Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) said on Wednesday they attacked two U.S. vessels and eight oil tankers in the Persian Gulf, calling the strikes a response to a U.S. attack on five Iranian tankers.
Senior White House officials, including Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, have privately warned U.S. President Donald Trump that the conflict with Iran could continue for the remainder of his presidency, according to a report by Reuters, citing The Wall Street Journal.
Saudi Arabia said the danger has passed in the southern cities of Khamis Mushait and Abha, lifting safety warnings issued following recent attacks.
The announcement comes after Iranian-backed Houthi strikes targeted areas in southern Saudi Arabia, prompting emergency alerts and security measures.
Saudi Arabia has issued an emergency alert for the cities of Khamis Mushait and Abha, according to official statements.
Authorities urged residents to follow safety instructions and remain alert as emergency services monitor the situation.
Oil prices rose 3.5 per cent on Wednesday, with Brent crude climbing above $101 a barrel as tensions between the U.S. and Iran raised concerns over global supply disruptions. Brent was trading at $101.20 per barrel at 15:30 GMT.
Markets are particularly focused on the Strait of Hormuz, where prolonged disruption to tanker traffic could further tighten global oil supplies. Rising demand from China and supply concerns in the Gulf are also supporting prices.
Iran's Fars news agency said on Wednesday that an explosion was heard in the southern areas of the port city of Jask, coming from the sea, adding that no details were available regarding the source or the cause of the explosion.
The UN nuclear watchdog's 35-nation board of governors has passed a resolution reporting Iran to the UN Security Council for the first time in 20 years for breaching its non-proliferation obligations, diplomats said on Wednesday.
The resolution follows up on a previous one passed on June 12 last year, the day before Israel started bombing Iran's nuclear facilities, soon followed by the United States that found Iran in “non-compliance” with those obligations. Reporting it to the council for that breach required another resolution.
Iran said vessels entering a newly designated maritime zone without Tehran’s authorisation would face sanctions.
IRGC spokesman Hossein Mohibi said blacklisted ships would be denied maritime, insurance and support services, even after passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
The announcement follows Iran’s decision to establish a restricted zone extending into parts of the Arabian Gulf. The move comes amid escalating U.S.-Iran tensions and growing maritime risks around the Strait of Hormuz.
Iraq said an oil tanker operated by the Iraqi Oil Tankers Company was hit by an unidentified source while sailing in the country’s territorial waters on Wednesday.
The Oil Ministry said the incident caused minor damage to the vessel’s hull but no casualties were reported among the crew.
It added that there was no leakage of fuel into the water. Iraqi authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the incident.
Yemeni government-aligned forces said several Houthi commanders allegedly involved in a plan to attack the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait were killed or captured. The National Resistance Forces said the commanders were linked to what it described as an “Iranian plan,” while the Houthis have not commented on the claims.
The Giants Brigades also announced the capture of Murtada al-Nuaimi, identified as the head of the Houthi reserve forces’ medical division. The development comes as fighting between government forces and the Houthis continues to escalate across several Yemeni provinces near the key maritime route.
One person was killed on Wednesday after an Israeli drone struck a motorcycle on the Marj Harouf-Zebdine road in southern Lebanon. Israeli forces also carried out air and artillery attacks across several areas, including Nabatieh, Tyre, Bint Jbeil and Marjayoun.
Lebanese state media reported tank movements and heavy gunfire near the town of Khiam. The attacks come amid intensified Israeli military operations in southern Lebanon since 2 March. The escalation has continued despite U.S.-led efforts to advance security negotiations between Lebanon and Israel.
A tanker carrying about 2 million barrels of Iraqi fuel oil was struck by a drone in Iraqi territorial waters on Wednesday, sparking a fire aboard the Panama-flagged New Andros. No casualties were reported among its 22 crew members.
UKMTO also reported that several merchant vessels in the Gulf and Gulf of Oman were hit overnight, including a vessel near the UAE that was seen listing after a suspected projectile strike. Iran said it had attacked 10 ships near the Strait of Hormuz after the U.S. sank five Iranian oil tankers.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Wednesday a maritime restricted area would extend from Chabahar in Iran into parts of the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, with its precise coordinates to be announced.
The announcement follows comments on Sunday by Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, who was quoted by state media as saying Iran would establish a restricted zone outside the Strait of Hormuz in the coming days.
Iran condemns U.S. attacks on Iranian tankers, the Iranian foreign ministry said on Wednesday, warning of the escalatory consequences of such attacks.
“In response to the U.S.' aggressive actions against Iranian oil tankers, armed forces, in accordance with their inherent right of legitimate defence, attacked U.S. military bases and facilities located in Jordan, which continues to support U.S. military attacks against Iran, as well as several U.S. vessels,” it said in a statement.
The U.S. Central Command dismissed reports Iranian forces had hit its warships operating in the Middle East and said all attempted attacks had failed, in a post on X on Wednesday.
“Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) forces have claimed they struck two U.S. Navy destroyers operating in the Middle East. This is completely FALSE,” U.S. CENTCOM said.
Oil prices climbed on Wednesday as U.S.-Iran tensions continued to unsettle energy markets.
Brent crude rose 2.2 per cent, breaking above $100 a barrel, while WTI gained 1.5 per cent to $94.50.
The rise came after Iran’s IRGC claimed it had targeted two U.S. vessels and eight oil tankers in the Persian Gulf in response to U.S. attacks on five Iranian tankers.
Fighting between Yemeni government forces and the Houthis has intensified across four provinces, with several people reportedly killed, including civilians.
Clashes and attacks were reported in Taiz, Al-Bayda, Al-Dhale and Al-Hudaydah, while government forces sent reinforcements to the strategic coastal city of Mokha near the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
Government-aligned forces said they carried out strikes on Houthi positions and shot down a Houthi drone.
In Al-Hudaydah, two civilians were reportedly killed by Houthi mortar fire.
The escalation is the widest between the two sides since a UN-brokered truce largely halted major hostilities in 2022.
UKMTO says several merchant vessels in the northern Gulf and Gulf of Oman were hit by disabling fire during regional military activity.
No casualties or environmental impact have been confirmed.
Germany’s Lufthansa Group will gradually resume flight connections to Dubai from late October 2026, the airline said on Wednesday.
At peak operation, the group’s airlines will offer up to 36 weekly flights to and from Dubai, according to a statement.
Lufthansa said the phased resumption would strengthen its presence in the Middle East and expand travel options for both business and leisure passengers.
Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defence said on Wednesday that the danger in Khamis Mushait had passed, after earlier issuing alerts over a potential threat.
Yemen’s Houthis said on Tuesday that they had attacked an airbase in the area, in the south of the kingdom.
Iraq is seeking a significant increase in its OPEC+ production quota as the group reviews members’ capacity, according to Bloomberg News.
The move comes ahead of negotiations on new production baselines for 2027, with Iraq pushing for a quota that better reflects its production capacity.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has criticised the latest U.S. sanctions against Tehran, accusing Washington of repeating a policy that he says has already failed.
In a post on X, Araghchi said the U.S. had imposed sanctions on Iran for 47 years before going to war “on behalf of Israel”, arguing that the fallout had damaged America’s global standing.
“After failing to achieve its aims through sanctions or war, Washington’s ‘novel’ solution is… more sanctions. Seriously?” he wrote.
The comments came after the U.S. announced sweeping new sanctions targeting Iran’s aviation sector as part of its efforts to intensify economic pressure on Tehran.
Qatar’s Interior Ministry says Civil Defence crews have brought a fire on a naval vessel at Al Wakrah Port under control, with no injuries reported.
In a post on X, the ministry said the incident was dealt with by emergency crews. Further details are expected.
The U.S. Treasury has sanctioned Iran’s remaining airlines and companies accused of supporting Mahan Air, as Washington intensifies its economic pressure on Tehran under “Operation Economic Outcast”.
In a post on X, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the U.S. had promised “severe consequences” for those providing financial support to the Iranian regime.
“Let this be a warning to anyone doing business with Iran’s remaining airlines, all of which we sanctioned today: You are at risk of being cut off from the global financial system,” Bessent said.
The measures target 27 Iranian airlines, as well as foreign companies accused of helping Mahan Air obtain aircraft and maintain its international operations.
U.S. Central Command has released footage it says shows an Iranian vessel sinking in the Gulf of Oman after being struck by U.S. forces on Tuesday.
In a post on X, CENTCOM said the strike was carried out “in response to attempted attacks” by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) against a U.S. Navy warship.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard says it has fired ballistic missiles at a U.S. military base in Jordan and attacked 10 vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
The strikes came after the U.S. said it had destroyed five Iranian oil tankers in retaliation for Iranian missile attacks on a U.S. Navy warship.
Jordan said its air defences intercepted most of the missiles, with no casualties reported. The latest exchange marks a sharp escalation in the six-month-old conflict, with military operations increasingly spilling into regional shipping and energy routes.
Brent crude rose towards $100 a barrel on Wednesday as escalating Middle East attacks weighed on Asian stocks and fuelled inflation concerns ahead of U.S. consumer price data.
Brent futures rose $1.57 to $99.49 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate gained $1.60 to $94.63.
Six commodity vessels crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, down from nine the previous day and below the 10-day average of about 12, preliminary shipping data showed.
Five vessels were entering the strait and one was leaving, according to Kpler data, which included one Panamax and one intermediate tanker.
The figures may change as some ships switch off their transponders during voyages.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) said on Wednesday they attacked two U.S. vessels and eight oil tankers in the Persian Gulf, in response to what they called a U.S. attack on five Iranian tankers according to Iranian state media.
The IRGC said the 10 vessels were attempting to cross a “prohibited and unsafe” area of the Strait of Hormuz.
Hello and welcome.
Follow our live blog for the latest developments in the Middle East.
Saudi Arabia has temporarily shut down its 1,200-kilometre East-West oil pipeline after it was hit by a drone attack, with Riyadh and Baghdad sayin...
Russia's Defence Ministry said its forces struck two cargo vessels overnight in the Ukrainian Black Sea port o...
Saudi Arabia is opening up to more international travellers as tourism expands beyond religious travel. In Riyadh, historic landmarks stand alongsi...
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.
Russia's Defence Ministry said its forces struck two cargo vessels overnight in the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Chornomorsk, the Interfax news agency reported on Saturday.
Saudi Arabia has temporarily shut down its 1,200-kilometre East-West oil pipeline after it was hit by a drone attack, with Riyadh and Baghdad saying the strike originated from Iraq.
U.S. President Donald Trump arrived in Dublin on Saturday to meet Ireland’s leaders. He will also attend a golf tournament at one of his resorts, taking a brief detour from his focus on the Iran war and his party’s efforts to retain control of Congress in November’s midterm elections.
Dubai’s property market has spent years climbing. Now, for the first time since 2021, prices are moving in the opposite direction.
Colombian President Abelardo De La Espriella has formally ended all government peace negotiations with illegal armed groups, marking a dramatic shift in the country's security strategy and delivering on a central pledge from his election campaign.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment