The U.S. will impose unprecedented measures on Iran in order to economically isolate the country, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said.
The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) said on Saturday that one of its vessels came under attack while transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Friday.
The company said no injuries were reported and that the situation has since been brought under control. ADNOC did not immediately provide further details on the nature of the incident or any damage to the vessel.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that he would soon declare the Strait of Hormuz a U.S. territory, marking a sharp escalation in rhetoric over the strategically important waterway through which a significant share of global oil supplies passes.
U.S. President Donald Trump says Washington will hit Iran "hard" economically as efforts to reach a deal to end the nearly six-month conflict remain stalled.
The comments came a day after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the United States would unveil measures against Tehran that have "never been seen" before, with details expected as early as next week.
Yemen’s Houthi-run Saba news agency says the group has attacked a Saudi Aramco facility in Najran with a drone, citing a military source.
Egypt, Türkiye and Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministers have met, on Friday, in Alamein, Egypt, to discuss regional developments.
The meeting reaffirmed their close ties and commitment to strengthening cooperation and advancing shared interests, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Egypt.
Two oil slicks have been detected in Iranian waters, raising concerns about environmental damage to the Gulf as attacks on vessels continue between Iran and the U.S.
One slick was spotted near Qeshm Island, while another appeared near Sirri Island. Reuters could not independently confirm their causes, but experts warn that the longer oil leaks, the greater the risk to marine ecosystems and coastlines.
Russia’s UN envoy Mikhail Ulyanov has criticised Washington’s call for freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
“The logic of Washington is not understandable,” he wrote on X, saying U.S. aggression against Iran had undermined freedom of navigation. He accused Washington of trying to address the consequences “through the continuation of war”.
Israeli warplanes and drones have carried out intermittent strikes on the al-Mashaa neighbourhood and agricultural outskirts of al-Mansouri in southern Lebanon’s Tyre district, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency.
The attacks were accompanied by other military operations in al-Mansouri, southeast of Tyre.
Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar told U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Natalie Baker in Islamabad that implementing the Islamabad MoU “in letter and spirit” is the only way forward.
Their meeting focused on Pakistan-U.S. bilateral cooperation and recent regional developments. Dar welcomed the positive trajectory in bilateral ties and stressed the importance of dialogue and diplomacy in achieving lasting peace.
Baker, meanwhile, appreciated Pakistan’s constructive role in promoting regional peace and stability.
A tanker was struck by a drone while leaving the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency has said, citing military authorities.
The vessel sustained minor damage, while all crew were reported safe and accounted for, with no environmental impact reported.
Brent crude oil is trading at $87.92 per barrel in international futures markets, slightly higher than it closed the day on Thursday.
Brent crude futures for October delivery closed Thursday at $87.07 per barrel, after peaking at $89.07.
West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil is trading at $81.85 as of 08:00 GMT on Friday.
Oil pollution around Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz is the result of foreign military aggression, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi has said.
"The oil pollution of [on] the shores of Qeshm Island stems from the repercussions of foreign military aggression in the region," he wrote in a post on X.
Iran has repeatedly accused the U.S. of attacking the island. Washington has previously admitted striking radar and military sites on Qeshm in self-defence but has denied responsibility for other alleged attacks.
Gharibabadi added that environmental damage around the island further underscored Iran's need to "define and implement a management mechanism for the Strait of Hormuz".
U.S. claims to have control of the Strait of Hormuz are "baseless," a spokesperson for Iran's military command said on Thursday, Iranian state-affiliated news agency Defa Press reported.
Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters spokesperson Ebrahim Zolfaghari said in a recorded television statement that no commercial ship or oil tanker could pass safely through the waterway without the permission and supervision of Iran's armed forces.
On Thursday, President Donald Trump said that the U.S. had taken "total control" of the Strait of Hormuz in a post on Truth Social.
Zolfaghari dismissed the claims as "nothing but lies and falsehoods," adding that they reflected the "helplessness and desperation" of the U.S. military.
U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has denied reports of poor conditions aboard USS Abraham Lincoln, claiming they are "completely misrepresented".
The aircraft carrier has been at sea in the Middle East for 265 days while supporting U.S. forces in the Iran war.
Navy Times and Stars and Stripes have reported suicide attempts and declining morale among the crew. Families of personnel aboard the ship have also raised concerns about food, showers and toilets.
A U.S. official told Reuters that USS George Washington was heading to the region to replace the Lincoln.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that Washington would impose measures on Iran that had "never been seen".
Speaking in an interview on Thursday on Newsmax's ‘Rob Schmitt Tonight’ programme, he said Washington planned to economically isolate Tehran.
"Watch this space for more announcements coming next week because we are going to apply measures like have never been seen in the history of economic isolation on a country," Bessent said.
In July, the Treasury Department expanded sanctions targeting Iran's shipping and financial networks.
Russian President Vladimir Putin held more than three hours of talks with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Moscow on efforts to end t...
U.S. forces have struck three Iranian oil tankers after Iran launched ballistic missiles at two Navy ships, according to U.S. Central Command. ...
Two Greek military pilots were killed on Saturday when an F-4 Phantom fighter jet crashed during an air show at Tanagra air base, north of Athens, ...
U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will visit Russia then Ukraine over the weekend, Russian state news agency TASS has reported, citing an unnamed source. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has also said American envoys will visit the capitals of both countries.
U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have arrived in Moscow for peace talks on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, two people familiar with the matter said. They were met by Russian Presidential Envoy Kirill Dmitriev.
U.S. efforts to squeeze Iran’s economy through an oil blockade and sanctions are becoming increasingly difficult for Tehran to withstand, according to three senior Iranian sources. Washington is escalating pressure in hopes of securing concessions in future negotiations.
An Iranian tanker was hit by U.S. forces on Saturday near Iran's key oil export hub, Kharg Island, in the Gulf, the semi-official Iranian news agency Tasnim reported.
Two people have been rescued alive from a tunnel in Nepal, nine days after catastrophic floods devastated the country, as rescuers continue searching for survivors.
U.S. forces have struck three Iranian oil tankers after Iran launched ballistic missiles at two Navy ships, according to U.S. Central Command.
An Iranian tanker was hit by U.S. forces on Saturday near Iran's key oil export hub, Kharg Island, in the Gulf, the semi-official Iranian news agency Tasnim reported.
U.S. efforts to squeeze Iran’s economy through an oil blockade and sanctions are becoming increasingly difficult for Tehran to withstand, according to three senior Iranian sources. Washington is escalating pressure in hopes of securing concessions in future negotiations.
The Iranian Health Ministry said at least 18 people were killed and 142 others injured in U.S. airstrikes carried out between 30 August and 2 September.
The Iranian Army has again struck at U.S. bases in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates in retaliation for U.S. attacks on southern and western parts of Iran late on Tuesday, which reportedly killed 18 people and injured more than 100 others.
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