult for individuals and businesses alike. The sanctions have only increased with the current US-Israeli war on Iran.

Unable to rely on conventional banking for international transactions, many Iranians have turned to alternative channels to pay for goods and services abroad.

And while each workaround channel offers a way to navigate some of the restrictions, it comes with its own costs and risks, often falling short of the security, reliability and efficiency of a functioning international banking system.

One alternative financial channel relies on networks of currency exchangers that operate across borders, an informal system that matches those who need local currency in Iran with those who need foreign currency abroad. By balancing these opposing needs, transactions can be settled without money necessarily moving directly between Iranian and foreign bank accounts.

- Tohid Asadi, Tehran.

(delusional) US politics

CENTCOM rejects Iranian claims of Strait of Hormuz control

US Central Command has rejected assertions by the commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy that Tehran controls the Strait of Hormuz and would sink approaching American warships.

“IRGC’s navy commander has no navy. American forces and regional partners clearly control the Strait of Hormuz,” CENTCOM said on X.

The military command added that US forces assisted Gulf partners in shipping more than 19 million barrels of crude oil through the strategic chokepoint on Monday.

Attacks by Iran on oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman continue, and has increased in the first two weeks of this month, October 2026. At least four commercial vessels were hit during these weeks.

No proof exist that all Iranian warships have been destroyed. The few videos showing small navy boats, and just one warship (near Sri Lanka) destroyed by the US are no support to the claim.

Like their claims about how many commercial vessels have been directed, the US never named and described (other) warships it claims to have destroyed.

If we were able to collect information that the so-called regional partners "clearly control" the Strait of Hormuz, they would have been added to the summaries.

Other

Pakistani, Omani foreign ministers stress dialogue for regional peace

Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and his Omani counterpart, Badr Albusaidi, have reaffirmed the importance of dialogue and diplomacy to achieve stability in the region.

During their meeting in Islamabad, the top diplomats also discussed avenues of bilateral cooperation across various sectors, particularly trade, investment, and people-to-people contacts.

Albusaidi commended Pakistan’s efforts to promote regional security, while Dar said he appreciated Oman’s constructive role and its shared aspirations for peace in the region.

Zelenskyy says Hormuz crisis is ‘real reason’ for increased global prices

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said the real cause of increased prices worldwide is the Strait of Hormuz crisis, triggered by the US and Israel-led attacks on Iran.

“Strait of Hormuz is the real reason why the prices increased,” Zelenskyy said, while speaking on the British talk show, Piers Morgan Uncensored.

“All the world understands it absolutely clear. One-hundred percent – not even 90,” he added.

The so-called Hormuz crisis is not the cause of the global increase prices. They are a result or consequences forthcoming from the Israeli bombardment of Tehran's oil depots on February 28, 2026. Iran responded to the bombardment by blockading the Strait of Hormuz after saying "If we're not allowed to have oil, then no one."