Trump says Iran war will ‘end soon’

Yemeni authorities accuse Houthis of looting humanitarian facilities

Local authorities in Hodeidah said clinics, aid warehouses and water and shelter projects were affected, warning that the disruption could deprive thousands of civilians and displaced people of essential services.

U.S. stresses continued diplomacy with Gulf partners at UN

The United States said it was important to continue diplomatic engagement with Gulf partners during the UN General Assembly, a senior administration official said on Friday.

The remarks come ahead of meetings between U.S. President Donald Trump and Gulf leaders in New York next week.

Hegseth denies report U.S. undercounted military deaths in Iran war

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has rejected a Washington Post report that more American service members have died during the Iran war than the Pentagon has publicly disclosed.

The newspaper reported, citing U.S. officials familiar with Defense Department records, that at least 22 service members had died in the Middle East since the conflict began, at least four more than reflected in the Pentagon’s public casualty database.

Hegseth called the report “fake” and a “complete lie”, strongly denying that the Pentagon had underreported the death toll.

Iran’s envoy to Moscow hails Russia, China vetoes at UN

Iran’s ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, welcomed Russia and China’s vetoes at the UN Security Council, saying they had blocked a U.S. attempt to restore sanctions against Tehran.

Jalali described the proposed sanctions as “illegal” and argued that measures previously lifted under the 2015 nuclear deal could not be reinstated.

He said the outcome marked another failed U.S. attempt to use the Security Council against Iran.

South Korea signals support for restoring free passage through Hormuz

South Korea has reaffirmed its willingness to contribute to efforts to restore free passage through the Strait of Hormuz, Yonhap news agency reported on Saturday.

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun conveyed Seoul’s position during talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington on Friday.

Cho travelled to the U.S. this week for discussions with Rubio and members of Congress.

Vessels at the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, 6 September 2026.

Reuters

Trump says Iran war will ‘end soon’

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that the war with Iran would “end soon”, without providing details on how or when the conflict could conclude.

“People don’t want to have Iran have a nuclear weapon, and you know what, they won’t,” Trump told reporters.

He also said U.S. gas prices would fall to previous levels, or potentially lower, once the war ends.

U.S. warns allies of weapons delivery delays amid Iran war,

The United States has warned allies that deliveries of key weapons could face delays of up to five years as Washington replenishes munitions stocks depleted during the war with Iran, Bloomberg reported.

Several European countries are reportedly facing delays in receiving missiles and air defence systems, while shortages could also affect Ukraine’s efforts to secure additional Patriot interceptors.

U.S. defence companies are working to increase production as the Pentagon seeks to address inventory shortfalls and production bottlenecks, according to the report.

Saudi Arabia lifts brief security alerts in five governorates

Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defence issued alerts warning of potential danger in Jeddah, Taif, Yanbu, Al-Ula and Khamis Mushait.

The alerts were lifted shortly afterwards in all five governorates.

Authorities did not immediately provide details on what prompted the warnings.

Iran’s parliament speaker claims U.S. fighter jets are being ‘hunted down’

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf claimed on Friday that U.S. F-35 and F-15 fighter jets were being “hunted down” and damaged.

“The era when your F-35s and F-15s get hunted down and you have to report them damaged has already begun,” Ghalibaf said in a post on X.

He provided no evidence to support the claim.

U.S. senators demand probe into reported strike on Iranian wedding

Six Democratic U.S. senators have called for a full investigation into a September 1 strike on a home in Kuhestak, Iran, that killed four civilians and injured more than 60 others gathered for a wedding.

The senators said reports indicating the strike was likely caused by an errant U.S. bomb were “shocking and deeply troubling” and called for the Pentagon’s findings to be shared publicly with Congress and the American people.

“This war must end,” they said in a joint statement.

U.S. troop deaths in Iran war exceed Pentagon tally, Washington Post reports

More U.S. troops have died during the war with Iran than the Pentagon has publicly disclosed, The Washington Post reported on Friday, citing six U.S. officials familiar with the Defense Department’s internal casualty accounting data.

The newspaper reported that at least 22 U.S. military personnel have died in the conflict, four more than the number reflected in the Pentagon’s public casualty database, according to five of the officials.

The discrepancy comes after previous changes to the Pentagon’s casualty reporting system during the conflict. 

EU steps up alert level for Red Sea vessels

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Friday that the European Union’s naval mission in the Red Sea, Operation Aspides, had raised the alert level of its vessels as the security situation in the area deteriorated.

“Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia are unacceptable and sabotage the global economy,” Kallas said in a post on X.

She added that she had spoken with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud about diplomatic efforts to end the fighting in Yemen and restore freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

Italy calls for stronger naval presence in Red Sea

Italy’s Defence Minister Guido Crosetto on Friday called for a stronger naval presence in the Red Sea to protect merchant shipping amid growing concerns over the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a vital maritime route affected by the widening Middle East conflict.

The Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen have made rapid advances along the Red Sea coast in recent weeks, adding to shipping risks in a region that also includes the Strait of Hormuz, where traffic has already declined amid the U.S.-Iran war.

Italy said on Thursday it was preparing a naval mission in the area because it could not wait for an EU-wide response to the latest crisis.

“After what I said, something moved within Aspides, but we need more ships,” Crosetto told Reuters, adding that Italy and Greece were the only countries he considered to be actively supporting security efforts.

The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is about 29 km wide at its narrowest point and is a major maritime route linking Asia and Europe through the Suez Canal.

Hormuz disruptions pose biggest threat

Global trade is facing its worst disruption in 80 years as supply chain bottlenecks in the Strait of Hormuz threaten global food and fertiliser prices, the World Trade Organization's (WTO) director-general warned.

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said that the global trading system remains resilient, but the ongoing Middle East conflict presents a major test for the organisation’s 166 member countries.

She noted that global trade in goods grew by an unexpectedly strong 4.6 per cent this year despite geopolitical pressures, while 72 per cent of all global commerce continued to operate under WTO rules.

Italian aircraft hit during air base attacks

Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto noted he followed the situation in Saudi Arabia's Ta'if air base “which was the target of several attacks and where Italian personnel are present as part of Operation Inherent Resolve,” according to ANSA news agency.

He reaffirmed that no Italian military personnel were involved.

“During the attack, an Italian F-2000 aircraft was hit. It was inside the base, in a remote area. There is no other damage to vehicles or infrastructure used by our personnel,” Crosetto said.

Drones fly over Sanaa as Houthis fire anti-aircraft guns

The residents said they spotted drones flying over several neighbourhoods, including Saawan and Al-Hasaba in the northeast of the city.

The Houthi anti-aircraft fire caused explosions and sparked fear among residents, they added.

Meanwhile, Yemen’s independent Belqees news website also reported that “explosions, air defence fire and gunshots were heard early Friday in the capital Sanaa.”

Tanker hit by unknown projectile in Strait of Hormuz

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said on Friday that a tanker was hit by an unknown projectile in the Strait of Hormuz, sparking a fire.

The fire has since been extinguished, all crew are reported safe, and the environmental impact remains unconfirmed.

Saudi embassy welcomes proposed U.S. sale of F-35 jets

The Saudi Arabian embassy in Washington has welcomed the potential sale of 48 F-35 Lightning II fighter jets to the kingdom, describing it as a sign of closer Saudi-U.S. defence cooperation and their strategic partnership.

The proposed deal, estimated at $24.3 billion, has been approved by the U.S. State Department and is intended to strengthen security for “a major non-NATO ally that is a force for political stability and economic progress in the Gulf region”.

Only four cargo ships crossed Strait of Hormuz on Thursday

Preliminary data released on Friday shows that just four cargo ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, down from six the previous day and significantly below the 10-day average of around 16 vessels.

The figures do not include vessels that may have transited the waterway with their Automatic Identification System transponders switched off to avoid detection.

African Union voices concern over reported attacks

The African Union Commission has voiced “particular concern over reports of attempted attacks targeting Makkah and other holy cities of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia” in a statement. 

The commission said the security of the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb was “a major strategic interest for Africa, particularly for the States of the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea littoral States”.

The African Union joins several countries, international organisations and individuals in condemning the reported attacks.

Yemen army says 30 Houthis killed in Taiz clashes

Yemen's army said Friday that 30 Houthi fighters were killed and more than 60 others wounded in 24 hours of clashes and airstrikes in the Al-Waziyah district west of Taiz.

A military source quoted by the Armed Forces Media Centre said Yemeni warplanes also struck Houthi vehicles and gathering points in the clash zone.

UKMTO reports incident in Strait of Hormuz

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said that it received a report of a security incident in the Strait of Hormuz, 16 nautical miles northeast of Oman's Khasab.

The crew were reported safe and no environmental impact had been confirmed at the time of the report, UKMTO said.

South Korea's Lee rules out Middle East deployment

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said on Friday he would not deploy any military assets to the Middle East that would draw the country into conflict related to the Iran war.

However, the government is considering whether to expand its role in safeguarding navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, Lee said at a news conference.

In August, U.S. President Donald Trump ordered the Pentagon to scale back joint military exercises with South Korea, citing several reasons, including his dissatisfaction that South Korea declined to join U.S. efforts against Iran.

Iran says tanker hit after ‘illegal’ Hormuz passage

In a statement carried by the official IRNA news agency, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy said the ship had been “incited and deceived” by the U.S. military and then hit as it sought to cross the waterway overnight.

“Last night the offending tanker Trend, flying the flag of Togo, intended to pass illegally through the Strait of Hormuz after being incited and deceived by the child-killing American army,” the statement said. 

The IRGC Navy said its sailors still held the strategic channel and would block any force it described as an aggressor.

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