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.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Europe must choose between acting independently and following U.S. policy, arguing that it cannot claim strategic autonomy while acquiescing to Washington’s demands.
In a post on X, Baghaei said genuine strategic autonomy requires Europe to make independent decisions, even when they diverge from those of the U.S.
A tanker was struck by three projectiles while sailing out of the Strait of Hormuz, 17 nautical miles east of Oman’s Khasab, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency (UKMTO) said on Tuesday.
No casualties or environmental impact have been reported.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Defence Minister Yaşar Güler and Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar travelled to Bishkek to accompany their leaders at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said it had received a report of an incident involving a tanker and military forces in the Indian Ocean on Monday.
UKMTO did not immediately provide further details about the vessel involved, the location of the incident or the military forces reportedly present.
The report comes as regional maritime security remains under close scrutiny amid heightened tensions across key shipping routes.
The United Nations said it remains concerned about rising civilian casualties in Gaza amid continued Israeli airstrikes, warning that civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected.
UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric also said efforts to prepare for the upcoming rainy season are being hampered by funding shortages, aid restrictions and a lack of essential equipment, including heavy machinery and spare parts.
The latest exchange of strikes between Iran and the United States remains a "limited and contained confrontation", a senior Iranian source told Reuters, while warning that Tehran is prepared to respond forcefully if it comes under attack again.
The source said Iran would enforce rules it has set for vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz and warned that conditions in the strategic waterway could worsen for ships that violate them.
The official also said no target in the region was beyond Iran's reach, underscoring Tehran's warning against further military action.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Monday that Washington's sanctions campaign against Iran is designed to increase pressure on Tehran and encourage a return to negotiations.
In an interview with CNBC, Bessent said the objective of the sanctions is "to create the conditions that they will want to come to the table," as the United States intensifies economic measures against Iran amid ongoing tensions between the two countries.
U.S. President Donald Trump will meet with oil refiners and fuel distributors on Tuesday to discuss ways to expand domestic refining capacity and reduce petrol prices, CNBC reported.
The meeting comes as energy markets remain sensitive to developments in the Middle East and concerns over fuel costs.
Discussions are expected to focus on boosting refining output and measures aimed at easing pressure on consumers at the pump.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance said President Donald Trump's recent social media post about Iran's Kharg Island was intended as a message to Tehran rather than an announcement of military action.
Speaking on Monday, Vance said Trump often uses social media in his own style but stressed that the president does not announce military operations online.
He added that the post should be viewed as a signal to Iranian leaders amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran.
Tehran still seeks a negotiated solution to its conflict with the United States, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Monday, according to semi-official Tasnim news agency, following renewed clashes between the two countries.
Pezeshkian told Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, that continued war was in no one's interest and that dialogue and cooperation were the way to resolve existing problems.
The European Union said on Monday that it would continue to work with the United States and other G7 and international partners to keep up pressure on Iran, as it issued a statement to coincide with this week's G20 meeting.
"The EU welcomes efforts at ensuring that Iran ceases its destabilising activities and engages in peace negotiations with good faith, also through additional economic pressure, including through the U.S.-led Operation Economic Outcast," it said.
"The EU will continue to work closely with the United States and other G7 and international partners to maintain pressure on Iran and contribute to de-escalation and regional stability," it added.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the SCO summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on Monday, ANI news agency reported, the first meeting between the two leaders in two years.
U.S. stock index futures edged lower on Monday after renewed U.S.-Iran military strikes pushed oil prices higher and increased inflation concerns.
The Dow Jones, S&P 500 and Nasdaq futures all declined slightly in early trading.
Investors are also focused on the Federal Reserve’s next steps after officials signaled that interest rates may need to remain high if inflation does not ease.
Markets now expect a higher chance of a rate hike at the Fed’s September meeting.
Oil prices rose as tensions around the Strait of Hormuz raised concerns over possible disruptions to global energy supplies.
Energy stocks gained, while technology companies, including Nvidia and other chipmakers, moved higher before the market opened.
Traders are now awaiting the U.S. jobs report due on 4 September for further signals on monetary policy.
A MarineTraffic map shows vessel movements around the Strait of Hormuz, with red markers representing tankers and green markers showing cargo vessels. Ships appear to be waiting on both sides of the strategic waterway, which is a key route for global energy and trade shipments.
The policy of targeting Gulf Arab states and Jordan has failed, UAE Presidential Advisor Anwar Gargash said in a post on X on Monday.
"A state of neither war nor peace cannot be a sustainable solution," Gargash said, adding realistic political solutions should begin with de-escalation and the restoration of normal shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran does not seek war but will deliver a “decisive response” to any aggression.
He warned that instability in the region would affect all countries and was not in anyone’s interest.
The comments came after U.S. forces struck two Iranian launchers on Larak Island, which Washington said were linked to preparations for deploying sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran said the strike killed and injured several people and vowed retaliation.
Iranian media reported that Tehran responded by targeting U.S. positions in Jordan and the UAE, describing the attacks as a response to the Larak strike.
The escalation has increased tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global energy shipments.
Oil operations at Iran's Kharg Island have not stopped, Hamid Bovard, CEO of the National Iranian Oil Company, said on Monday, according to Nournews, which said he denied the key oil hub was being destroyed, as U.S. President Donald Trump's social media post had said.
"Trump's tweets are laughable and conditions in Kharg are calm and appropriate," Nournews cited him as saying, adding that the island, from which 90 per cent of Iranian oil exports originate, had been bombed repeatedly by U.S. and Israeli forces in the past, but oil workers had not allowed operations to stop "even for a moment".
Contractors were currently rebuilding and modernising storage tanks and jetties, he added.
The UAE air force engaged a drone over its territorial waters that had come from Iran, the Defence Ministry said in a statement on Monday.
It did not provide further details on the drone, including whether it was shot down or its intended target.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Iran must never acquire nuclear weapons, describing Tehran’s leadership as “violent” and “evil.”
In an interview with Fox News, Trump claimed that if Iran had obtained a nuclear weapon, it would have used it, potentially leading to the destruction of Israel and further threats to the U.S. and Europe.
He said Israel would not exist without U.S. support and praised Washington’s actions against Iran.
Trump said the U.S. is “hitting Iran very hard” and described the blockade imposed on the country as effective.
He called Iran a “failing nation” and said he was surprised when Tehran began targeting Gulf countries during the conflict.
Trump also accused Democrats of wanting the U.S. to lose wars involving Iran and Venezuela, saying America is “winning easily.”
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it shot down a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Strait of Hormuz.
The IRGC claimed its air defence forces hit the long-range drone with missile fire, causing it to crash into Gulf waters.
The incident comes a day after U.S. forces reportedly struck two Iranian launchers on Larak Island, according to a U.S. official.
The U.S. operation targeted systems allegedly being prepared to launch rockets carrying sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian state media reported that the strike was carried out by drones, citing preliminary information.
The IRGC said several fighters and civilians were killed or injured in the attack.
Iran’s military vowed to respond to the U.S. strikes, raising concerns over further escalation in the region.
A supertanker caught fire and was brought to a complete halt after being struck by two naval mines in the southern Strait of Hormuz, Iran state TV reported on Monday, citing a statement by the Revolutionary Guards.
The Guards said the tanker had been attempting to pass through the waterway illegally. It did not identify the vessel or provide information about its crew.
The Guards warned that other ships violating its security rules would face the same fate and said compliance with its regulations for passage through the Strait of Hormuz was mandatory.
Iran's armed forces struck U.S. military bases in Jordan in response to a U.S. attack on Larak Island, the Iranian foreign ministry said in a statement on Monday.
The ministry said the U.S. bases in Jordan had been used to launch and support the attack on Larak that killed and wounded members of Iran's armed forces and civilians.
It said Iran would respond decisively to further military aggression and that the U.S. and parties supporting its actions bore full responsibility for any escalation.
Iran’s army said it launched a drone attack on the UAE’s Al Minhad Air Base early Monday, targeting areas where U.S. forces and helicopters were stationed.
Iranian state TV said the strike was in retaliation for the killing of Revolutionary Guards and civilians in a U.S. attack on Larak Island.
Jordan’s army said it intercepted eight missiles that entered its airspace early Monday, destroying them before they could threaten civilians or property.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards had claimed responsibility for a ballistic missile and drone attack on two U.S. airbases in Jordan, saying it was retaliation for U.S. strikes on Iranian launchers on Larak Island.
President Donald Trump has posted on his Truth Social account, an artificial intelligence (AI) generated clip portraying an attack on Iran’s Kharg Island, a major centre for the country’s oil exports.
The video shows explosions involving an oil facility and tanker, with Trump writing, “Kharg Island being blown to smithereens!!! President DJT”.
Kharg Island is a key hub for Iran’s oil exports, and Trump has repeatedly threatened to seize or destroy it.
In an interview with Fox News, President Donald Trump has again warned that Iran must not be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon, saying, “You cannot let them have a nuclear weapon, and they won’t have a nuclear weapon.”
Trump said Iran had alienated Persian Gulf states by targeting them as it attacked U.S. bases across the region, weakening Tehran’s support among its neighbours.
“I thought it was a real good thing because they lost all the support that they had,” he said.
He described Iran’s leaders as “very violent, evil people” and said he was surprised by the attacks.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington is likely to announce new secondary sanctions on Iran every week, initially targeting banks accused of facilitating Iranian funds.
Bessent said institutions could eventually be cut off from the dollar-based financial system.
"We're starting with the banks, and we're telling the banks it's not okay to have Iranian money and to aid the regime," he said in an interview with Reuters.
"You're going to see a lot more of these every week," Bessent added.
U.S. forces struck two Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island on Sunday, a U.S. official said, marking the first known American strikes on Iran since late July.
Iran retaliated by launching ballistic missiles at two U.S. bases in Jordan, according to Iranian media. Jordan's armed forces said it intercepted eight missiles entering its airspace.
U.S. Central Command said in a statement that it carried out “limited, precise” strikes against Iranian Revolutionary Guards forces preparing to lay sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz.
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Iran's Revolutionary Guards Navy said a Togo-flagged oil tanker was struck while attempting to make an “illegal passage” through the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian state media said early on Friday.
Saudi civil defence sent an all-clear on Saturday after issuing alerts for a second time for potential danger in Riyadh and the city of Al-Kharj east of the capital, amid an uptick in attacks by Iran-aligned Houthis on the Gulf country.
The European Union will disburse €3.3 billion ($3.8 billion) to Ukraine for missiles and drones, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said after a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The U.S. State Department approved a $2.7 billion military sale to Ukraine for air-defence development upgrades, along with related equipment and services, the department said. Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities reported at least 10 people had died in Russian attacks over the last 24 hours.
Houthi attacks target Riyadh amid concerns over Saudi oil supplies, as Iran says it will not reopen the Strait of Hormuz until its conditions are met and U.S. commitments are implemented, parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Sunday.
Houthi attacks target Riyadh amid concerns over Saudi oil supplies, as Iran says it will not reopen the Strait of Hormuz until its conditions are met and U.S. commitments are implemented, parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Sunday.
Iran has ordered a Swedish diplomat to leave the country, after Stockholm expelled an Iranian embassy staffer, as diplomatic tensions between Tehran and several European countries deepen.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he hoped the war against Iran was nearing its end and that Tehran wanted to reach a deal, but Iran dismissed his comments as “mixed signals” as the conflict approaches its seventh month.
Saudi Arabia said its air defences destroyed a Houthi drone south of Mecca before it could enter prohibited airspace over the holy city, as attacks by the Iran-aligned group deepen regional tensions.
U.S. President Donald Trump has again said Iran is keen to reach a deal quickly, but a senior Iranian security official rejected the claim, saying Tehran will not negotiate until its conditions are met.
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