Iran War

NEW: Trump Goes Over Iran Options, Hints At Massive Decision In The Coming Days– trendingpoliticsnews.com
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EXCERPT:

President Donald Trump is reviewing possible next steps in the U.S.-Iran conflict this week, which have been reported as a choice among a negotiated agreement, continued economic isolation, or a significant expansion of military action.

While speaking with Fox News, Trump listed three primary paths for ending the conflict. These include Iran reaching a deal with the United States, the United States allowing the Iranian economy to deteriorate further under existing pressure, or a decision on whether to conduct far larger strikes. He asked when he might choose the last option and said Iran “better behave.”

Earlier in the week he told Axios he faced a “big decision” on whether to “annihilate” the Iranian regime. He added that “anything could happen.”

POLL: Would You Vote Against ANY Candidate Who Calls Themselves A Socialist?

Iran is suffering yet surviving under Trump’s economic warfare– www.washingtonpost.com
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EXCERPT:

Iran is suffering under increasing economic pressure two months into a renewed U.S. naval blockade of its ports that has choked off oil exports, deprived Tehran billions of dollars in critical state revenue and is threatening the country with a severe shortage of the foreign currency it needs to pay for remaining imports.

 

Trump hesitated and lost the Iranian street. The revolution doesn’t need him– www.washingtonexaminer.com
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EXCERPT:

If history were to judge President Donald Trump’s Iran policy mercilessly, perhaps three points could be awarded to him: Killing Qassem Soleimani, killing Ali Khamenei, and humiliating the Iranian regime. He was able to add the killing of two Islamic terrorists to his record, in addition to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

In American history, the medal of honor for taking serious action against Islamic terrorism should perhaps go first to George W. Bush, who placed the Islamic Republic within the “Axis of Evil.” Yet that same White House would later host a guest with an astonishing fondness for taking commemorative photographs with Islamic terrorists — a man consumed by the desire to strike a deal with the Shiite mullahs.

By STAFF

This week’s report covers political, world, cultural, market, and sci-tech news from September 11-18

This report contains the Global Outlook, Headlines Missed, and People Advance Reports.

TOP NEWS TAGS

  1. 2026 Elections
  2. Progressive State
  3. Iran War
  4. Progressive Media
  5. Abortion Watch
  6. Lindsay Clancy
  7. Trump Deportations
  8. Canada-US Conflict
  9. Judgefare
  10. Mass Mailer Election

A. GLOBAL OUTLOOK

  1. SCOTUS ENABLES MASS MAILER VOTER FRAUD – The Supreme Court ruled 7-2 that a lower court ruling suspending President Trump’s XO attempting make Mass mailer voting more accountable will stand, at least until AFTER the 2026 election. The ruling effectively enables Democrats to slow-walk close races in their favor using reserve “ballots” “registered” to the dead and non-citizens still on their uncleansed voter rolls.

Read more on the portents of the 2026 election in our Deep Dive on page 2.

  1. IRAN’S ENDURING DEFIANCE LEAVES TRUMP QUESTIONING WHAT TO DO NEXT – President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social a problem he is considering, “Do I Want to Go In and Annihilate Them or Do I Not?”

Internally, there are increasing reports of uprisings, and government “officials” abandoning their positions, but so far, no massive uprising has taken place. With congress recently passing a resolution aimed at stopping the Iran war, the President might have a limited window to operate in, one that needs to end with a pro-American government.

  1. HOUTHIS OPEN RED SEA FRONT, TRUMP NEGOTIATES – The Houthis have been taking islands, ports, and Red Sea coast territory in a bid to rescue Iran from U.S. onslaught. The new territory enables them to attack vessels traversing the Red Sea (which they’ve already done). The Saudis have responded by forming an army to remove them. President Trump is in talks with the Houthis, and the Saudis have called for a two-week ceasefire.
  2. ANTHROPIC WANTS PROGRESSIVE EXTREMISTS TO DEFINE THE FUTURE OF AI – Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has picked a panel of far-left, “woke” extremists to “protect” us from the evil AI apocalypse the progressive state media has been pushing. The “board” consists of children of wealthy progressives.

The guiding principle of the group is “Effective Altruism,” which requires a finite definition of value anti-progressives are sure to be existentially threatened by. For instance, this will place abortion in this hierarchy of value as a highly desired altruistic outcome and opposition to abortion will be placed in its hierarchy of value as being anathema to altruism, and thus a criminal activity.

  1. FED RAISES RATES – The Federal Reserve rose interest rates for the first time in six years, citing concerns over the inflation rate continuing to exceed 2%. The board voted unanimously to raise rates and signaled more rate increases were coming. President Trump pushed back against the decision, but stopped short of criticizing the Federal Reserve Chair, Kevin Warsh. President Trump nominated Warsh for the position he now holds.
  2. CANADA COURTS THE EU – After the European Union floated the idea of Canada becoming an “associate” member of their Union, Canada’s PM Mark Carney enthusiastically embraced the idea. This followed Carney’s exposed secret collusion with the Chinese military, making Canada a potential base of operation for her current enemy, China, and her fast-becoming future enemy, Europe. Canada is becoming a security risk for the United States.
  3. ISLAMIST FOREIGNERS TAKE BACK SWEDEN – Thanks overwhelmingly to the “migrant” vote, largely dominated by Islamists from the Middle East, Sweden’s pro-Sweden government was defeated by 3 parliament seats. This means the anti-Sweden left has taken power by the slimmest of margins thanks almost entirely to the foreigner Islamist vote. Sweden has fallen, for now.
  4. DEFIANT CLANCY JUROR NOW IN HIDING – The now-doxed Lindsay Clancy juror who prevented the defendant from escaping criminal justice is now in hiding, along with his family. The juror, Michael Desronvil, has remained defiant, claiming he voted on the merits of the case, which showed Clancy was guilty of first-degree murder, of strangling her three children to death.

His family has received numerous death threats. He has acquired a lawyer as he prepares to sue the press and the jurors responsible for both doxing him and committing slander against him.

  1. DID NETANYAHU KNOW? – Ahead of the Israeli national elections, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is being accused of knowing about October 7 in advance. The accusation comes from former Israel Defense Forces (IDF) chief of staff Dan Halutz. He accused the Prime Minister of ignoring and concealing warning signs that led to the “successful” assault by Hamas terrorists.

Netanyahu accused Halutz of lying. Halutz doubled down, claiming he was involved with numerous conversations that validate this claim, and that from those conversations he was convinced Netanyahu knew more than he said he did.

  1. MASSACHUSETTS KIDNAPS CHILD TO TRANSITION HER – A Roman Catholic couple lost their child to the state when they refused to transition her to a boy. Algonquin Regional High School in Southborough socially transitioned her to a “boy” without her parents’ consent. When the parents rightly contested this illegal activity, Massachusetts state authorities chose to kidnap the child instead of prosecuting school officials.

Child grooming and violating parents’ rights is protected criminal action by the state of Massachusetts. The girl is now 17 and being unconstitutionally confined in a boys’ dormitory. The state is giving her birth control pills and psychiatric drugs while it prepares to mutilate her body.

B. HEADLINES MISSED

  1. VIOLENCE TO STOP FREE SPEECH IS BECOMING A COLLEGE VALUE – Foundation For Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) released a poll that revealed 30% of surveyed college students approve of violence to stop free speech rarely, which is down from last year’s high of 34%. However, of that group, half (or 15% total) said yes to violence to stop fee speech “sometimes,” not just rarely; 3% chose “always.”
  2. CHINESE BILLIONAIRE MAKING FUTURE CCP AMERICANS THANKS TO SCOTUS – Thanks to the Supreme Court’s refusal to defend American sovereignty from foreign invaders, a recluse Chinese billionaire has hundreds of “American” children. Xu Bo is alleged to have been using surrogates to bring to term his embryos on American soil so that his children will be born as American citizens.

Our enemies have children birthed on American soil. These children are then taken to their home country, trained in their home country’s ways, and sent back as “legal” invaders, scouts, saboteurs of the country they have no business being citizens of. After the SCOTUS’ ruling that upheld birthright citizenship covers anyone born in America, our enemies have increased their efforts to create future “legal” invaders of America.

  1. NEW YORK SELLS SUICIDES – On the day Progressive New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced plans to pass euthanasia legislation, a company named Quietus began selling suicide. The company offered this $12,00 deal to New Yorkers through the progressive state press: “Imagine that instead of taking medication to fend off death from a terminal illness, a person could pay to take a concoction that will end their life in minutes — giving them full control of when and where they die.

“… Before their scheduled death, patients get two medical evaluations and a mental health screening, as well as a prescription for the drugs needed, including lethal doses of cardiac medication, that will end their life. The $12,000 cost for the patient covers all of this and help for the grieving family after their passing.”

  1. POPE PROMOTES PRO-LGBTQ PRIEST TO BISHOP – In another sign of the erosion of the Catholic church’s leadership, Pope Leo XIV has promoted a pro-LGBTQ, anti-church priest to Bishop. Father Mario Leon Dorado has been outspoken in his support to “bless” “irregular” couples (meaning homosexuals), as well as calling on the church to fade away the way John the Baptist did when Christ was baptized.

He declared in 2022, “There is the ecclesiological challenge: the Church as a sacrament at the service of the Kingdom of God. The Church is called to disappear so that the Kingdom may grow, in analogy with the experience of John the Baptist…. The experience of John the Baptist is the experience of the Church.”

  1. UK MIGHT BE OVER? – Leaders of Scotland, Wales, and Ireland are calling for a breakup of the UK. The leaders of these three nations are hoping to jettison London in favor of the EU. Scottish First Minister John Swinney, Welsh First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth and Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O’Neill all signed a declaration that claimed, “Westminster is coming to an end.”

C. PEOPLE ADVANCE

  1. JUDGE KILLS DELAWARE’S “GHOST GUN” BAN – U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika struck down Delaware’s ghost-gun ban, which effectively bans the constitutional rights of Americans to make their own guns.

The judge ruled, “… An untraceable firearm is an Arm under the Second Amendment.  It is, after all, a firearm, and even under the narrowest reading of ‘Arms,’ ‘all firearms constitute [] ‘arms,’ whether serialized or not. Moreover, the evidence here shows that untraceable firearms are customarily used for offensive or defensive purposes such as self-defense…”

  1. FEDERAL COURT UPHOLDS INDIANA’S LAW OUTLAWING TRANSGENDER SURGERY FOR KIDS – U.S. District Judge James Patrick Hanlon upheld Indiana’s law prohibiting transgender surgeries on children. Indiana’s Attorney General declared, “We have won this critical fight against radicals who would otherwise impose this horrific practice on our kids for ideological and financial reasons. My office will keep standing between our children and those who would sacrifice their health, innocence, and well-being on the altar of woke gender ideology.”
  2. JUDGE KILLS UNIVERSITY’S “DEAD NAMING” RULE – U.S. District Court Judge Fred Slaughter has halted a University of California policy that would penalize students for calling transgendered students by their born names. This is called “dead naming,” calling them by the name of their “dead selves.” The policy equated “dead naming” to “sexual harassment.”

He also halted their policy of punishing students for not using other students’ preferred pronouns. The school called this action “harassment,” which effectively punishes dissenting belief from the gender fluid ideology. The judge ruled that “there is no categorical ‘harassment exception’ to the First Amendment.” He stated the students “have demonstrated a credible threat to enforcement.”

  1. CHRISTIAN WINS BACK RIGHT TO ADOPT – The Oregon Department of Human Services had to change its standards for adoption after a Christian widow sued them. Jessica Bates sued the state after she was denied the right to adopt a child in their system for refusing to affirm the rainbow ideology. The state settled with Bates, removing the conditions of adoption that demand LGBTQ affirmation. They also had to pay Bates’ court costs.
  2. PIDDINGTON SECEDES FROM BRITIAN – The village of Piddington voted to secede from the United Kingdom as a response to the government’s plan to overwhelm the tiny village with a flood of subsidized invaders. The vote passed with a 92% supermajority. The referendum was held on September 15, the date Britian celebrates its victory over the German Luftwaffe in 1940.

President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social a problem he is considering, “Do I Want to Go In and Annihilate Them or Do I Not?”

Internally, there are increasing reports of uprisings, and government “officials” abandoning their positions, but so far, no massive uprising has taken place. With congress recently passing a resolution aimed at stopping the Iran war, the President might have a limited window to operate in, one that needs to end with a pro-American government.

Trump at a Crossroads on Iran: ‘Do I Want To Go In and Annihilate Them or Do I Not?’– gellerreport.com
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The president has a long track record of letting us know what he’s thinking.

Barak Ravid: President Trump told Axios Thursday that he’s approaching a critical juncture in the Iran war over whether to restart massive attacks in an effort to bring the conflict to a close. “I have a big decision coming up. Do I want to go in and annihilate them [the Iranian regime] or do I not? It’s a big decision. Anything could happen with me.” Though Trump has made similar threats before, his comments come ahead of a planned meeting Tuesday with leaders from six Gulf countries — Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman — on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. The meeting could shape the next phase of the war, including whether to make another push for diplomacy or intensify military action. If Trump wants to resume major combat operations, he would need buy-in from his regional allies…. What he’s saying: Trump made clear in the interview that he wants to use the meeting at the UN to hear directly from regional allies about the war’s next steps. “I want to find out where they are and how they are doing. We have been very protective of them,” Trump said (Axios).

The Iranian people are waiting for that moment. They are dying for it.

Trump says he has a ‘big decision’ coming up on Iran: ‘Do I want to go in and annihilate them?’

By Ronny Reyes, NY Post, Sep. 17, 2026, 5:21 p.m. ET

President Trump said Thursday that he was at a crossroads over whether to renew attacks in Iran to wipe out the regime and bring the war to an end.

“I have a big decision coming up. Do I want to go in and annihilate them or do I not?” he told Axios. “It’s a big decision. Anything could happen with me.”

Trump’s comments echo previous threats he’s levied against Tehran since the war began.

But this time, he said, his next move is likely to be influenced by his meetings with Gulf allies at next week’s United Nations General Assembly meeting.

“I want to find out where they are and how they are doing. We have been very protective of them,” Trump added.

The Houthis have been taking islands, ports, and Red Sea coast territory in a bid to rescue Iran from U.S. onslaught. The new territory enables them to attack vessels traversing the Red Sea (which they’ve already done). The Saudis have responded by forming an army to remove them. President Trump is in talks with the Houthis, and the Saudis have called for a two-week ceasefire.

Trump Admin Quietly Opens Direct Talks With Iran-Backed Houthis As Yemen War Heats Up – www.dailysignal.com
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U.S. officials reportedly held undisclosed talks with Iran-backed Houthi representatives in Oman over the weekend as the rebels make major battlefield gains against Saudi-backed forces in Yemen.

The alleged meeting took place at the U.S. Embassy in Muscat and was facilitated in part by the Omani government, Reuters reported Wednesday, citing five sources familiar with the matter. The talks indicate Washington is communicating directly with the Houthis even as the Trump administration continues to formally designate the group as a foreign terrorist organization, according to the Federal Register.

US House votes for a third time to end the Iran war as conflict drags on– www.euronews.com
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EXCERPT:

The vote took place late Tuesday, and for a third time, the US House voted to end the war in Iran, attempting to cut President Donald Trump’s ability to continue military action.

The roll call, 220-204, was similar to earlier efforts this summer, with a few more Republicans joining all Democrats voting to bring an end to the conflict. None of the resolutions have made it to the president’s desk, where Trump would almost certainly veto the measure.

“Remember when Donald Trump said that this war would last just a few weeks?” said Democrat Representative Seth Moulton, who served as a Marine during the Iraq War and pushed the resolution forward.

He said it’s time for Congress to “actually ask tough questions, as the Constitution directs us to do, rather than be subservient to another warmongering administration.”

Republican Representative Brian Mast of Florida, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, questioned which military resources Democrats would want to remove from the region where he said Iran remains a threat.

Mast said Trump is against “forever wars, and that is what he is ending” — the decades of hostilities from Iran.

“They are a continuous ongoing threat to the United States,” Mast said. “Enough is enough.”

Trump: Iran Wants a Deal, Reached Out ‘Directly’ — ‘Hopefully’ Nearing End of War– www.breitbart.com
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President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Iran has contacted the United States “directly” and “very much” wants a deal, expressing hope that the nearly seven-month conflict is approaching its end after predicting last week that the fighting would conclude following November’s midterm elections.

“Hopefully we’re toward the end of the war,” Trump told reporters after arriving in North Carolina, responding to a question about what phase the conflict had reached.

Trump then turned to the prospect of an agreement with Tehran.

“Iran is very much wanting to make a deal,” he said. “We’ll see how that works out.”

Asked moments later whether he had recently heard from Iran directly or through intermediaries, Trump replied: “Directly.”

The disclosure follows a series of increasingly explicit statements from Trump that the conflict could be approaching its end. Last week, he predicted the fighting would conclude following the November midterm elections, arguing that Tehran could no longer sustain the pressure.

“I think the war will end immediately after the election because they can’t hold out any longer,” Trump said.

By Monday, Trump was publicly describing Tehran as actively seeking an agreement while leaving the decision over renewed engagement to Washington.

“The failing Nation of Iran wants to make a deal, quickly and badly,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “I will determine whether or not the U.S.A. will choose to engage — the concept of which we are open to.”

UN mission finds grounds to believe U.S. committed war crimes in strikes on Iranian school, sports centre– www.cbc.ca
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The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.

A United Nations fact-finding mission on Iran said Thursday it had reasonable grounds to believe the United States was behind two military strikes on a school ‌and sports facility in Iran in February, and that these constituted war crimes.

It also found that Iranian authorities committed crimes against humanity during their deadly crackdown on anti-government protests that occurred just weeks before the U.S. and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran on Feb. 28.

The findings in a new report by the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran, to be submitted to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, examined the American conduct during the Iran war that began in February and ​the Iranian government’s response to nationwide unrest that began in late December.

The Iranian and U.S. ​permanent missions in Geneva did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.

Saudi pipeline shutdown threatens oil exports to Europe and Asia as kingdom relies on stored supplies– www.euronews.com
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EXCERPT:

Published on •Updated

Saudi Arabia is relying on stored oil to maintain exports after drone attacks shut its East-West pipeline, threatening deliveries to buyers in Europe and Asia.

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Saudi Arabia’s energy ministry announced the shutdown on Friday as a precaution, after the pipeline was attacked in the Riyadh and Medina regions last Thursday.

It said emergency and technical teams were securing the pipeline and checking its safety.

Saudi and Iraqi authorities said the drone attack originated in Iraq. The ministry’s announcement did not say when pumping would resume or give a full account of the damage.

Saudi oil buyers and traders quoted in reports published on Sunday estimated that a prolonged shutdown could put at risk around 4 million barrels a day, or about 4% of global oil supply.

They estimated that oil stored at the Red Sea port of Yanbu could keep exports going for five to seven days. Saudi authorities have not confirmed either estimate.

The effect on deliveries will depend on how quickly pumping resumes and how much stored oil is available.

Brent crude futures rose around 3% in early trading on Monday following further attacks on energy facilities and shipping in the Middle East.

A route around Hormuz

The roughly 1,200km pipeline carries oil from eastern Saudi Arabia to Yanbu on the west coast. It allows exports to leave through the Red Sea without tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

Aramco said in May that it had increased pumping through the pipeline to its maximum capacity of 7 million barrels a day during the first quarter, helping maintain exports while shipping through Hormuz was disrupted.

The pipeline also supplies refineries on Saudi Arabia’s west coast, so its capacity is not the same as the amount exported.

The shutdown does not mean global oil supplies immediately fall by 7 million barrels a day. Tankers can still load oil stored near export terminals, but those supplies will run down unless more oil arrives.

Deliveries to Europe and Asia

From Yanbu, tankers heading to Europe can sail north through the Red Sea towards the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean. Egypt’s SUMED pipeline offers another route, carrying oil between the Red Sea and Mediterranean coasts.

The direct sea route to Asia runs south through Bab el-Mandeb, the narrow passage between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, and then towards the Indian Ocean.

That route faces a separate threat from Yemen’s Houthis, who have seized Perim Island in the passage and the country’s Red Sea coast, effectively taking control of the strait.

Tankers heading to Asia could instead sail north through Suez and then around Africa, but the journey would be much longer. Changing a tanker’s route does not solve the problem of getting oil to Yanbu.

The International Energy Agency said in its September oil market report that stored oil supplies worldwide had fallen by 507 million barrels since February, including 95 million barrels in August alone.

The agency estimated Gulf oil exports at around 13 million barrels a day in August, nearly half their pre-war level. It also reported sharply higher diesel prices in Europe and Asia as disruptions reduced fuel supplies.


Lindsay Clancy jurors reveal they were hellbent on social justice, not the law– www.lifesitenews.com
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(LifeSiteNews) — The truth has come out: From the outset, activist jurors in the Lindsay Clancy triple murder trial were bound and determined to advance a leftist political agenda rather than justice for the precious children that Clancy strangled to death.  

Other than a lone juror who has been crucified by his fellow jurors and doxxed by corporate media, Clancy’s liberal, female-dominated jury ignored their civic duty to render a verdict based on the facts of the case and instead decided they would imitate activist judges, using their platform to advance their own perverse feminist cause.

The cadre of social justice jurors accused the holdout of ignoring the judge’s instructions while all along it was they who had ignored the law.   

During a weekend CBS Morning show, juror Paula Devlin spilled the beans: “We knew that this was a turning point, and this would be something that could change something to make it better for other women in the future.”

China Pressures Iran to Open Strait of Hormuz as Foreign Minister Visits Beijing– www.breitbart.com
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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and return to the June memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the United States when he met with visiting Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Beijing on Wednesday.

“We urge all parties to take effective measures to reopen the Strait of Hormuz at an early date,” said Wang, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Wang urged Iran and the U.S. to “engage in substantive consultations on issues of mutual concern,” and advised both sides to “exercise restraint.”

The Chinese Foreign Ministry insisted Wang’s remarks were consistent with China’s long-standing position on the Strait of Hormuz conflict — with a dash of additional urgency because Iran’s terrorist proxies in Yemen, the Houthis, are now attacking Saudi Arabia and threatening shipping in the Red Sea.

Araghchi claimed Iran still sees the MOU as valid — even though Iran has repeatedly violated it by launching terrorist attacks at civilian vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

“Iran is not interested in continuing the conflict, hopes to return to a diplomatic path toward a settlement and at the same time intends to firmly defend its rights and interests. The Iranian side believes that the memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran remains in force,” he said, according to Chinese state media.

Saudi Arabia Threatens Retaliation After Iran-Backed Houthis Targeted Mecca with Drone Attack– slaynews.com
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Saudi Arabia accused Iran-backed Houthi rebels of launching a one-way attack drone toward Mecca, prompting the kingdom to declare the security of Islam’s holiest sites a “red line” as the escalating Gulf conflict places growing pressure on critical global energy routes.

The Saudi-led coalition said the drone was intercepted while heading toward Mecca and warned that it would take “necessary and deterrent measures” in response.

“The security of the Two Holy Mosques and the pilgrims is a red line, and the Joint Forces Command of the coalition will not hesitate to take the necessary and deterrent measures against the Terrorist Houthi Militia,” the kingdom said.

The Houthis denied targeting Mecca, with Hazem al-Assad of the group’s politburo calling the accusation a “worn-out lie.”

The incident comes as the conflict increasingly threatens Saudi Arabia’s oil infrastructure and two of the world’s most strategically important maritime chokepoints.

Iran War Updates: U.N. panel cites possible U.S. war crimes as Trump again says Iran wants a deal– www.cbsnews.com
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Human rights experts commissioned by the U.N. say they have found “reasonable grounds” to believe the United States committed war crimes in two strikes in Iran, including on a school in the southern city of Minab.

The international fact-finding mission on Iran says the findings center on a pair of airstrikes which killed at least 178 civilians, including women and children.

“Following the United States and Israeli attacks on 28 February, the mission found reasonable grounds to believe the United States committed the war crime of launching indiscriminate attacks resulting in the loss of life or injury to civilians or damage to civilian objects,” the fact-finding team said in a statement.

The team also said that killings by Iranian state security forces occurred on a “staggering scale” in Iran.

At the start of the war in February, at least one U.S. missile hit the Shajareh Tayyebeh in Minab, according to an investigation by The Associated Press. Iranian state media have said 168 people were killed in the strike, most of them children.

Amnesty says Iran committed ‘crimes against humanity’ in protests crackdown– www.france24.com
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Iranian authorities committed crimes against humanity in the crackdown on 2022 protests that left hundreds dead, Amnesty International said Wednesday, adding Tehran’s suppression of new demonstrations this year bore the “same hallmarks” but on an even wider scale. FRANCE 24’s Mark Owen speaks with Amnesty International Iran Researcher Raha Bahreini. She calls for the establishment of an international criminal justice mechanism to prosecute those responsible for the crimes.

China’s top diplomat urges Iran, US to show restraint, revive talks– www.channelnewsasia.com
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BEIJING: China encourages Iran and the US to remain rational, exercise restraint, return to the interim peace deal they signed in June and “engage in substantive consultations”, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Iranian counterpart in Beijing on Wednesday (Sep 16).

“We urge all parties to take effective measures to reopen the Strait of Hormuz at an early date” to safeguard the stability of international energy transport and supply chains, Wang said, according to China’s foreign ministry, adding that China “does not want to see regional tensions to spill over further into Yemen and the Red Sea”.

Tehran and Washington should “rebuild the negotiation mechanism based on the consensus reached so far”, Wang told Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who is on a one-day visit to Beijing.

“Iran, while fully prepared to powerfully defend its national sovereignty and territorial integrity and safeguard its security … against aggressors, welcomes diplomatic solutions that ensure the rights of the Iranian nation,” Araghchi said, according to Iranian state media.

The talks between the two diplomats came a week ahead of an expected meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump in Washington.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Tuesday said Trump and Xi would continue discussions on Iran and China’s financial links to Tehran, which Washington has been seeking to shut out of western financial systems.

Yemen’s Houthis claim they shot down Saudi fighter jet, deny targeting Mecca– www.euronews.com
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Yemen’s Houthis on Wednesday said they shot down a Saudi fighter jet, claiming they used munitions made by the group to target the warplane.

“The Yemeni Armed Forces, with Allah’s aid and grace, succeeded in shooting down a Saudi F-15 fighter jet while it was carrying out hostile operations,” Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said on social media, while accusing Saudi Arabia of launching 450 strikes.

He said the aircraft had been targeted “using a locally made air-to-air missile”.

The spokesman also dismissed Saudi claims that the Houthis had targeted Islam’s holy city of Mecca.

“Our operations target its oil facilities and military bases, which are far removed from the sacred sites,” he said, adding that “fabrications and lies propagated by the criminal al-Saud regime cannot deceive anyone.”

The Saudi coalition vowed retaliation, warning that the security of holy sites was a “red line”.

“The security of the Two Holy Mosques and the pilgrims is a red line, and the Joint Forces Command of the Coalition will not hesitate to take the necessary and deterrent measures against the terrorist Houthi militia,” the coalition said in a statement shared by spokesman Turki al-Maliki on X.

U.S. watchdog tallies Iran war’s hit to weapons stockpiles, military bases and more– www.washingtontimes.com
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A U.S. government watchdog released its first report on the impact of the Iran war on Monday, acknowledging the military’s advanced weapons shortfalls and offering the first public look at the damage to American aircraft, bases and diplomatic outposts in the Middle East.

Two alliances just failed Saudi Arabia. Then they called Trump– www.washingtonexaminer.com
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Five weeks ago, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey signed the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement. An armed attack on one, the text says, is an attack on all. Commentators called it an Islamic NATO.

This week it was tested. On Sept. 8, Houthi missiles and drones hit four Saudi cities, wounding 73 civilians and halting operations at energy facilities. Two days later, the Houthis took Mokha, their largest territorial gain since the 2022 truce. On Friday, they took Dhubab and crossed to Perim, the island splitting the Bab el-Mandeb at its narrowest point. A military official told AFP they also took Greater and Lesser Hanish, leaving all four of the strait’s strategic islands in their hands, and that the takeover of the Bab el-Mandeb was complete. Tareq Saleh, deputy chairman of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, acknowledged losing Mokha and said Iran had planned and backed the attack. The United Nations counted at least 46,000 people displaced.

Trump wants Iran to fold — Xi Jinping won’t allow it. Here’s his missing move– www.washingtonexaminer.com
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President Donald Trump’s economic D-Day is already hurting the Iranian regime’s revenues, but unilateral U.S. sanctions can only do so much. If the president wants Iran to fold, he’ll have to play a much better card — cutting it off from China by enforcing tough U.N. embargoes.

Despite its name, Trump’s Operation Economic Outcast does not block Beijing’s vital support for the regime in Tehran. In fact, at a recent summit, China and Iran jointly condemned and vowed to defy the new U.S. strategy.

The Houthis just handed Trump leverage over China. Here’s when he can use it– www.washingtonexaminer.com
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The fall of Mokha was a lesson for Riyadh about alliances: the Mecca pact produced a courier, America’s older allies produced restrictions on American access, and the only partnership that has actually fought Iran’s network this year has an American hand on it. This is the lesson for Washington, and it has a date on it.

Consider the geometry the Houthis left behind. Hormuz is running at a fraction of pre-war volume — Tehran calls it closed, Washington insists it is open, and IMF PortWatch counted six transits on Sept. 6 against a pre-crisis norm of near 85 a day. The Houthis now hold the ground overlooking Bab el-Mandeb, and are threatening to close it altogether if Washington intervenes.

Houthis capture more Yemeni Red Sea islands, tightening grip on Bab el-Mandeb– www.euronews.com
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Yemen’s Tehran-backed Houthis captured more islands in the southern Red Sea, government and Houthi officials said Monday, strengthening their control of a major maritime shipping route.

The capture of the islands of Greater and Lesser Hanish is the latest in the group’s swift advance around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a key passage for oil shipments that has become even more crucial during the Iran war as the Strait of Hormuz remains under US and Iranian blockades.

Like Hormuz, located at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait — on the opposite side of the Arabian Peninsula — is a chokepoint that connects the Indian Ocean to the Red Sea, making it a key waterway for cargo traffic to the Mediterranean Sea.

For more than a month, the Houthis have been striking Saudi oil infrastructure and shipping in the Red Sea, stepping up pressure on global oil prices and boosting Iran’s leverage in its war with the US.

The Houthis have successfully seized the seaport of Mokha, a pro-government Yemeni port. The attack was sudden. It captured the entire city off-guard as residents quickly moved to evacuate it. The Saudis have responded by hitting Mokha’s now captured airport.

Yemen’s Houthis seize strategic Red Sea port of Mokha– www.bbc.co.uk
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Mokha residents said Houthi fighters moved into the city after fierce clashes with pro-government forces on Wednesday night, prompting many families to flee their homes.

“The takeover came without warning. Panic spread throughout the area, forcing people to flee amid distressing scenes of injured people lying in the streets with no-one there to help them,” one man told BBC Arabic’s Middle East Lifeline programme.

Another man said that Houthi fighters were patrolling the streets of Mokha on Thursday, while government offices and shops were closed.

“At the moment, we don’t know what Ansar Allah will do,” he added, using the group’s formal name. “Everyone is afraid for their safety.”

Many displaced families are heading east towards the city of Aden, where Yemen’s internationally recognised Presidential Leadership Council and government are based.

“We fled with our children and kept running. We have no bedding, no home, nothing with us. Everything was destroyed within an hour. They didn’t even give us a chance or warn us beforehand,” one woman told BBC Arabic.

Pakistan Warns Iran to Keep the Houthis Away from Saudi Arabia– www.breitbart.com
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Pakistan delivered a warning to Iran on Wednesday that if Tehran’s terrorist proxies in Yemen, the Houthis, continue attacking cities and oil facilities in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan may be obliged to intervene under its defense pact with the Saudis.

Pakistan gave notice to Iran the day after Houthi insurgents launched drone and missile attacks against four cities in Saudi Arabia, damaging oil infrastructure and wounding dozens of civilians.

Saudi forces, working with the internationally-recognized government of Yemen, responded with airstrikes and ground action against the Houthis, who captured Yemen’s capital city of Sanaa and much other territory in 2014.

In a television interview on Wednesday, Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said that further Houthi attacks could trigger the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, a pact Pakistan signed with Saudi Arabia and Turkey in August. The pact includes a mutual defense commitment similar to NATO Article V.

“An aggression on one country will be considered an aggression on all three countries,” Asif said. “There is no ambiguity or doubt. Unprovoked aggression or spillover into Saudi Arabia will definitely make this agreement operational.”

A senior diplomatic source told Reuters the Pakistani government conveyed this message to Tehran privately within the past 24 hours, and advised the Iranians to pull the Houthis back from attacking Saudi Arabia. The response from Tehran was reportedly: “Iran does not control the Houthis.”

Oil Jumps Above $107, Bond Yields Surge Higher, Stocks Fall– www.breitbart.com
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Oil prices jumped to their highest levels since May amid renewed fighting in the Persian Gulf and investor concerns that the war in Iran will persist longer than previously thought.

Brent crude futures crossed above $107 a barrel and WTI futures neared $102. The possibility of a near-term contraction in oil supplies and a protracted war has been pushing up energy prices for several weeks, with the climb accelerating this week.

Yields on bonds issued by the U.S. government climbed to new multiyear highs. The yield on 10-year U.S. Treasuries climbed 0.082 percent to 4.922 percent. That matched the post-pandemic highs hit amid raging inflation and Federal Reserve interest rate increases aimed at restoring price stability.

Shorter-term Treasury yields also rose, reflecting increased expectations for rate increases from the Fed. The yield on the 2-year Treasury rose sharply, climbing 0.114 percent to 4.541 percent.

Yields on government bonds around the world climbed. Yields on government bonds issued by Germany, the U.K., France, and Japan were higher.

Bond yield rise when bond prices fall. A rising yield reflects investors requiring higher returns for holding government securities. This can be due to rising inflation expectations, rising competition from other securities when investors expect faster growth and higher returns on stocks or corporate bonds, or a more aggressive monetary policy.

The major stock indexes in the U.S. were all down by around six-tenths of a percentage point on Thursday morning. Nine of the eleven sectors of the S&P 500 declined, with consumer staples the only one to rise. The tech heavy communications services sector was flat.

Iran War Updates: Oil hits $100 per barrel as Tehran fires missiles in retaliation for U.S. blowing up tankers– www.cbsnews.com
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Iran says “prohibited zone” near Hormuz to cover parts of Gulf of Oman and beyond

Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Wednesday that a new “prohibited zone” outside the Strait of Hormuz would cover parts of the Gulf of Oman and beyond, adding they would announce the exact coordinates later.

“It approximately starts from the direction of Chabahar, covering part of the Sea of Oman and another part of the Arabian Sea,” IRGC Spokesman Hossein Mohebi told state television. “If a vessel enters that area without coordination, it will be subject to our sanctions.”

On Monday, the head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said Tehran was planning to announce a maritime “exclusion zone” outside the strait where it intends to stop vessels attempting to transit the waterway without Iranian permission. 

CBS/AFP

 

Houthis accuse Saudi Arabia of striking Yemeni prison, killing inmates and visitors

The Houthis accused Saudi Arabia on Wednesday of carrying out an airstrike on a Yemeni prison, killing inmates as well as women and children who were visiting.

In a statement on X, Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree said the alleged strike on the prison in Al-Hazm, the capital of Yemen’s Al-Jawf province, took place on Monday and killed “a large number of prison inmates, along with a number of visitors including children and women.”

“The attempts by the Saudi enemy to evade responsibility for its crimes and aggression against our country will not exempt it from the consequences and repercussions of this aggression and criminality, no matter how much it tries to cover it up,” he added.

The Saudis have not responded to the Houthi claims.

The Houthis on Wednesday also accused Saudi Arabia of launching more than 30 strikes on several regions of Yemen, a day after Saudi authorities reported Houthi attacks had injured 73 people early on Tuesday, and temporarily shut several oil facilities.

Fighting in Yemen reignited last week, when the Houthis launched a major campaign to seize territory near the strategic Bab al-Mandab strait.

 

Iran condemns U.S. strike on oil tankers

Iran’s foreign ministry on Wednesday strongly condemned U.S. strikes on its oil tankers, describing the attacks the previous day as a threat to regional security.

“The aggressive actions by the United States against Iranian commercial vessels not only increase the dangers of tensions in the region but are also considered an overt threat to regional and international peace and security,” the ministry said in a statement, adding that Iranian forces had targeted U.S. military facilities in the region in “self-defense”.

U.S. Central Command said it disabled five Iranian tankers on Tuesday with strikes launched in response to unsuccessful Iranian missile attacks targeting a U.S. warship in recent days.

 

Several vessels in Gulf damaged, British maritime agency reports

Several vessels in the Persian Gulf region were on fire Wednesday, a U.K. Navy agency reported, after Iran said it had attacked more than a dozen ships trying to transit the Strait of Hormuz without its permission.

The U.K. Maritime Trade Operations center (UKMTO) said “several merchant vessels in the Northern Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman” were hit by “disabling fire as part of ongoing military activity in the region.”

The center did not name the ships in question, but the U.S. said Tuesday night it had destroyed 5 Iranian oil tankers in the gulf.

It also said a vessel 24 nautical miles northwest of Port Rashid, in the UAE, was listing, potentially due to an attack.

“The Master of a tanker has reported sighting a vessel listing while at anchor, possibly indicating water ingress following an attack from an unknown projectile,” it said.

On Wednesday, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said it had attacked two U.S. warships, eight oil tankers and 10 “non-compliant vessels” trying to transit the Strait of Hormuz. 

The U.S. military’s Central Command quickly denied that any American ships had been struck.

 

U.S. military denies Iran’s claim to have damaged U.S. warships with missile attack

The U.S. military’s Central Command denied on Wednesday Iran’s claim to have inflicted “heavy damage” on U.S. warships.

“No U.S. Navy warship has been struck; all IRGC attempted attacks failed,” CENTCOM said in a post on social media. 

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed earlier that its naval forces had targeted two U.S. warships, along with eight other vessels, and “inflicted heavy damage on them.”

CENTCOM dismissed the claim as “completely FALSE” and said U.S. forces had destroyed 10 Iranian tankers “just in the last week.”

 

Oil prices could hit $120, analysis finds, as Americans absorb $100 billion fuel hit

An analysis by Goldman Sachs has forecast that heightened attacks in the Persian Gulf and Red Sea could push global oil prices above $120 a barrel, which would add to the surging fuel costs Americans have faced during the Iran war.

The investment bank’s forecast implies a roughly 20% increase in the cost of Brent crude, the international benchmark, which is trading at nearly $100 a barrel. Oil prices have spiked in recent weeks as the Middle East conflict drags on, with U.S. military forces striking three Iranian oil tankers on Saturday and the Houthi rebels attacking Saudi oil facilities.

Read more here

 

Iranian forces say they targeted American warships again

Iran’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said Wednesday that it had targeted two U.S. warships and eight other vessels in retaliation for U.S. strikes on five Iranian oil tankers the previous day.

The IRGC said its naval forces had targeted the vessels in the Persian Gulf region, claiming to have “inflicted heavy damage on them.” 

There was no immediate response from the U.S. military, which said Tuesday that it had warned the crews of the five Iranian tankers to abandon ship “before the vessels were struck and rendered inoperable.”

The new attacks claimed by the IRGC are the latest in a series of flare-ups in fighting between the U.S. and Iran since a ceasefire agreed to by both sides in June fell apart over disagreements regarding control over ship traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. 

 

Oil hits $100 per barrel for first time since July amid fighting flare-up

The price of Brent crude, the international benchmark for oil, hit $100 per barrel Wednesday morning, the highest it’s been since late July.

The increase is a continuation of an upward trend seen since August and follows a flare-up in fighting between the U.S. and Iran.

The U.S. announced late Tuesday it had struck 5 Iranian oil tankers in response to an attempted attack on its warships in the region. Iran retaliated by targeting a military base in Jordan that hosts U.S. forces. The Jordanian military said it intercepted 18 Iranian missiles and reported no casualties.

 

Protesters urge South Korea to not join U.S. war with Iran

Dozens of South Koreans urged their government on Wednesday not to deploy troops to the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

The protesters across from the U.S. embassy compound in Seoul waved signs saying “Do not join a war of aggression” as the country’s leaders weigh a “contribution” to the waterway’s security.

“We cannot send our young people into a sea of death!” chanted the protesters on the steps outside Seoul’s Sejong Center for the Performing Arts.

The protest came a day after South Korean defence authorities said they had sent a fact-finding mission to assess the situation in Hormuz, while stressing that no decision had been made on any deployment.  

South Korea said Friday it was considering “contributions” to U.S. security efforts along the strait  provided that its own military readiness was not compromised.

Iran has warned that any South Korean deployment would be “regarded as direct support for the party responsible for that aggression and will have serious consequences.”

 

Iran-backed Houthi group reports over 30 strikes across Yemen

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis reported more than 30 Saudi strikes on several regions on Wednesday, a day after the rebels launched major attacks on their neighbor, injuring dozens of people.

There has been no official comment from Saudi Arabia about the Houthi report.

Saudi authorities previously said that Houthi attacks caused temporary shutdowns at oil sites and injured 73 people early Tuesday. The rebels reported Saudi airstrikes following the attacks.

Deadly fighting reignited in Yemen last week, when the Houthis launched a major campaign to seize territory near the Bab al-Mandab strait.

The strait has become an increasingly important route for Saudi oil since Iran  effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, choking Gulf exports.

CBS/AFP

 

Price of oil trades at $99 per barrel again as open hostilities resume

The price of Brent crude, the international benchmark for oil, was trading at over $99 early Wednesday, in a continuation of the upward trend seen since August.

Meanwhile, the benchmark U.S. crude rose 1.2% to $94.17 a barrel.

Before the war began in February, a fifth of the world’s oil flowed through the Strait of Hormuz but since then, traffic has plummeted, with only small periods of temporary and limited recovery.

 

Iran launches missiles at U.S. targets in Jordan, state media says

Iran has launched missiles toward U.S. targets in Jordan, Iranian state-run media said, following the latest American strikes.

It’s the latest tit-for-tat retaliation after the U.S. military said it destroyed five Iranian crude oil tankers following two attacks on a U.S. warship by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard over the past two days.

U.S. Central Command, when asked about the strikes on the Jordanian air base, said it had no information to offer.

Jordan’s military said its air defense systems intercepted 18 ballistic missiles launched toward its territory and two others fell in places where people do not live. It says it had no reports of casualties.

Jordan is a staunch U.S. ally that hosts American forces, making the kingdom’s military bases a target of repeated Iranian strikes.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Navy also warned crews of oil tankers near ports in Kuwait and Bahrain to immediately leave their vessels, saying the ships could be targeted in retaliation for the U.S. attacks on Iranian tankers.

 

CENTCOM confirms it struck five Iranian oil tankers

The U.S. military’s Central Command confirmed Tuesday it “destroyed” five oil tankers associated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

In a statement accompanied by video footage of the operation, CENTCOM said the strikes were in response to a set of unsuccessful Iranian missile attacks against a U.S. warship in recent days.

Four of the tankers were struck in the Gulf of Oman, according to CENTCOM, and a fifth was hit near Kharg Island, an island in the Persian Gulf that serves as Iran’s primary terminal for crude oil exports. It alleged the ships were part of Iran’s shadow fleet, a network of tankers used by Iran to export oil and generate revenue for the regime.

“American forces directed the crews to abandon ship before the vessels were struck and rendered inoperable,” CENTCOM said.

CBS News had reported on a U.S. attack against Iranian tankers earlier Tuesday.

CENTCOM also struck three Iranian oil tankers last weekend in retaliation for an earlier attempted Iranian attack against U.S. Navy ships.


Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia ignite fires at oil facilities and wound 73 people, officials say– abcnews.com
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CAIRO — A wave of Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia Tuesday wounded more than 70 people and ignited fires at several oil facilities and utilities in the kingdom’s southern region, authorities said, a major escalation in the renewed conflict between an important U.S. ally and the Iranian-backed rebels in Yemen.

The attacks come after weeks of escalating clashes between the Houthis and Saudi-backed government forces in Yemen, which shattered a four-year truce in the country’s civil war.

The flare-up delivered a new jolt to a region already destabilized by nearly three years of wars and brings more uncertainty for the global economy. The fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis threatens to squeeze shipping through the Bab al-Mandeb strait, a critical route of the Arabian Peninsula for oil and global trade. It also comes at a time when the Iran war has nearly halted shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway that moved about one-fifth of the world’s oil before the war.

Fighting has raged on multiple fronts including Yemen’s west coast, with government forces saying they have made territorial gains in the provinces of Hodeida, Taiz and Baydah. The Houthis have also launched attacks on Saudi oil facilities and tankers in the Red Sea.

The attacks early Tuesday hit “civilian and economic facilities” in the Saudi cities of Abha, Jazan, Najran and Khamis Mushait, said Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki, a spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen.

Al-Malki said the attacks wounded 73 people, including women and children. He didn’t provide further details.