TOP STORIES
“Before Iran carried out its attack that killed three U.S. troops in July, Tehran acquired high-resolution satellite images of the base in Jordan from Chinese entities, according to U.S. officials familiar with details of the incident. It is the clearest evidence so far that Chinese support for Iran during the war has had lethal consequences for U.S. forces, according to the officials, who say the U.S. has connected the imagery to the attack.”
Saudi Arabia Shuts Key Oil Pipeline After Drone Attack Launched from Iraq | BBC News
“Saudi Arabia has closed a critical oil pipeline after it was attacked by drones launched from Iraq, as conflict in the Middle East widens. Iraq said it had fired a military commander and launched an investigation after admitting the drone attack on its neighbour’s East-West pipeline had originated in one of its provinces bordering Iran. Saudi Arabia has previously accused Iran-backed militia in Iraq of targeting its oil facilities.”
Gulf States Call off Meeting with Iran, Houthis Launch New Attack on Saudi | Reuters
“Arab states in the Gulf called off a meeting with Iran planned for Monday, while Yemen’s Houthis launched a new attack on Saudi Arabia after fighting that has extended the Middle East war to another theatre and further jeopardised global oil supplies. The Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen said they fired dozens of missiles and drones on Monday at a Saudi military airbase in Khamis Mushait, near the border, hitting aircraft hangars, radar systems, runways and ammunition depots. They described the attack as retaliation for hundreds of Saudi airstrikes on Yemen in recent days.”
UANI IN THE NEWS
“Southeast Asia has become a critical hub for shadow fleet oil trading, but concerns over sanctions politics and relations with China are complicating efforts to address the growing maritime safety, environmental and security risks posed by ageing tanker networks.”
A Houthi Takeover of Bab Al-Mandab Cannot Be Tolerated | Al Majalla
Photo caption: “Mark Wallace (L), CEO of the non-profit United Against Nuclear Iran, talks with Rep. Mike Lawler (R) (R-NY) next to a Shahed 136 military drone during a press conference on Capitol Hill on 8 May 2025 in Washington, DC.”
MILITARY MATTERS & SHIPPING
Anthropic Says Iran Used Its American AI Model to Target U.S. Navy Warships | Wall Street Journal
“Iran used American-developed artificial-intelligence models to try to target U.S. Navy ships in the Middle East, according to an Anthropic report warning of emerging national-security dangers. An Iranian-linked group compiled information from ship and aircraft transponders, military photographs and commercial satellite photos to track American warships and look for vulnerabilities in their ship-born communications, the report found. Anthropic said it disrupted the plot by the ‘threat actor,’ which used the advanced AI Claude model.”
Trump Downplays Report China Entities Helped Iran Before Attack That Killed US Troops | Reuters
“U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday brushed aside a report that Iran acquired satellite images of a base in Jordan from Chinese entities before an attack that killed three U.S. troops there in July. . . . ‘They basically do what we do,’ he told reporters aboard Air Force One. ‘When they say China spies on us, I say you’re right and we spy on them too.’”
“An Iranian commercial vessel was struck early Sunday off Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, with one person killed and four wounded, Iranian state media said, a day before Tehran seeks to brief regional countries on its contested efforts to manage shipping traffic there. State-run IRNA news agency quoted the Qeshm governor as blaming a ‘terrorist enemy.’”
US Limits Air Defence Time Slots for Tankers Sailing Through Hormuz | Financial Times
“The US has asked tankers travelling through the Strait of Hormuz to sail only at specific times to guarantee military protection after Iran stepped up attacks on ships travelling at night.”
Iran Says It Destroyed U.S. Advanced Drone over Hormuz as Middle East Conflict Intensifies | CNBC
“Iranian military said it has destroyed an advanced American drone over the Strait of Hormuz, the latest exchange as Tehran and Washington trade warnings and strikes with no sign of de-escalation.”
Saudi Arabia Has Few Options as It Faces Mounting Threats from Iran and Its Allies | Politico
“A lightning advance by Houthi rebels threatens a crucial Red Sea shipping route. Drone attacks blamed on Iraqi militias have forced the closure of a major pipeline, and Iran is still disrupting the Strait of Hormuz. It’s a nightmare scenario for Saudi Arabia, and it has sent jitters through global markets. . . . The White House did not respond to a request for comment on whether it plans to intervene in Yemen. Speaking more broadly about the war with Iran on Thursday, Trump shrugged aside the idea of increasing military pressure, as some U.S. hawks have suggested. ‘Maybe I don’t do that because of the election,’ he told Fox News’ ‘The Ingraham Angle.’”
Trump and Hegseth Use 9/11 Memorial Remarks at Pentagon to Defend War on Iran | Guardian
“Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth used remarks at the memorial ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of 9/11 to defend the US-Israel war on Iran—and suggest the controversial conflict was part of the legacy of the worst terrorist attack in US history.”
PROXY WARS & TERRORISM
Iran-Backed Houthis in Yemen Claim New Attacks on Saudi Arabia | Associated Press
“Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen overnight claimed new attacks on neighboring Saudi Arabia, as the Saudi-backed Yemeni government described the rebels’ swift advance along the Red Sea coast as a ‘painful’ development in a new front in the Iran war. . . . The Houthis claimed more attacks with missiles and drones on Saudi Arabia, which supports Yemen’s internationally recognized government. A Houthi military spokesperson, Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, claimed in a statement that they targeted a military base in Sharurah province in Saudi Arabia’s Najran region.”
MBS Urged Trump to Strike Houthis amid Red Sea Threat | Axios
“Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) called President Trump twice Thursday, urging him to launch strikes against the Houthis as the Iran-backed group closed in on a vital Red Sea chokepoint, two U.S. officials told Axios. Trump declined, and U.S. officials stressed the administration has no plans to intervene directly against the Houthis for now.”
“US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that Iran was probably responsible for an aerial attack on Saudi Arabia that shut down its East-West Pipeline, one of the kingdom’s main routes for exporting crude while bypassing the Strait of Hormuz. . . . ‘The Houthis called us, and they don’t want to fight with us,’ Trump told reporters. ‘They don’t want us to go after them.’ He added that ‘everything’s gonna work out fine and dandy’ in the region. . . . ‘[The Houthis] would much prefer not having us involved, and they’re letting most ships go through. There’s just one country that they’re not too happy with, and we’ll get that straightened out,’ Trump said.”
Saudi Pipeline Attack Exposes Potent Iraqi Militia Threat | Financial Times
“Hours after Saudi Arabia confirmed that the drone attack that forced the kingdom to shut down its vital east-west oil pipeline was launched from neighbouring Iraq, the Iraqi prime minister sought to show he was willing to counter the threat from within his nation. Ali al-Zaidi’s office said Baghdad was mounting an ‘urgent investigation’ into this week’s assault and the perpetrators, and had sacked the military commander of the province from where the drones were launched, Maysan. ‘Iraq renews its affirmation that its territories and airspace will not be a launching point for aggression against any country,’ Zaidi’s office said in a statement. Yet if the premier is to deliver, he would have to do what his predecessors over the past two decades have been either unwilling or unable to do: push back against Iran’s deep influence and take on Iraqi militias linked to Tehran-aligned factions that are among the most powerful political and military actors in Iraq.”
‘Hysterical Panic’ as 76,000 Flee Advance by Iran-Backed Houthis in Yemen | Associated Press
“It was a heart-pounding escape. As Iran-backed Houthi rebels swept south along Yemen’s Red Sea coast this week, some residents had little time to flee. ‘We set out in hysterical panic on a motorcycle, not knowing where we were heading,’ Alaa Ali Salem said. ‘The roads suddenly became extremely congested, and while I was driving, the motorcycle overturned. My wife, my children and I were all injured.’ His family and thousands of others, in numbers leaping by the day, had now been displaced as the Arab world’s poorest country faces a potential return to a devastating civil war. . . . In just days’ time, the International Organization for Migration has revised its number of displaced people by 30,000 more, saying at least 76,000 people now have fled since July as fighting escalated.”
US Offers Rewards for Al-Qaeda Figures, Says Iran Provides Safe Haven | Iran International
“The US State Department’s Rewards for Justice program on Friday offered rewards of up to $10 million for information on senior al-Qaeda figures, saying several are based in Iran and that the group uses the country as a safe haven.”
DIPLOMACY
“Gulf diplomats and Iranian officials were set to meet Monday to discuss an Omani plan for reopening the Strait of Hormuz to regular tanker traffic, a conversation that would have happened without a critical player: the United States. But, as news of the meeting circulated on Sunday, it was indefinitely postponed, according to the Omani foreign minister. . . . After months of private discussions on a complicated possible legal framework to reopen the strait that could allow Iran and Oman to collect fees, diplomats hoped the gathering could create some momentum for a deal. . . . Saudi Arabia submitted amendments because it had concerns that the proposed language could effectively establish a new status quo that would not be acceptable to it or the other Gulf Cooperation Council states.”
“Iran’s nuclear chief was barred from attending the UN atomic watchdog's annual conference in Vienna, Iranian state television said on September 14, prompting Tehran to protest to Austria. Mohammad Eslami and his delegation flew to Vienna on September 12 but were prevented from attending the International Atomic Energy Agency gathering and returned to Tehran, state TV reported. A diplomatic source in Vienna, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the AFP news agency that Eslami had been refused entry to Austria due to US pressure.”
“An understanding between Iran and Oman does not provide for the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz but establishes the basis on which it could reopen, an Iranian source told the semi-official Tasnim news agency on Saturday. The source said the arrangement would be a step towards Iran exercising sovereignty over the strait and that its reopening depended entirely on the United States meeting Tehran’s conditions.”
UAE and Iran Leaders Meet at the BRICS Summit for the First Time Since the War | Euronews
“Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan met Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian on Sunday during the BRICS summit in India, weeks after the UAE announced a suspension of trade and financial dealings with Tehran.”
Iran and UAE Back Joint BRICS Statement Urging Restraint in War | Reuters
“Iran and the United Arab Emirates signed up to a joint statement from the BRICS group of nations that called for restraint in the Middle East war on Saturday, in what was seen as a sign of diplomatic progress between the countries divided by the war.”
“Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Friday and underscored the need to protect the freedom of navigation and commerce, and the safety and well-being of seafarers, India’s foreign ministry said.”
SANCTIONS, BUSINESS RISKS & OTHER ECONOMIC NEWS
Trump Administration to Sanction Unnamed ‘Large’ Bank on Monday, Bessent Says | Reuters
“U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Thursday the Trump administration will sanction a large bank next week as it continues to apply economic pressure on Tehran to end a more than six-month U.S. conflict with Iran. He named neither the financial institution nor its country . . . but said the move would happen on Monday.”
Iranian Strait Authority Issues Updated List of Sanctioned Vessels | Reuters
“Iran's Persian Gulf Strait Authority, set up by Iran to manage requests of passage in the Strait of Hormuz, published on Monday an updated list of 77 vessels ‘violating Iranian protocols for the Strait of Hormuz.’ . . . Vessels listed will face restrictions on future passage including fines, detention or confiscation, said the body, adding that vessels cooperating with them will be added to the list. . . . The figures exclude any vessels that might have crossed the strait with their Automatic Identification System transponders turned off to avoid detection.”
Iranian Imports to Dubai Continue Despite UAE’s Wartime Ban on Trade with Tehran | Times of Israel
“In the markets of old Dubai, saffron, cumin, pistachios and almonds from Iran still fill the stalls, as if the two shores of the Gulf were not separated by war. Last month, the United Arab Emirates announced the suspension of trade and financial exchanges with Tehran, which has responded to American attacks by targeting the US-allied country and tightening its grip on the strategic Strait of Hormuz. But in old Dubai, where Iranian merchants are firmly established, they do not believe there will be a break in the ties forged over decades between the UAE’s financial hub and southern Iran.”
PROTESTS & HUMAN RIGHTS
Blogger Sentenced to Death in Iran on Security-Related Charges | Iran International
“Marziyeh ‘Sevda’ Ebrahimi Shamsabadi, a 33-year-old blogger from Bandar Abbas who has been detained since March, has been sentenced to death, according to information obtained by Iran International. Branch 3 of the Bandar Abbas Revolutionary Court convicted her on charges including insulting Iran's supreme leader, media and propaganda activity against national security, intelligence and security activity on behalf of hostile governments, and taking and sending photographs to Persian-language media abroad, according to the information.”
Sepah Bank Warns Staff in Iran over Pay and Workplace Protests | Iran International
“Sepah Bank, a major state-owned bank tied to the Islamic Republic's military has warned staff to pursue pay and workplace grievances only through authorized channels, according to an internal notice obtained by Iran International.”
HOSTAGES
“An Iranian American jeweler from New York has been released from prison in Iran, but he is prohibited from leaving the country, according to his family and federal officials. Kamran Hekmati was let out of Tehran’s notorious Evin prison on Sept. 5 after completing about half of a two-year sentence, his family recently wrote on a website advocating for his release. The family said they are also ‘desperately afraid for his health and well-being’ as he requires regular medical checkups to ensure his bladder cancer doesn’t relapse.”
IRANIAN INTERNAL DEVELOPMENTS
How Iran’s Hard-Liners Prevailed and Sabotaged U.S. Peace Deal | New York Times
“Masoud Pezeshkian, the president of Iran, was riding high in early July, fresh off the successful negotiation of a peace agreement with the United States, and had traveled to neighboring Iraq for part of a weeklong funeral spectacle for Iran’s slain supreme leader. Suddenly he got stunning news. Iranian forces had opened fire on three commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz, setting ablaze a Qatari L.N.G. tanker and damaging other vessels. Iran was under siege in world opinion. . . . Senior Iranian officials and a Guards member said in interviews that what followed were some of the most volatile political confrontations within Iran’s leadership in memory. Officials engaged in shouting matches. Two senior generals threatened to resign. Accusations of treason and betrayal flew. The reverberations, officials said, contributed to a shake-up at the National Security Council and the supreme leader’s appointment of Gen. Mohsen Rezaei, a seasoned politician and former commander in chief of the Guards, to lead the council, as he was thought to have the skill to mediate among political factions. But divisions persist, and the hard-liners who have committed Iran to escalation are in an even stronger position.”
“Heavy fighting between Iranian security forces and unidentified gunmen spread across parts of Saravan in southeastern Iran on Saturday, with reports of attacks on military vehicles and dozens of security personnel killed or wounded, the rights group Haalvsh reported. . . . Saravan is in Sistan and Baluchestan, a southeastern province bordering Pakistan and Afghanistan and home to Iran’s mainly Sunni Muslim Baluch minority. The province has a long history of armed insurgency, although the reports provided no established link between Saturday’s gunmen and any known group.”
IRAQ & IRAN
Iraq Orders Closure of Shalamcheh Border Crossing with Iran, Two Sources Say | Reuters
“Iraq ordered the closure of the Shalamcheh border crossing between Iraq and Iran as a precautionary measure after the latest drone attacks on Saudi Arabia, two security sources told Reuters on Saturday. The sources said a wide-scale operation was underway to pursue perpetrators of the attack on Saudi Arabia.”
EUROPE & IRAN
House of Lords Used as ‘Forum for Iranian Propaganda’ | Telegraph
“The House of Lords has been accused of becoming ‘a forum for Iranian regime propaganda’ after a Liberal Democrat peer hosted its officials for a meeting on the Middle East. The event was co-hosted by the Eurasia Policy Council (EPC), a British think tank, which has since been reported to counter-terror police over concerns about its ties to Tehran. In the police report, the EPC and its directors, Shabnam Delfanazari and Raza Syed, were accused of ‘acting as Iranian influence agents’ following a meeting at Tehran’s embassy in London, in a potential breach of the National Security Act 2023.”