• US President Donald Trump tells reporters that the US is hopefully nearing the end of its war with Iran and claims that he has spoken “directly” with the Iranian side.
• Iran’s national security chief Mohsen Rezaei has said the United States must take practical steps to earn Iranian confidence.
   

France’s Macron stresses need for alternative oil routes

French President Emmanuel Macron addresses rising fuel pump prices in France, warning that global oil market disruptions directly impact the daily lives of citizens.

In a statement posted on X, Macron wrote that he took action to reduce tensions, secure supplies and ease the pressure on prices following recent talks with the Iraqi prime minister, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia and the emir of Qatar.

“The priority: restoring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery for oil transit,” Macron said, adding that France was working with coalition partners to protect energy infrastructure, secure production and open alternative routes to reduce strategic dependence.

Iran’s Araghchi hails China talks, backs Xi peace plan

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has described consultations with Chinese officials as “successful”, saying Tehran values the strategic partnership it has built with Beijing.

“Today’s decisions will decide the future strategic balance in the region, with immeasurable knock-on effects,” Araghchi said in a post on X.

He also backed Chinese President Xi Jinping’s four principles for regional peace, describing them as “key”.

Xi’s proposal calls for peaceful coexistence among neighbouring countries, respect for national sovereignty and territorial integrity, adherence to international law, and a balance between security and economic development.

US House approves bill imposing sanctions on Iran and Russia

The US House of Representatives has passed a bill, named after late Senator Lindsey Graham, by a vote of 262-159 to impose sweeping sanctions and tariffs to increase economic pressure on Iran and Russia, Reuters reports.

The Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, introduced by Graham himself, was approved in the Senate last month by 86-11.

Although the legislation primarily targets Russia, it extends the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 signed by former President Bill Clinton. The 1996 act was set to expire in 2026 but has been extended for an additional five years.

Dozens of Democratic representatives broke away from their party to join most Republicans in favor, sending the bill to President Donald Trump’s desk to be signed into law.

US relaxes truck driver hours to lower fuel costs and ease shortages

US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has said that the Trump administration is temporarily relaxing hours of service rules for truck drivers handling petrol and diesel shipments to lower fuel costs.

“Short-term supply chain disruptions can delay gasoline and diesel shipments, which in turn can impact freight delivery shipments,” Duffy said in a statement.

By allowing truckers to drive additional hours “if they are not fatigued”, the Department of Transportation is protecting against fuel shortages and increased prices, Duffy added.

Global oil supply chains are experiencing considerable disruptions due to the Strait of Hormuz closure, the ongoing conflict in Yemen and Saudi Arabia’s closure of the East-West pipeline.

US military says Strait of Hormuz remains open despite blockade on Iran

Despite an ongoing blockade on Iranian maritime trade and attacks by Iran’s military on commercial ships, the United States military has said US forces have kept the Strait of Hormuz open to commercial shipping, including the facilitation of hundreds of millions of barrels of oil through the strategic waterway.

On Wednesday, US Navy Captain Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for US Central Command (CENTCOM), said traffic through the strait “continues to flow” while rejecting the suggestion that Iran controls the waterway.

The US and Iran have continued to make competing claims about who has greater control of the critical Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf.

“Since early May, we have assisted commercial vessels moving more than 900 million barrels of crude oil through the Strait of Hormuz to the global energy market,” Hawkins said.

Only three vessels transit Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday

Preliminary ship-tracking data on Thursday has shown commodity vessel transits through the Strait of Hormuz drop to just three ships on Wednesday, down from 12 a day earlier and well below the 10-day average of about 17, Reuters reports.

The figures exclude any vessels that might have passed through the waterway with their Automatic Identification System transponders turned off to avoid detection.

Oil prices fall as Saudi Arabia offers extra crude via Oman

Oil prices fell in early trade on Thursday, extending the previous day’s losses as reports of Saudi Arabia offering extra crude cargoes through Oman reduced fears of supply disruptions in the Middle East.

Brent crude futures dropped $1.24, or 1.2 percent, to $104.59 a barrel as of 00:49 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures were down $1.14, or 1.1 percent, at $101.29.

Both contracts fell about $3 on Wednesday.

South Korea remains undecided on Hormuz deployment, says foreign minister

South Korea’s Foreign Minister Cho Hyun says the country has not decided on any military deployment to the Strait of Hormuz while speaking to reporters before departing for Washington, according to South Korean news agency Yonhap.

“Our position remains that no decision has been made yet, and we are reviewing all relevant factors,” Cho was quoted as saying.

“In doing so, we will prioritize international cooperation while giving foremost consideration to the safety of our people and freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.”

US President Donald Trump has pressured South Korea to support the country in its war on Iran, threatening to scale back joint military drills in August. Iran warned of “serious consequences” for Seoul if it participated in the war.

Cho is expected to hold talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday on various topics, including regional and global issues.

Iran’s Araghchi, Pakistan army chief discuss regional developments in call

Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reports that Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has held a telephone call with Pakistani army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir.

Araghchi held the phone call on Wednesday while in Beijing, during which they discussed and consulted on the latest regional developments and issues of mutual interest, according to Tasnim.

Iran, Turkiye top diplomats discuss regional developments in call

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has discussed regional developments in a telephone call with his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, while visiting Beijing, according to the Tasnim news agency.

Araghchi and Fidan exchanged views on the latest regional issues during the conversation held on Wednesday, the semi-official agency reported.

Trump claims of direct talks dismissed by former Iranian diplomat

Former Iranian diplomat Abbas Khameyar has dismissed recent statements by US President Donald Trump claiming Iran is pushing for direct talks.

“I don’t think there has been any additional effort beyond what was already under way in recent weeks,” he said.

There is a US narrative, he stated, “with tweets and statements by President Trump claiming that the Iranians are calling, pleading and asking for a meeting. But nobody believes this, and matters have not unfolded in that way.”

He added that Iran’s diplomatic activity has not moved beyond the framework already in place in recent weeks, centred on securing enforcement of the existing Memorandum of Understanding rather than opening new negotiations.

Khameyar said Tehran continues to insist on international guarantees before any agreement can be trusted, but cast doubt on the mediators currently available. “None of those mediators can provide such a guarantee – not the Pakistanis, Qataris or Omanis,” he said.

He added that Trump’s public messaging is aimed largely at a domestic audience, saying many of the president’s statements and tweets “are intended to manage the energy market and appeal to the American voter, whom President Trump ultimately wants to win over”.

Pakistan FM, IAEA chief voice support for Iran-US memorandum of understanding

Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has held a telephone call with Rafael Grossi, director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, to discuss the evolving security situation in the Middle East, a spokesperson for Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry has said.

The two officials agreed on Tuesday that the implementation of the memorandum of understanding reached between Iran and the United States remained the most effective path to reducing regional tensions, according to a statement released on Thursday.

Grossi offered the IAEA’s technical support to help implement the agreement if needed, the statement said.

Iran believes time favours them in war with the US

Former Iranian diplomat and analyst, Abbas Khameyar, said Tehran believes time favors Iran in its standoff with Washington over sanctions, the maritime blockade and pressure to return to negotiations, even as the US maintains military and economic pressure.

“I believe the Iranians are relying on the factor of time more than America is and that is what we are seeing in practice,” Khameyar said.

“Pressure within the United States, persistently high energy prices, and American domestic and global public opposition to the war, all of this benefits Iran.”

He argued that Iran has so far absorbed the economic toll through deliberate state planning, saying the government has worked “to support goods and ensure the availability of strategic food items and even non-essential goods,” despite inflation and strain on ordinary citizens.

Khameyar stressed that Iran is pursuing diplomacy and military preparedness in parallel, saying “we should not forget the military track and military preparedness to confront any American attack”.

UN fact-finding mission says US likely committed war crimes in Iran

Human rights experts commissioned by the UN have said that they have found “reasonable grounds” to believe the United States was behind two military strikes on a school and sports facility in Iran in February and that the attacks constituted war ⁠crimes.

The attacks included the February 28 strike on an elementary school in the southern city of Minab.

The UN-backed panel identified the attacks as a Tomahawk missile strike on a “clearly identifiable” school, and a separate air strike in which precision strike missiles scattered tungsten pellets over a “clearly identifiable sports complex and residential area” in the southern city of Lamerd.

“Following the United States and Israeli attacks on 28 February, the mission found reasonable grounds to believe the United States committed the war crime of launching indiscriminate attacks resulting in the loss of life or injury to civilians or damage to civilian objects,” the fact-finding mission said in a statement.

Based on what has been reported since the start of the February 28th resumption of the June 2025 war on Iran, we have matched details in the reports with what international law says about a specific detail.

Like in Afghanistan and Iraq, the United States has committed war crimes in Iran.

Iran expels Swedish diplomat in tit-for-tat move

Iran has expelled a Swedish diplomat the day after Sweden ordered an Iranian embassy official to leave the country and summoned Iran’s ambassador.

“We condemn Sweden’s decision to prevent one of our diplomats from continuing his duties at our embassy in Stockholm.

“We have informed the Swedish ambassador that one of the Swedish diplomats must leave Iran within 48 hours,” said Iran’s Foreign Ministry.

Senior Iranians respond to US narrative about war

Senior Iranian officials have been responding to American statements for at least a week.

This may be an attempt to prevent the American narrative about what is happening in the region from becoming established. We are referring to Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the speaker of the Iranian parliament, who said that raising interest rates in the United States – amid what he described as poor economic conditions there – would not reopen the Strait of Hormuz or increase oil production. He indicated that these factors create obstacles and affect the domestic US economy.

There were also statements from the spokesperson for the IRGC concerning an American pilot whose fighter jet was targeted during the 40-day war. The spokesperson said that the US would not be able to change reality through its “cinematic narrative”. He published an image showing the wreckage of an F-15 fighter jet being transported on a handcart used for carrying construction materials.

In addition, the commander of Iran’s ground forces affirmed that its soldiers are deployed along Iran’s various borders, and that 10 brigades are stationed on the Makran coast along the Sea of Oman. He said they are prepared for any hostile moves and considered this the reason why the US has not launched any ground attack on Iranian territory.

Jordan, France sign defence cooperation agreement, discuss commitment to regional stability

In a statement on X, King Abdullah of Jordan has announced the signing of a Defense Cooperation Agreement with France, and said that along with the Lebanese president the countries had reaffirmed their commitment to regional stability.

The king said that he and French President Emmanuel Macron had discussed ways to strengthen ties and that the three leaders had emphasized the importance of Paris hosting Aqaba Process meetings in support of the Lebanese Armed Forces.

Jordan caught itself in delusion when talking about commitment to regional stability while hosting a war belligerent who is one of the two parties that started the war.

Amman even allowed the belligerent to resort to activities directly linked to its own war on Iran. The kingdom is not committing to stability as it contributes to aggression and violence in the act of war by its guest.

Behind Trump's claim of direct talks with Iran

President Donald Trump says the United States is “hopefully toward the end” of its war with Iran, claiming that he has directly spoken to officials in Tehran, raising the prospect of renewed diplomacy, despite fighting in Yemen.

However, Mohsen Rezaei of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, accused Trump of sending “mixed signals” and said there could be “no talks until Iran’s conditions are met”.

Former Iranian diplomat Abbas Khameyar dismissed Trump’s claims. “I don’t think there has been any additional effort beyond what was already under way in recent weeks,” he told Al Jazeera.

There is a US narrative, “with tweets and statements by President Trump claiming that the Iranians are calling, pleading and asking for a meeting. But nobody believes this and matters have not unfolded in that way.”

Pakistan taking austerity measures to conserve fuel amid Iran crisis

Pakistan ⁠has announced several austerity measures to conserve energy as ⁠fuel prices continue to rise ⁠due to the US-Israel war on Iran.

The measures include a 50 percent cut in ⁠fuel for official ⁠vehicles, bans on vehicle purchases by ‌the state and restrictions on foreign visits by government officials for three months.

No evidence US strikes on Iran were proportionate or lawful: human rights lawyer

Human rights lawyer Geoffrey Nice has said if the US attacks on Iran assessed by the UN fact-finding mission involved a legitimate target, such as an IRGC base, that would still not “excuse the killings”.

The attacks would not be justified “unless there was a genuine accident, which should have been allowed for as potential collateral damage”.

But so far, “there’s no evidence of any of that to justify what happened in this terrible tragic event”, Nice said.

The lawyer added it was impossible to determine the motive behind the attack without internal US documents, which have not been released and which would likely not be made public for several decades.

In March 2026, the United States dropped the same bombs, the Israelis were dropping on Tehran that month.

UN fact-finding mission on Iran attacks puts ‘significant pressure’ on Trump administration

There has been no response from the White House, the Pentagon or the State Department to the UN fact-finding mission finding “reasonable grounds” to believe the US was behind attacks on a school and sports facility in Iran.

The US has previously said the attack on the Minab school in Iran was under investigation, but it has not publicly released any official position on what transpired.

When it comes to the UN findings, there is no binding or legal responsibility on the part of the US to act. What the findings do, however, is put significant pressure on the Trump administration.

‘Nonsense’: White House dismisses UN report alleging potential US war crimes in Iran

The White House has rejected a UN human rights report finding “reasonable grounds” to believe the United States committed war crimes in two strikes in Iran on February 28, including on a school in the southern city of Minab.

Spokeswoman Anna Kelly said the UN’s Human Rights Council has “accomplished nothing for human rights while spouting unserious nonsense for decades,” according to remarks carried by The Washington Post. Kelly added, “The only party in this conflict that has committed war crimes is the Iranian regime.” The Trump administration has yet to acknowledge any responsibility for the attack on the school or release a Pentagon investigation into the incident.

The report, published Thursday by a UN fact-finding mission, centres on two US air strikes on the first day of the war which killed at least 178 civilians. The attacks include the bombing of the Shajareh Tayyebeh school in Minab, which Iranian media say killed 168 people, mostly children. The UN mission concluded the school “was the intended point of impact”, not collateral damage.

We know this kind of language for much longer but from the Israelis when they were found having committed war crimes. Whether it is Israeli Zionism or those by the US, it has always been blame the victim when they are criticized.

"The UN mission concluded the school “was the intended point of impact”, not collateral damage."

The collected and documented videos about the air strike on the girls school in Minab was without verifying whether the intelligence about the location was accurate.

The school was located on a compound that was part of those of the Iranian military. However, on the day of the attack, there was a wall which separated the military object from the school. The school had its own entrance on the opposite side. On social media, it was falsely claimed that there was a watch tower but the satellite image showed no such tower.

To us, it was intentional damage in the act of war.

US military says 104 commercial vessels redirected in Iran blockade

US Central Command (CENTCOM) says it has redirected 104 commercial vessels in its blockade of Iran as of today.

The updated tally of redirected vessels added one vessel since its last update on Tuesday.

CENTCOM said in a social media post that it is ensuring compliance with the US blockade on Iranian maritime trade in the Strait of Hormuz.

Russia, China veto US draft resolution on Iran sanctions at UN Security Council

Russia and China have vetoed a US draft resolution at the UN Security Council to extend the mandate of a committee that oversees sanctions on Iran.

According to a Security Council report, the two permanent member states had opposed the draft when the text of the resolution was presented in late August, expressing their opposition to the so-called “snapback mechanism” for international sanctions against Iran.

Created by the 2015 Iran nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the mechanism allows any original participant to invoke the clause if they believe Iran is in major breach of the pact.

Russia and China argued the snapback was invalid and that the JCPOA and resolution 2231 expired late last year.

".. JCPOA and resolution 2231 expired late last year."

Trump annulled the JCPOA in 2018 by withdrawal. If the JCPOA is expired, you cannot vote for the extension of a mechanism that expired with the JCPOA.

Iran thanks Russia, China for opposing ‘politically motivated’ US resolution at Security Council

Iran’s mission to the UN has thanked Russia and China for opposing what it called a “politically motivated” US draft resolution at the Security Council seeking to reimpose international sanctions on Tehran.

“Iran deeply appreciates Russia and China for their consistent and principled positions and decisive actions today,” it said in a post on X, adding that they “prevented yet another cynical attempt by the United States and its allies to abuse the Security Council for their political purposes”.

Iran’s parliament speaker says world ‘unipolar order’ over

Iran’s parliament speaker and chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, has praised China and Russia for vetoing a US draft resolution at the UN Security Council seeking to reimpose international sanctions on Tehran, saying the move “rejected the political abuse of the Security Council and reaffirmed the rule of law.”

“The unipolar order in which one side extracts concessions through force and coercion has ended,” said Ghalibaf.

Trump says deciding on whether to ‘annihilate’ Iranian foes

US President Donald Trump says he’s approaching a crucial decision on whether to “annihilate” his Iranian foes.

“I have a big decision coming up. Do I want to go in and annihilate them or do I not?” Trump told Axios.

“It’s a big decision. Anything could happen with me,” he added, saying Iran is in direct contact with the US and that Tehran wants to reach a deal.

Trump said that no ships have reached Iran since a US blockade was reinstated in July after a memorandum of understanding between the two countries failed to end the war.

Iran summons German ambassador over Merz remarks

The Iranian Foreign Ministry has summoned Germany’s ambassador to Iran over remarks by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

Iran’s Assistant Foreign Minister Alireza Yousefi told Ambassador Axel Fittmann that Tehran rejects claims made by Merz, the state-run broadcaster IRIB reported.

Merz had urged Iran on Tuesday to halt its “military nuclear program”, end its support for regional proxies and end the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

Earlier on Thursday, Iran gave a Swedish diplomat in Tehran 48 hours to leave the country, after Sweden had expelled a staff member from the Iranian embassy in Stockholm.

" .. to halt its “military nuclear program”

The Israelis created the nuclear problem themselves by introducing the Menachem Begin doctrine in 1968, which is about preemptive attack on any country in the region hat launches a nuclear program. The introduction came a year after they secretly managed to have three nuclear warheads. The revelation prompted the establishment of the Non-Proliferation Treaty in  1968, which the Israelis refuse to join.

Trump says US has been ‘very protective’ of Gulf countries

President Donald Trump says that the US has guarded Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries well, ahead of a meeting with Gulf leaders on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly next week.

“I want to find out where they are and how they are doing. We have been very protective of them,” Trump told Axios.

Trump added that he might meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in New York as well.

US expands Iran sanctions to include digital asset venture BitBank

The United States Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has added Iranian digital asset venture BitBank to its Specially Designated Nationals List, as part of what it says is its ongoing sanctions against Iran.

The designation also targets BitBank’s developer, Pishtaz Simorgh Electronic Trade Company, and three associates of Iranian financier Babak Zanjani: Hossein Ali Zaker Hossein, Mohammad Mahdi Zaker Hossein and Seyed Adel Heidari.

According to the Treasury Department, BitBank is controlled by Zanjani, who was previously designated by OFAC and whose network has been targeted over alleged sanctions evasion and illicit financial activity. The Treasury claimed the entities and individuals form part of an Iranian digital asset infrastructure used to evade sanctions.

The action comes under “Operation Economic Outcast,” the Trump administration’s campaign targeting Iran and entities accused of supporting it.

“Today’s designations of Iranian digital asset infrastructure make perfectly clear that efforts to finance the Iranian regime using crypto currencies are not beyond OFAC’s reach,” said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. “If you support the Iranian regime, the Department of the Treasury will sanction you.”

US grants visas for Iranian delegation to attend UN General Assembly in New York

The US State Department says it has green lighted visas for a core Iranian delegation and their essential staffers to take part in a UN General Assembly meeting in New York next week.

“Consistent with our host country obligations, the core delegation from the Iranian regime will be able to attend UN General Assembly High Level week,” the Associated Press cited a State Department spokesperson as saying.

The Iranian delegation would be smaller than last year’s, the spokesperson added, and would be subject to travel restrictions and prohibitions on buying luxury goods.

President Masoud Pezeshkian is due to be a part of the delegation, the AP reported citing sources. Earlier today, the US denied Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and other Palestinian officials a visa ahead of the UN meeting.

US to restrict ‘luxury splurge’ shopping by Iran officials during UN General Assembly

The US will ban Iran’s delegation to the UN General Assembly from purchasing wholesale club memberships and luxury goods while visiting New York, the State Department has said.

“The regime’s officials want to go on shopping sprees in New York. Not on our watch. We will not let the Iranian regime’s elites exploit UNGA for a luxury retail splurge paid for by the Iranian people’s suffering,” spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a statement on X.

Piggott urged New York retailers to be vigilant and not “become complicit in these violations”.

US State Department approves sale of 48 F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia

The US State Department says it has approved the potential sale of 48 F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter jets to Saudi Arabia in a package that will cost an estimated $24.3bn.

Saudi Arabia had requested the purchase of 48 F-35 aircraft, 49 Pratt & Whitney F135-PW-100 engines, communications equipment, spare parts and ⁠other support items, according to a statement.

“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a major non-NATO ally that is a force for political stability and economic progress in the Gulf region,” the State Department said.

The State Department added that the sale of the fighter jets “will not alter the military balance in the region”.

US President Donald Trump designated Saudi Arabia a major non-NATO ally of the United States in November 2025.

Iran downs at least two US drones: CBS

Iranian forces have brought down at least two American MQ-1 unmanned aircraft in recent days, according to a CBS News report citing anonymous US officials familiar with the matter.

The US military has fielded two principal MQ-1 variants: the Predator, retired by the air force in 2018 after years of use in Iraq and Afghanistan; and the Gray Eagle, a larger, Predator-derived aircraft still operated by the army including its special operations forces. The type of drones and where they were downed were unclear.

Both are designed for surveillance but can also carry Hellfire missiles. If the downed aircraft were older Predators, the loss of two would equate to roughly $8 million total, CBS reported. Gray Eagles are costlier, running into tens of millions of dollars depending on the type.

At least 24 MQ-9 Reapers have been lost since the war with Iran began, costing roughly $720 million, according to a Congressional Budget Office report released this week.

The report also said an MQ-4C Triton maritime drone was destroyed, an estimated $150 million loss. US Central Command declined to comment to CBS News on Thursday.

UKMTO reports ‘security incident’ in Strait of Hormuz, all crew safe

The UK’s Maritime Trade Operations has reported what it called a “security incident” in the Strait of Hormuz, 16 nautical miles (30km) northeast of Oman’s port town of Khasab.

It said that affected crew members have been reported safe, and no environmental impact has been confirmed from the incident.

Decoding Ghalibaf’s maths equation message

Iran’s missiles and drones have downed dozens of US aircraft, damaged or destroyed hundreds of buildings at US bases in the Middle East and drained its inventories of military equipment worth billions of dollars, the Pentagon conceded earlier this week.

On Wednesday, Tehran unleashed another unlikely weapon in its war against the US: a maths equation.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who has also been a lead negotiator during talks between Tehran and Washington at different stages during the past six months, typed out a version of the Taylor equation, a formula used by central banks to determine interest rates, in a post on X loaded with a wartime message.

“Let’s see if a hike could open SOH or produce a single barrel,” he wrote, referring to interest rate hikes and the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway for global shipping that Iran has effectively blocked.

“You can’t 25bp [basis points] a chokepoint,” he added, seemingly again referring to the strait. “It’s SOH risk premium, and We set it.”

Hours after Ghalibaf’s post, the US Federal Reserve did raise the benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points.

IRGC says it struck tanker attempting ‘illegal passage’ through Hormuz

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps says it struck a Togo-flagged tanker as it attempted what it described as an “illegal passage” through the Strait of Hormuz tonight.

The IRGC navy said the vessel caught fire and was brought to a halt after the attack. It claimed the tanker had attempted to cross the waterway after being “incited and deceived” by the US military.

The force said its sailors remained in control of the strategic waterway and “will not allow any aggressor to pass through it”.

“Illegal passage through the Strait of Hormuz will achieve nothing other than the destruction of the offending vessel,” it warned in a statement carried by Iran’s IRNA news agency.

House Democrats seek to stop US-Saudi nuclear agreement

Four Democratic lawmakers say that they introduced a resolution to stop the US-Saudi Arabia nuclear agreement.

US House representatives Gregory Meeks, Brad Sherman, John Garamendi and Don Beyer said the agreement does not align with nonproliferation standards and presents substantial risks.

“A region already gripped by conflict and escalation does not need another nuclear power. Saudi Arabia’s own statements make that risk explicit,” the lawmakers said in a statement.

The US president sent the proposed agreement to Congress in ⁠August, opening a 90-day window for lawmakers’ review.

The Trump administration says the deal has the ⁠nonproliferation measures required by law.

Iranian people have transformed global power politics: Adviser to supreme leader

Major-General Yahya Rahim Safavi, a senior military adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, says unity among the Iranian people has become a “transformative reality in global power dynamics”.

“The powerful unity of 200 nights of presence, connecting the will of the nation in the field with the strategic guidance of the leadership, is not only a unique historical phenomenon in the international arena,” Safavi said, according to the SNN news agency.

“No new Israeli or American-imposed war can overcome the shield built from the people’s insight and the authority of the Islamic system,” he added.