Overnight Iranian strikes on an air base in Jordan damaged multiple U.S. aircraft and left one without a wing, American media reported. Meanwhile, explosions were heard across parts of southern Iran according to local media reports.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the Trump administration will impose sanctions on a major bank next week as part of its campaign of economic pressure on Iran.
Bessent said the sanctions, scheduled for Monday, were delayed from Friday due to events marking the anniversary of the September 11 attacks.
He did not identify the bank or the country where it is based.
The move is part of Washington's broader effort to isolate Tehran economically.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he has no regrets about going to war with Iran, arguing he would make the same decision again despite concerns about the impact of the conflict on November's midterm elections.
In an interview with Fox News, Trump said he remained confident his supporters backed his stance on Iran and reiterated his view that the conflict would end after the elections.
He also defended the campaign against Tehran as necessary to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
Four unidentified projectiles struck two vessels west of Oman's port city of Khasab on Thursday, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
UKMTO said the incident occurred about four nautical miles west of Khasab. One of the vessels caught fire following the impacts, while the condition of the second vessel was not immediately known.
The master of a nearby ship reported witnessing the strikes, telling UKMTO that he saw projectiles hit the two vessels around six nautical miles north of his position. Authorities have not identified the vessels involved or the source of the projectiles.
A senior Iranian official has warned that what he described as the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) “political moves” could encourage countries to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, made the remarks on Thursday, a day after the IAEA's Board of Governors voted to report Iran to the UN Security Council over what the agency said were breaches of Tehran's non-proliferation obligations.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it targeted a U.S. unmanned vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iranian state media.
The claim comes amid escalating tensions between Tehran and Washington following recent exchanges involving Iranian tankers, U.S. naval assets and commercial shipping in the Gulf. Iranian authorities did not immediately provide details on the type of vessel involved or the extent of any damage.
There was no immediate response from U.S. officials regarding the reported incident.
Iran has resumed producing ballistic missiles from existing components in underground facilities, with production at more limited levels than before the war, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing U.S. and Middle Eastern officials.
U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) rose 4.4% to $100.27 a barrel, moving above $100 for the first time since May as concerns over disruptions to Middle East oil flows intensified.
The European Central Bank raised its key interest rate to 2.50 per cent from 2.25 per cent, its second increase this year, as the Iran war pushed oil prices back above $100 a barrel.
The ECB warned that higher energy costs could keep inflation above its 2 per cent target through 2028, with inflation now forecast at 3.0 per cent in 2026 and 2.5 per cent in 2027. President Christine Lagarde said inflation was likely to remain elevated for longer than previously expected, while stressing that the bank had not committed to further rate increases.
The euro zone economy has remained more resilient than expected, giving policymakers room to tighten monetary policy despite higher borrowing costs. Traders increased bets on additional ECB rate hikes following the decision.
UK police have arrested two people in London as part of an investigation into suspected National Security Act offences linked to Iran.
The Metropolitan Police said the case involves allegations of assisting a foreign intelligence service but is not connected to earlier attacks targeting Jewish and Iranian community sites in London.
Ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz fell to seven vessels on Wednesday, according to preliminary tracking data, remaining well below the recent average of 14.
No LNG tankers exited the waterway, while some vessels may not have been counted after switching off tracking systems.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea oil loadings from Yanbu recovered in September as producers seek alternatives to routes through Hormuz. The decline in traffic highlights continued disruption risks for one of the world’s most important energy corridors.
Iran's government opposes a parliamentary bill that would impose tougher criminal penalties for activities deemed to constitute foreign influence or infiltration, state news agency IRNA reported on Thursday.
The bill, backed by parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, would restrict contacts with foreign media and institutions, the sharing of information, scientific cooperation and other activities that authorities deem to facilitate foreign influence.
The elected government's opposition to the measure appears to signal pushback towards hardliners, who have supported enacting tougher security laws during the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.
Iran has temporarily removed a 10 per cent levy on freight fees for foreign ships transporting oil, gas and liquid petroleum products into or out of the country, according to Fars. The move comes as a U.S. naval blockade continues to disrupt Iran’s seaborne oil exports.
India will host the BRICS Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi on 12–13 September, with divisions over the Iran war expected to dominate the meeting.
The key challenge will be finding language on the Middle East that is acceptable to both Iran and the UAE, after tensions between the two prevented a joint statement at a BRICS foreign ministers’ meeting in May.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to attend, while Vladimir Putin, Masoud Pezeshkian and other leaders are also due in Delhi. Attention will also focus on possible talks between Narendra Modi and Xi, as well as scheduled discussions between Modi and Putin on trade, energy and economic cooperation.
The summit will test whether the expanded BRICS bloc can maintain consensus despite growing differences among its members.
The Iran-backed Houthi militants have taken control of the Yemeni Red Sea city of Mocha, closing in on the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait, three Yemeni government sources told Reuters on Thursday.
Tehran's Foreign Ministry has rejected the Arab League's criticism of its strikes against Middle Eastern countries such as Jordan, Iranian news outlet Press TV has reported.
“The Islamic Republic, while adhering to international law, has taken the necessary defensive measures to safeguard its national security and interests,” the Iranian Foreign Ministry said according to Press TV.
On Wednesday, the Arab League issued a statement condemning renewed Iranian strikes on Arab nations.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said that Washington may hit Iran's Pickaxe Mountain site, urging Tehran to be cautious.
“We notice there's a little activity at Pickaxe. I would advise Iran not to get cute because we will have to hit them very hard,” Trump said in a speech at the midterm Republican convention in Dallas.
Pickaxe Mountain, located near Iran's heavily damaged Natanz uranium enrichment facility, is a fortified site with two deeply buried tunnel complexes.
Trump has been threatening strikes on Pickaxe Mountain since at least mid-July.
The number of ships moving through the Strait of Hormuz fell to seven on Wednesday, compared with the previous day's 12, preliminary ship tracking data showed, with levels also lower than the 10-day average of 14.
Out of these seven, four vessels exited and three entered, according to the data.
Some ships could be sailing through the waterway with their transponders turned off and these are not considered in the counts.
Overnight Iranian strikes on the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan damaged a number of U.S. aircrafts, American news outlet CBS reported, citing unnamed sources.
One attack aircraft was left without a wing following the strikes, while eight fighter jets were lightly damaged and placed back into service, Jennifer Jacobs, Senior White House Reporter at CBS News wrote on X.
The attacks come after Iranian media reported explosions across southern Iran, including Sirik, Minab County and Queshm Island.
Follow the blog for the latest updates on the Middle East conflict.
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Overnight Iranian strikes on an air base in Jordan damaged multiple U.S. aircraft and left one without a wing, American media reported. Meanwhile, explosions were heard across parts of southern Iran according to local media reports.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian arrived in New Delhi on Friday to attend the weekend BRICS summit, amid the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict, joining a host of foreign dignitaries.
Ukrainian forces struck a Russian oil refinery in Siberia and a seaport in Dagestan in the past 24 hours, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. He will meet Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Thursday to discuss air defences for Ukraine over winter.
A Russian strike on a gas station in Kyiv has killed two people, the city's Mayor Vitali Klitschko said in a statement on Telegram. In Russia, online marketplace Ozon has suspended operations in Saratov, southwestern Russia, following a drone strike on a warehouse in the region.
Twenty-five years after the September 11 attacks drew the U.S. into Afghanistan, the Taliban is seeking a new relationship with Washington built on diplomacy, investment and trade, despite deep divisions between the former enemies.
Uzbekistan plans to introduce a new Heritage Impact Assessment system to shield historic cities and cultural heritage sites from the potential impact of construction and infrastructure development. Digital tools will also be used to manage tourist numbers and limit visitors where necessary.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to deepening its partnership with the Gates Foundation, with talks spanning polio eradication, health, financial inclusion and digital development.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian arrived in New Delhi on Friday to attend the weekend BRICS summit, amid the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict, joining a host of foreign dignitaries.
Georgia’s top security official has held face-to-face talks with his Azerbaijani counterpart in China, with both sides pledging to deepen intelligence cooperation amid growing global security challenges.
More than 46,000 people have been displaced in Yemen since fighting escalated last week, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Friday, warning that the number is rising “by the hour”.
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