• US President Trump says he is facing a choice on whether or not to “annihilate” Iran, adding that “anything could happen”, before reiterating his claim that he is in touch with Tehran officials on a potential deal to end the war.
• Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps says that it has struck a Togo-flagged tanker as it attempted an “illegal passage” through the Strait of Hormuz.
• The US State Department grants visas for a core Iranian delegation and their essential staffers to take part in a UN General Assembly meeting in New York next week.
• The US Treasury Department has added a crypto currency trading platform to its Specially Designated Nationals List, part of its ongoing economic pressure campaign against Iran.
   

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

A United Nations investigation says there are “reasonable grounds” to believe the US committed war crimes in Iran. It relates to at least two air strikes in February, including one that killed more than 150 people at a school. Most of them were children.

The attacks became an early symbol of the war’s human cost and fuelled Iran’s calls for retaliation.

White House responds to UN finding on Iran strikes, defending military actions

White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly, said:

“The UN Human Rights Council has accomplished nothing for human rights, spouting unserious nonsense for decades.”

“The only party in this conflict that has committed war crimes is the Iranian regime, which has murdered thousands of its own people, killed Americans overseas, executed acts of terrorism in the Strait of Hormuz, and launched indiscriminate attacks against its neighbors in the region.”

“The president is courageously ensuring that such an evil country never possesses a nuclear weapon, which will make the entire world safer and more stable.”

This is consistent with statements not only from the secretary of state, but also the defence secretary in recent months, maintaining that none of the strikes was in any way in defiance of the laws of armed conflict.

".. consistent with statements not only from the secretary of state, but also the defence secretary.. "

In politics it is all speak with one voice. It doesn't mean that they are telling the truth.

Strikes in Minab, Lamerd were ‘a clear war crime, not an operational error’: Iranian official

Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs, has said the findings of a UN mission confirm that “what happened in Minab and Lamerd was a clear war crime, not an operational error.”

Gharibabadi was referring to February’s deadly missile strikes on a primary school in Minab and a sports complex in Lamerd.

A UN-backed fact-finding mission said on Thursday that there were “reasonable grounds” to believe the US was behind the attacks and that they constituted war crimes.

“History will not forget; in Minab, a school was painted with the blood of 168 children, and in Lamerd, the sports ground turned into a slaughterhouse for civilians,” said Gharibabadi. “America cannot escape its responsibility by withdrawing from the Human Rights Council.”

US seeks tips on alleged IRGC use of digital asset exchanges

The US State Department’s Rewards for Justice program has issued a new appeal for information about the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s financial activities.

“The IRGC uses digital asset exchanges to launder money, fund terrorism, and retain covert access to international financial systems,” it said in a post on X. “Help disrupt these illegal transactions. Send us a tip.”

The post refers to an existing reward of up to $15m for information leading to the disruption of the IRGC’s financial mechanisms.

The programme is seeking details about the group’s sources of revenue, front companies, exchange houses and financial institutions, as well as individuals and entities allegedly helping it evade sanctions.

FM spokesperson Baghaei attacks Washington’s ‘crude propaganda’ in its war on Iran

Esmaeil Baghaei, Iran’s spokesperson for its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has shared a statement on X criticizing Washington’s “crude propaganda” in its war on Iran and its assumption “that nations have neither memory nor the capacity for critical thought”.

“On one side stands a brutal economic war, deliberately designed to inflict maximum pain and suffering on every Iranian citizen,” said Baghaei. “On the other stands the theatrical announcement of measures to stop Iranian officials from supposedly shopping at an American wholesale club.”

On Thursday, the US said it would continue barring Iranian UN mission officials, visiting officials, and their dependents from buying luxury goods or wholesale club memberships in the country.

US State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said the restrictions were intended to prevent Iranian officials attending the UN General Assembly next week from using their stay in New York to make luxury purchases.

Posting a clip from the US TV series Pluribus, a post-apocalyptic science fiction show by Vince Gilligan, Baghaei said Washington “treats the world as if it were Pluribus: a hive in which minds are expected to switch off, eyes lock onto Washington’s lips, and its narrative is swallowed whole”.

“The propaganda is so crude and threadbare that it exposes the naivety of the mindset that launched an unlawful war of choice against the Nation of Iran, and helped deliver the United States to the embarrassing position it occupies today,” Baghaei said.

Trump threatened to destroy Iran six times

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened Iran with sweeping destruction since launching the joint military campaign with Israel on February 28.

Here are six notable instances where he has targeted Iran, its vital infrastructure, or its population with warnings of large-scale devastation:

March 21: ‘Obliterate’ power plants

Trump gave Iran 48 hours to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, threatening to “hit and obliterate” its power plants, beginning with the largest.

April 1: Back to the ‘Stone Ages’

In a televised address, Trump said Iran would be taken back to the “Stone Ages” if it failed to reach an agreement, while threatening further attacks on its electricity grid.

April 5: Iran would ‘face hell’

Trump issued another deadline for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, threatening attacks on bridges and power plants and warning Iran that it would “face hell”.

April 6: Country ‘taken out in one night’

Trump said, “The entire country can be taken out in one night” and outlined a plan under which every bridge would be “decimated” and every power plant left “burning” and “exploding”.

April 7: ‘A whole civilization will die’

Trump warned that “a whole civilisation will die tonight, never to be brought back again” if Tehran rejected his demands.

September 17: ‘Do I want to annihilate them?’

Trump again raised the possibility of destroying the Iranian government.
“Do I want to go in and annihilate them, or do I not?” he told Axios. “It’s a big decision. Anything could happen with me.”

Oil prices slip below previous peaks

Oil prices fell about 1 percent, extending losses for a third session, but held above $100 on Friday as expectations of alternative routes for Middle Eastern barrels to reach markets outweigh worries over cross-border air attacks between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthis.

Brent crude futures dropped $1.01, or 1 percent, to $103.77 a barrel as of 00:20 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures decreased $1.03, or 1 percent, to $100.88 a barrel. Both benchmarks settled down roughly 1 percent on Thursday.

The declines came as traders largely dismissed fresh supply risks, even though Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis traded new air attacks across their border on Thursday, widening the regional conflict.

Petrol prices increase in China amid global shipping disruptions

In China, the price of petrol has ticked up in recent weeks, and that reflects soaring oil prices.

China’s benchmark for crude oil, the Shanghai futures, rose to a record high on Wednesday, exceeding $130 a barrel at its peak.

Now that has come down somewhat on Friday – it’s now hovering around $113, but prices remain very elevated.

The reason for this is that the Strait of Hormuz remains severely disrupted. From commuting more than 22 million barrels of oil per day before the conflict, it’s now down to six million barrels per day.

Also, of course, we’ve had that recent attack on the East-West Saudi pipeline. They expect that, though, to be repaired in a matter of days rather than weeks.

Also, we have domestic reasons for this price being higher. China’s refineries have re-entered the market.

They’ve started producing more fuel, in particular diesel, because the global shortage has pushed the prices of diesel up, and that has become extremely profitable for these Chinese refineries.

Oil prices drop 2 percent to extend third straight session of losses

Oil prices have dropped 2 percent, extending losses for a third consecutive session on Friday, as easing concerns over Saudi supply disruptions outweigh anxiety about a widening Middle East conflict.

Brent crude futures fell $2.30, or 2.2 percent, to $102.53 a barrel as of 06:36 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures decreased by $1.85, or 1.8 percent, to $100.04 a barrel.

Brent prices are on track for their first weekly loss in three, down 2 percent overall.

Only four cargo ships cross Strait of Hormuz on Thursday

Preliminary data released on Friday show that only four cargo ships crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, down from six ships the previous day and well below the 10-day average of about 16 ships.

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

Tanker hit by unknown projectile in Strait of Hormuz, UKMTO says

A tanker has been hit by an unknown projectile in the Strait of Hormuz, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) has reported.

The UKMTO said the incident caused a fire onboard, which has since been extinguished. It added in a statement that “all crew are reported safe and the environmental impact is unconfirmed at present,” while advising all vessels in the Strait “to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity to UKMTO while authorities investigate”.

Saudi Aramco sold 60 million barrels for loading via ship-to-ship transfer: UK media outlet

Saudi Arabia has sold about 60 million barrels of crude from its Gulf port of Ras Tanura for loading via ship-to-ship transfer at the Omani port of Sohar this month and next, Reuters has reported, quoting multiple trade sources.

The partial rebound in state oil company Saudi Aramco’s exports from within the Gulf has cooled global oil prices, raising hopes it could make up for some of the volume lost at its Red Sea port of Yanbu, where exports slowed after the East-West pipeline was attacked.

Chinese and South Korean refiners are among the top buyers of the spot supplies, while some volumes will be going to India and Japan, sources told Reuters.

With the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed and Bab al-Mandeb under the control of Iran-backed Houthis, some regional GCC countries have adopted the shadow transfer of oil barrels to escape the blockade.

US diesel prices hit another record average high of $6.44 a gallon

Diesel prices in the United States have reached a new record high, averaging $6.44 a gallon (3.8 liters), reports the American Automobile Association.

Global fuel supplies have been squeezed by the US-Israeli war on Iran and Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries.

The cost of US diesel is about 70 percent higher than a year ago, according to Energy Information Administration data.

Trump claims gas prices will return to pre-conflict levels after war on Iran ends

During the meeting with the press, Trump said gas prices would drop to pre-conflict levels when the war with Iran ends. He described the current increase in prices as a sacrifice worth making in order to stop Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

“I think most people, if they had a vote on lower gas prices or letting Iran have a nuclear weapon, I’d be willing to vote that it’d be a massive landslide – people don’t want Iran to have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said. “And you know what, they won’t.”

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"Poll shows 60 percent of US voters think decision to launch war against Iran was wrong."

Germany to cut fuel taxes as oil prices climb past $100

Germany will cut taxes on petrol and diesel by €0.17 ($0.20) per liter, reducing revenue by an estimated €2.5bn ($2.9bn), Reuters reports.

With oil prices reaching $100 a barrel amid the US-Iran war, fuel prices have become a central issue for Chancellor Friedrich Merz, whose CDU and its Social Democratic coalition partners have agreed to split funding for the cuts between federal and state governments. The changes will take effect on October 1 and run through the end of the year.

The German government also said it would hold talks with the oil industry as it looks to introduce a cap on rising fuel prices, alongside similar measures in Luxembourg and Belgium.

Saudi embassy welcomes proposed F-35 fighter jet sale

The Saudi Arabian embassy in the United States has said the potential sale of 48 F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter jets to the kingdom reflects the advancement of Saudi-US defence cooperation and the strength of its strategic partnership.

The sale, estimated at about $24.3bn, was approved by the US State Department and is aimed at improving security for “a major non-NATO ally that is a force for political stability and economic progress in the Gulf region”, according to the State Department.

“For decades, Saudi-US security cooperation has contributed to regional stability, strengthened our collective defense capabilities, and advanced our shared security interests,” the Saudi embassy said in a post on X.

South Korea rules out military troop deployment in US war with Iran

President Lee Jae Myung says South Korea will not deploy military troops for any intervention in the US war in Iran that could draw the country into conflict, according to South Korean news agency Yonhap.

While speaking at a news conference, Lee acknowledged that the government would take minimal action to safeguard South Korea’s merchant ships and oil transport routes.

The president’s comments came amid public pressure and recent protests against military deployment in the Strait of Hormuz.

UN official says US-Iran war cost Arab economies $150bn in first month

The war between the United States and Iran has cost Arab economies about $150bn in its first month alone, according to a senior United Nations official.

Rania al-Mashat, executive secretary of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), said the losses were equivalent to about 4 percent of the region’s gross domestic product.

Speaking at an informal UN Security Council meeting on maritime security, al-Mashat said threats to navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandeb affected not only security but also trade, economic stability and access to essential goods.

She said about 25 percent of the world’s seaborne oil trade and 19 percent of liquefied natural gas trade pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Gulf states are also major exporters of ammonia, fertiliser, sulphur and aluminium.

Al-Mashat warned that the conflict could delay investment and economic diversification across the Arab world. She called for efforts to prevent the war from expanding, preserve freedom of navigation and strengthen regional preparedness for further disruptions to essential supplies and services.

"The war between the United States and Iran .."

It is: "The war between the Israelis with the US and Iran .."

Poll shows 60 percent of US voters think decision to launch war against Iran was wrong

More than seven in 10 registered US voters believe the Trump administration lacks a clear strategy for ending the war with Iran, according to a new Fox News poll.

The survey found that 71 percent held that view, including 95 percent of Democrats, 83 percent of independents and 43 percent of Republicans.

Sixty percent said launching military action against Iran was the wrong decision, compared with 37 percent who supported it. Opposition has risen since June, when 58 percent described the decision as wrong.

The proportion who believe the conflict will leave the US less safe in the long term has increased from 39 percent in April to 47 percent. Thirty-two percent said the war would make the country safer.

Trump’s overall approval rating stood at 39 percent, while 61 percent disapproved of his performance. His foreign policy approval fell to 37 percent, its lowest level of his second term.

The poll surveyed 1,211 registered voters from September 11 to 14 and has a margin of error of 3 percentage points.

GCC countries could join existing coalition agreements to form peace mission in Gulf

Former director of the US office of Iranian affairs Joey Hood says that if Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) leaders are “unified” in their approach to Trump when they meet him on Tuesday at the UN General Assembly, it could affect him.

“But they’re going to have to do something different than saying we’re just going to keep doing the same thing we’ve done all along, and try to mediate our way out of this while Iran continues to bomb Omani waters and Qatari territory and Saudi pipelines,” Hood said.

He explained that the Mecca agreement between Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan could be combined with a naval coalition that has already been formed.

“Maybe, tell Iran you’re going to put that in the Gulf and in the northern Arabian Sea to monitor traffic to make sure nothing threatening gets through … this wouldn’t be a military action; this would be a peace monitoring mission,” he added.

France’s Macron calls for diplomatic solution to opening of Strait of Hormuz

Emmanuel Macron says the ongoing conflict in the Middle East is exacerbating a global energy crisis.

The French president called for a diplomatic solution that ensures the opening of the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran ready to respond with force to enemy miscalculation, says IRGC ground forces commander

The commander of the IRGC’s ground forces, Mohammad Karami, has said Iran is “100 percent ready” to respond to any potential enemy miscalculation with force.

He gave the comment in an interview shared by Iranian state news agencies.

Strait of Hormuz must not be turned into a ‘bargaining chip’: GCC chief

The Strait of Hormuz must not be turned into “a bargaining chip,” says Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General, Jassim Mohamed al-Budaiwi.

Speaking at the University of Utah, he called on the international community to “assume its responsibilities to restore stability and ensure that the strait remains open to international navigation, in accordance with international law”.

He condemned Iranian attacks on neighboring countries and recent regional escalations, adding that Qatar and Oman continue to keep “communication channels open during the confrontation between Iran and the United States of America, seeking just solutions that take into account legitimate security concerns and spare the peoples of the region further suffering”.

President Macron to call G7 meeting on soaring energy prices

France will call a G7 meeting to address soaring global energy prices and consider releasing strategic oil reserves, President Emmanuel Macron said.

“We will have in the upcoming weeks a G7 [meeting] that will be devoted to energy issues, to increase cooperation and avoid unnecessary tensions between G7 countries and our main partners,” Macron said at a media conference. That followed a crisis meeting at the Elysee Palace, where intelligence chiefs briefed political leaders on threats from Russia’s war in Ukraine and the Middle East conflict – both driving fuel prices to new highs in France.

“The situation we face is serious. It is serious due to the international situation and the consequence of wars that we endure,” Macron warned, adding that France needs to “stay united”. France’s tight fiscal position, including a planned €54 billion budget squeeze next year, will limit the state’s ability to subsidise rising energy bills, though Macron said the government is working on targeted assistance proposals.

Macron said he had also sought to secure French access to oil and gas supplies in recent meetings with leaders from Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Qatar and the UAE. He also plans to discuss petroleum and LNG trade with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney when they meet on Sunday.

CENTCOM claims the US redirects 105 vessels under Iran blockade

As of September 18, US Central Command forces claims to have redirected 105 commercial vessels, according to a post published on its official X page.

The USS Boxer conducted flight operations in the Arabian Sea as it continues to “enforce the US blockade against Iran,” alongside its embarked Marine Expeditionary Unit.

Iran’s parliament speaker says US fighter jets being ‘hunted down’

Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has said the US must accept a new era in which its fighter jets are vulnerable to attack.

Citing a report by the US’s Lead Inspector General to Congress that details US aircraft that were damaged or destroyed during combat operations against Iran, Ghalibaf wrote on X: “The era when your F-35s and F-15s get hunted down and you have to report them damaged has already begun.”

“What was once pure nightmare fuel is now the daily reality. Live with it,” he added.

Trump says winning war on Iran ‘very handily’

The US president has addressed the conflict with Iran while speaking to the press at the White House.

He said the US is winning the war “very handily” and that the war will end soon.

The remarks come just a day after Trump said he was considering whether to “annihilate” Iran.

“Do I want to go in and annihilate them, or do I not?” he told Axios yesterday. “It’s a big decision. Anything could happen with me.”

Trump bans CNN, MSNow, Politico from the White House over "fake news"

Donald Trump has announced that, effective immediately, CNN, MS NOW and Politico are banned from the White House.

On Friday, Trump posted on social media his displeasure with the media outlets’ coverage of his administration.

“I am proud to announce that, effective immediately, I am banning Fake News CNN, MSNOW … from the White House as a result of their constant “reporting” FAKE NEWS!” Trump wrote.

“Media Outlets shouldn’t be able to constantly write or report FICTION and LIES when they’re covering the President of the United States, the Trump Administration, or the United States of America. Other Fake News Media Outlets to follow.”

Speaking to reporters later on Friday at the White House, Trump said the outlets “purposely write negative news.”

“You get so tired of reading and seeing fake news,” he told reporters in the Oval Office. “They purposely write negative news, and they do that because they want to try and diminish the Republicans and a Republican administration. And honestly, we’ve done a fantastic job.”

US warns allies of five-year delay in key weapons deliveries amid depleted war stocks: Report

The US has warned its allies to expect delays of up to five years in deliveries of key weapons because stocks have been depleted during its war on Iran, Bloomberg has reported.

Several European countries, including Germany and countries in Eastern Europe, are facing delays in receiving missile and air defence systems.

The shortages are also affecting Ukraine, which has sought additional Patriot air defence interceptors ahead of an expected difficult winter.

The US is estimated to have used more than half of its advanced Patriot missile variants, about one-third of its Tomahawk missiles, and nearly half of its precision strike missiles and THAAD interceptors during its war with Iran, now in its seventh month.

Iran envoy praises Russia, China for vetoing US-backed UN resolution

Iran’s Ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, has praised Moscow and Beijing for vetoing a US-backed UN Security Council resolution seeking to extend the mandate of experts monitoring sanctions on Tehran.

“Another desperate attempt by the United States to use the UN Security Council in its own interests to restore illegal sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran has once again failed thanks to the vetoes of Russia and China,” Jalali said in a post on X.

He said the sanctions had previously been “permanently lifted” under the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the JCPOA, and thanked Russia and China for their support.

Russia and China vetoed the US-drafted resolution on Thursday, which received 11 votes with Pakistan and Somalia abstaining. The proposed measure would have extended the mandate of a UN panel tasked with monitoring the implementation of sanctions on Iran for another year.

The JCPOA and UN 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.

US defense secretary calls Washington Post report on US troop deaths a ‘complete lie’

United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says a report on the underreporting of US service member deaths during the war on Iran is “disgusting and fake”.

In a post on his X account, Hegseth said The Washington Post article, which cites six anonymous US officials familiar with the Defense Department’s internal casualty accounting data, is a “complete lie”, and called the American publisher “worse than Iranian state media”.

According to the article, five of the officials said there have been at least 22 military fatalities – four more than what appears in the Pentagon’s public database – since the US and Israel launched the war on February 28.

A sixth official said 23 service members have died as well as three US contractors based in the region. The official said not all of the undisclosed deaths are directly tied to the conflict but have involved US personnel who were in the Middle East amid ongoing hostilities.

Saudi Arabia lifts alert for Farasan governorate

Saudi Civil Defence has withdrawn an alert for potential danger in the Farasan governorate, located about 40km (25 miles) off the coast of Jizan in southwestern Saudi Arabia.

The alert, sent by the National Early Warning Platform for Emergency Cases, had been issued about 10 minutes earlier. The withdrawal notice said the danger had passed.

Saudi Civil Defence also withdrew earlier alerts for the Jazan region, the city of Abha and the governorates of Khamis Mushait, Jeddah, Taif and Yanbu.

It urged residents to continue following instructions from the civil defence and to avoid gatherings or filming.

Trump signs bill extending Iran sanctions to 2031

US President Donald Trump has signed into law legislation expanding sanctions, tariffs and other restrictions on Russia while extending existing US sanctions on Iran.

The White House said Trump signed H.R. 5334, the “Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026” – named in honour of the late senator – on Friday. The legislation includes sanctions targeting Russian officials, financial institutions and other entities, as well as measures covering Russian energy and trade.

The law also extends the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 by five years, replacing its 2026 expiration date with 2031.

The US House of Representatives approved the measure on Wednesday after it passed the Senate in August.

Turkey revokes Bank Mellat’s licence amid US sanctions on Iran

Turkey's Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BDDK) has revoked the operating license of Iranian lender Bank Mellat’s Istanbul main branch after 44 years, as Washington intensifies economic pressure on Tehran.

The BDDK decision, published in the Official Gazette on Saturday, did not directly link the move to US sanctions. It cited a provision allowing a license to be withdrawn if continued operations pose a risk to depositors’ rights or the stability of the financial system.

Bank Mellat remains on the US Treasury’s sanctions list, covering “all branches worldwide”, and is subject to secondary sanctions. Washington designated it in 2018, accusing it of providing financial support to Mehr Eqtesad Bank, which the US links to Iran’s Basij.

Bank Mellat’s own 2025 financial report says the US sanctions led to its Turkish operation losing access to SWIFT and being removed from Turkey's electronic funds transfer system.