Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused U.S. government and Israel-aligned actors of manipulating energy markets to promote the war with Iran.
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Israeli troops raised an Israeli flag on the roof of a Lebanese-owned building under construction in Kfar Chouba, southern Lebanon, on Saturday, amid continued Israeli military activity in the area.
The incident comes as Lebanon and Israel remain engaged in U.S.-led negotiations over security arrangements in the south, including the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanese territory and measures concerning Hezbollah’s presence near the border.
The U.S. State Department said Hezbollah must disarm for Lebanon to become a “safe and sovereign country,” stressing that the Lebanese government is the “sole legitimate interlocutor” for talks on the country’s future.
A State Department spokesperson accused Hezbollah of refusing talks because it was “taking orders from Iran” and urged the group to hand its weapons over to the Lebanese state.
The remarks come as U.S.-sponsored talks continue over implementing the June framework agreement, which links a gradual Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon to the deployment of the Lebanese army and the disarmament of armed groups, including Hezbollah.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said he was “proud” to be leading construction in the controversial E1 settlement area in the occupied West Bank, explicitly linking the project to preventing the establishment of a Palestinian state.
“I am proud to be the minister leading construction in E1 and eliminating the idea of a Palestinian state,” Smotrich wrote on X, adding that as long as he remains a minister, “a Palestinian terror state will not be established in Judea and Samaria.”
Smotrich also oversees Israel’s Settlement Administration within the Defence Ministry. Israeli settlement practices in the occupied West Bank are considered illegal under international law.
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said the Strait of Hormuz remains closed and that Tehran is in “no hurry” to reopen it, despite reaching an understanding with Oman on transit arrangements.
Gharibabadi said the arrangement would only be implemented if the U.S. fulfils its commitments, adding that any vessel currently passing through the strait does so with Iran’s “coordination and authorisation.”
He also said Qatar and Pakistan, which have acted as mediators, were exploring whether implementation of the commitments under the Islamabad agreement could resume.
Israeli forces fired four artillery shells at Bat al-Warda Hill near Beit Jinn in southern Syria on Saturday, according to Syria’s Alikhbaria TV. No casualties or damage were immediately reported.
The shelling comes about a week after Syrian and Israeli delegations met in Jordan under U.S. mediation as part of efforts to reduce tensions following an Israeli attack on a Syrian airbase.
Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa said last month that Damascus was working towards a security agreement with Israel, while maintaining Syria’s claim to the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
Israel’s Shin Bet security agency has confirmed that Yair Netanyahu, the son of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was urgently brought back to Israel from Florida after authorities identified a “significant threat” to him.
The agency said the decision was made following a security assessment, while Channel 12 reported that Shin Bet personnel accompanying Israeli President Isaac Herzog in New York were sent to Miami to assist with the operation.
The confirmation follows reports that Yair Netanyahu was targeted in an alleged Iranian assassination plot in Florida in December 2025. Shin Bet did not identify the source of the threat in its latest statement.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has condemned what he called “criminal acts of violence” by settlers in the West Bank villages of Qusra and Jalud, calling for those responsible to be arrested.
His comments followed an attack by dozens of masked settlers on Palestinian homes in Qusra. Witnesses told Reuters that Israeli forces fired tear gas into one home and detained Palestinian residents after arriving at the scene, while no settlers were detained.
The incidents come amid growing scrutiny of Israeli authorities’ handling of settler violence. A January UN Human Rights Office report documented what it described as increasingly overt “consent, coordination and collusion” by Israeli security forces in state and settler practices contributing to Palestinian displacement in the West Bank.
The Houthis said two of their officers were killed amid escalating clashes with Yemeni government forces, according to the Houthi-run Saba news agency.
The group identified the officers as Maj. Gen. Hassan Mutahhar and Col. Mohammed al-Ghathi, but provided no details on where or when they were killed.
Yemeni government forces have not commented on the claim.
Israeli forces blew up an elderly care home in the southern Lebanese town of Houla on Saturday, according to Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency.
Israeli forces also demolished buildings between Markaba and Rab El Thalathine, while drone and artillery strikes were reported in several other areas of southern Lebanon.
The operations come as Israel continues its military campaign in Lebanon despite a U.S.-mediated framework agreed in June providing for a gradual Israeli withdrawal alongside the deployment of the Lebanese army and the disarmament of armed groups.
The UAE Central Bank has ordered a special and urgent examination of Banque Misr’s branches in the country following U.S. allegations over transactions potentially linked to Iranian shadow-banking networks.
The regulator said the review would include a forensic, in-depth examination of transactions covering the period cited by U.S. authorities. It stressed that Banque Misr’s UAE branches remain subject to UAE laws and regulations.
The central bank also warned UAE-licensed banks against exposing the country’s financial system to “reputational risks.”
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has accused U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent of lying about Washington’s economic campaign against Tehran, responding on X with: “Liar liar pants on fire.”
Ghalibaf claimed Moody’s data showed more than $130 billion in U.S. war-related costs and alleged that trading firm Jane Street lost more than $130 million shorting oil. His remarks came in response to Bessent’s claim that U.S. measures were “crushing” Iran’s economy.
Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem has again rejected the U.S.-brokered framework agreement between Lebanon and Israel, calling it “illegitimate, illegal and humiliating” and vowing that his group “will not surrender.”
The June agreement links the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon to Hezbollah’s disarmament and the deployment of the Lebanese army, beginning in designated “pilot zones.”
A new round of Lebanon-Israel talks is expected in September.
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry has called for urgent international action to end what it described as a “suffocating siege” imposed by Israel on Al-Mughayyir, northeast of Ramallah.
The ministry said the town has been largely sealed off for 20 days, with residents allowed to move for only two hours a day and ambulances restricted from entering.
It accused Israeli forces and settlers of seeking to isolate the town and displace its residents, and urged the international community to take political, legal and economic measures rather than limit its response to condemnation.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has accused elements within the U.S. government and actors aligned with Israel of attempting to manipulate global energy markets and prolong the war with Iran.
Araghchi claimed U.S. officials were using media coverage to influence energy prices for personal gain and keep President Donald Trump “mired in a losing war,” while Israel-aligned actors were promoting continued conflict through overly optimistic assessments.
He provided no evidence to support the allegations.
The U.S. has sent so many weapons to the Middle East to fight Iran, military officials are concerned that Washington has hindered its ability to defend against possible threats from Russia and China, the Wall Street Journal has reported, citing U.S. officials.
A terrorist group with connections to the U.S. and Israeli spy agencies has been neutralised in southeastern Iran, Iranian state news agency IRNA has reported, citing Iran's Revolutionary Guards (IRGC).
Six members of the organisation were arrested and one was killed during an operation to take out the group, the IRGC said, adding that 20 packages of explosives had been seized, as well as weapons, ammunition and Starlink communication devices.
The group were entering the province of Sistan when they were stopped, the IRGC added.
U.S. President Donald Trump has shared a New York Post opinion article, which argues he is winning the war with Iran and should continue pursuing his current strategy. "Trump is winning the Iran war— stay the course," the title of the article shared by Trump reads.
Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has prohibited acts "detrimental to social cohesion," in a statement on X.
Khamenei, who hasn't been seen in public since assuming Iran's highest political and religious position in March, said expressing weakness when "the enemy needs morale," could assist the adversary.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused elements within the U.S. government and Israel-aligned actors of trying to influence energy markets and promote the war with Iran.
In a post on X, Araghchi alleged that U.S. government elements were using media reports to influence energy prices for personal gain and keep President Donald Trump involved in what he called a “losing war.”
He added that U.S. consumers ultimately bear the cost of such efforts.
On Friday the Trump administration announced it is restricting the UAE branches of Banque Misr, Egypt’s second-largest bank, from accessing the U.S. financial system over the bank’s continued business with major trading partners that also do business with Iran.
The move follows U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s announcement of a new campaign aimed at pressuring countries that maintain business ties with Iran to cut their financial links with Tehran or face potential U.S. retaliation.
Banque Misr said it is reviewing a U.S. Treasury notice restricting U.S. dollar correspondent banking services provided by U.S. financial institutions to its UAE branch.
The bank said its UAE branch continues to provide services to customers in line with applicable rules and procedures.
Iranian Army Commander-in-Chief Amir Hatami said the “enemy’s” efforts to destroy Iran’s drone and missile capabilities were unsuccessful, meaning they failed to achieve their war goals. He added that Iran continued firing from its remaining stockpiles with the “utmost intensity until the last moment.”
“In military logic, the aggressor and aggressor sides are considered victorious when they achieve their goals, but in defensive warfare, the failure of the enemy to achieve its goals means the victory of the defender,” he commented.
Iranian prosecutors have sent to court an indictment over the killing of late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and four members of his family, Tehran Prosecutor Ali Salehi has said.
One of the main charges is “corruption on earth through a terrorist act”, a capital offence under Iranian law.
Iran’s Fars news agency reports that the country has enough oil available for sale to finance its budget, despite restrictions affecting maritime transport.
Data from the Ministry of Petroleum showed that projected oil revenues reached 99 per cent of the budget target during the first four months of the year.
Fars also reported that the ministry had transferred $7.5 billion in oil-related foreign exchange revenues from that period to the Central Bank, enough to cover the government’s foreign currency needs through January.
The Iranian government has pledged to stand firm against U.S. sanctions and what it called U.S.-Israeli “conspiracies,” describing diplomacy and defence as “complementary, coordinated and inseparable” tools for protecting the country’s national interests, security and territorial integrity.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the government outlined its commitments to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and the Iranian people.
It vowed to address what it called “unjust sanctions” and improve the livelihoods of Iranians, while also focusing on the development of technology, education and scientific research.
The Iran conflict, which began on 28 February with U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, has now reached its six-month mark.
Watch AnewZ’s special report on the conflict and its impact.
U.S. Congresswoman Yassamin Ansari has criticised the Trump administration’s military campaign against Iran and called for the impeachment of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
“Neither Trump nor Pete Hegseth have achieved an objective in this war. Servicemembers, children and innocent civilians have died for no reason. This war must end and Pete Hegseth must be impeached,” Ansari wrote in a recent post on X.
Iran's Defence Minister Majid Ebn al-Reza, said Tehran has surprises in store for its enemies: “We should not talk about the surprises now, but Iranian knowledge, the Iranian youth and the things being carried out in the defence industries will, God willing, bring good surprises,” Tasnim News Agency quited him as saying.
“Everyone, and especially the enemies, should know that they will become aware of Iran’s surprises in due time,” he added.
Tehran has reportedly caused billions of dollars in damage to U.S. military and intelligence facilities across the Middle East since the war began six months ago. The White House and Pentagon, however, deny that U.S. munitions are running low.
Rashida Tlaib, the U.S congresswoman serving Michigan's 12th congressional district has criticised the ongoing military actions by the Trump administration, calling it an "illegal and immoral war."
"Today marks 6 months since the Trump administration launched its illegal and immoral war on the people of Iran. This act of imperial aggression has claimed thousands of innocent lives, put the U.S. and global economies on the brink, and caused suffering for millions. No more war," she wrote in her recent X post.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces have redirected 82 commercial vessels as part of efforts to enforce the blockade of Iran as of 28 August.
CENTCOM said three vessels were disabled and two others were boarded to ensure compliance with the blockade.
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U.S. efforts to squeeze Iran’s economy through an oil blockade and sanctions are becoming increasingly difficult for Tehran to withstand, acc...
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Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that he thinks there is a chance of a peace being reached with Ukraine. He told the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia that he believed there was "a chance of finding a solution," to the conflict.
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.
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.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for the 3rd of September, covering the latest developments.
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.
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.
The U.S. has launched a fresh wave of strikes on Iran, targeting Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) sites as Tehran retaliated against U.S. positions across the region, while Iranian officials said at least five people were killed and dozens wounded at a wedding near Sirik.
U.S. forces struck two Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island on Sunday, with Tehran responding by launching ballistic missiles at two U.S. bases in Jordan in the first direct U.S.-Iran military escalation in weeks.
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