The Iran-backed Houthis are pushing to seize strategic heights in Yemen and cut off the Red Sea coast from remaining areas held by Saudi-backed forces.
The Houthis continued with their lightning advance after US president Donald Trump reportedly called off American strikes on the group at the last minute.
The New York Times reported that the Trump administration had prepared to launch airstrikes against the Houthis on Sunday, after receiving fresh pleas from the Saudi crown prince.
However, Trump called off the airstrikes at the last minute, even as troops were loading bombs onto aircraft, according to the report.
Rashid al-Alimi, the Riyadh-based president of Yemen's Saudi-backed, internationally-recognised government, asked Trump by phone on Sunday for US military help, four sources told Reuters.
Riyadh was apparently struck on Saturday for the first time since the escalation began, with explosions heard and smoke visible near the airport. The Houthis said they had fired missiles at the Saudi capital; the Saudis have not commented.
Meanwhile, Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian arrived in New York for the UN General Assembly just days after Donald Trump threatened to “blow the entire nation up”, referring to Iran.
Read MoreStressed Trump’s stark warning on Iran: ‘If and when do I blow the entire nation up?’
Iran issues chilling warning to US and its allies as tensions escalate
Iran-backed Houthi rebels warn against joining Saudi Arabia in Yemen's growing civil war
Inside Iran’s petrol crisis: How war with the US has taken its toll
Is it safe to travel to Riyadh, Dubai and Abu Dhabi? Latest advice as Houthis strike Saudi capital
Key Points
- Trump says he is in ‘deciding mode’ on Iran war: 'Very big things going to happen'
- Iranian state actors targeting UK dissidents, activists and journalists with spyware
- Iran informed that US plans to resume action, state media reports
- Iran mobilisation drive extends to children under 15
- Iran's president to fly to New York for UN General Assembly
G7 ministers call on Iran to stop arming Houthis
05:10 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarG7 foreign ministers have called on Iran to end its arming and support of Houthis in Yemen, which they said constituted a dangerous pattern of escalation that risked undermining international trade and creating global instability.
"We condemn in the strongest terms the unacceptable continued strikes carried out by the Houthis in Yemen and against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia," the ministers of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the US said in a statement.
"We call on the Houthis to immediately cease all military actions, all threats and attacks against civilian shipping, and to return to the political process in good faith."
Oil rises to $100 ahead of potential US-Iran talks
04:55 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarOil prices gained this morning as the market steadied after several days of declines, with investors awaiting developments on potential US-Iran talks at the United Nations General Assembly this week.
The Brent crude futures November contract gained 22 cents, or 0.22 per cent, to $100.57 a barrel. The WTI October contract, which expires on Tuesday, crept up 2 cents, or 0.02 per cent, to $95.8 a barrel.
Houthis push to seize highlands as Trump calls off strike
04:40 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarHouthi fighters pushed to seize strategic heights in Yemen to cut off the Red Sea coast from remaining areas held by Saudi-backed forces, after a report that US president Donald Trump had called off American strikes on the group at the last minute.
The New York Times reported that the Trump administration had prepared to launch airstrikes on Sunday against the Houthis after fresh pleas from the Saudi crown prince. But the newspaper said Trump called off the airstrikes at the last minute, even as troops were loading bombs onto aircraft.
Rashid al-Alimi, the Riyadh-based president of Yemen's Saudi-backed, internationally recognised government, asked Trump by phone on Sunday for US military help, four sources told Reuters.
Riyadh was apparently struck on Saturday for the first time since the escalation began, with explosions heard and smoke visible near the airport. The Houthis said they had fired missiles at the Saudi capital; the Saudis have not commented.
Saudi Arabia kills six in Mokha strike - report
04:23 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarSaudi Arabia's airstrikes on the strategic Red Sea port city of Mokha killed at least six people and wounded eight others, the Houthi-backed media reported this morning.
"Six civilians, including two children and a woman, were killed and eight others, including a child and a woman, were injured in Saudi-led coalition airstrikes on Mokha," Saba news agency reported.
Analysis: Why Xi Jinping’s visit to Washington is the culmination of a ‘profound shift’ in balance of world power
03:00 , James ReynoldsWhile the Iran war will feature prominently in the talks, the main focus of the 24 September meeting is on whether the leaders will signal an extension to a trade truce struck last year that averted a major shock to the global economy.
Arpan Rai reports:
Why Xi’s visit to US is culmination of ‘profound shift’ in balance of world power
Cost of hiring a supertanker swells as Iran war drags on
02:00 , James ReynoldsHiring an oil supertanker to load in the Persian Gulf and transit the Strait of Hormuz cost as much as $1m a day earlier this month as the Iran war weighs on global shipping.
That figure, shared by maritime-intelligence firm Windward, is worth around a quarter of the current value of crude oil, and goes some way towards explaining its inflated price.
With Yemen’s Houthi rebels now squeezing the Bab el-Mandeb strait, prices are likely to continue to climb, with fewer alternative routes available to bypass Hormuz.
According to the Wall Street Journal, operators are now also constrained in by a shortage of oil tankers, slowing deliveries and compounding costs for consumers.
Adi Imsirovic, a former energy trader and lecturer at Oxford University, told the Journal: “What matters for refiners is the delivered cost of the crude, and that includes freight. The price at the pump includes all of it and the consumer has to pay the full price.”
Hegseth mocked for having Jake and Logan Paul give motivational speech at the Pentagon
01:00 , James ReynoldsUS Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has been slammed for having influencers Jake and Logan Paul deliver a motivational speech at the Pentagon.
The Paul brothers, who have both been linked to President Trump, spoke at the Pentagon a day before National POW/MIA Recognition Day - which honors prisoners of war and those missing in action.
A spokesperson for the Defense Department touted the brothers’ visit with a video shared online, which was captioned: “Last Thursday, we welcomed Logan and Jake Paul to the Pentagon to meet with our warriors.”
Hegseth mocked for having Jake and Logan Paul deliver Pentagon speech
Is it safe to travel to Turkey? Foreign Office updates advice for tourists
Tuesday 22 September 2026 00:00 , James ReynoldsConflict in the Middle East has raised concerns among holidaymakers with trips booked to Turkey.
Turkey, a popular holiday destination, is considered by the UK Foreign Office (FCDO) a generally safe place for travel, yet the UK government is still warning of an “unpredictable” situation with attacks that “could resume at short notice”.
Aside from ongoing conflict in the region, there are other factors that travellers need to bear in mind when visiting.
Here’s the latest:
Is it safe to travel to Turkey? Foreign Office updates advice for tourists
US government tells Americans to ‘seriously reconsider’ travel to the Middle East
Monday 21 September 2026 23:00 , James ReynoldsThe US government has urged its citizens to reconsider all travel to the Middle East as tensions continue between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
In the latest conflict escalation in the Middle East, Iranian-supported Houthis, a military group in Yemen, have engaged in hostilities against Saudi Arabia, including civilian airports.
This came after the group launched a lightning offensive around the narrow Bab el-Mandeb strait, a vital waterway in the region, especially for Saudi oil exports.
US government tells Americans to ‘seriously reconsider’ travel to the Middle East
Will Xi's visit help Donald Trump to end the Iran war?
Monday 21 September 2026 22:00 , James ReynoldsChinese president Xi Jinping will meet with Donald Trump in the United States on Thursday for a summit expected to centre on a possible extension to a trade truce that averted a major shock to the global economy last year.
A shift in fortunes has tempered expectations this time around, with Xi in no rush to make concessions and Trump constrained by the costly war with Iran.
Washington still sees Xi as uniquely able to exert pressure on Iran to bring an end to the war that has dragged Trump’s approval rating to the lowest of his political career. China buys 80-90 per cent of Iran’s total crude oil exports.
But so far, Xi has shown little inclination to do so. Reuters earlier this month reported that Beijing is selling billions of dollars' worth of goods to Iran through a sanctions-evasion scheme. China's foreign ministry says it is not aware of such a scheme.
US threats last month of secondary sanctions on countries doing business with Iran - which Bessent called an "Economic D-Day" - appear not to have yet been wielded against Tehran's largest trading partner.
That is more evidence, analysts say, that Trump is eager to keep relations with Xi steady as he focuses his energies elsewhere - an arrangement that also suits the Chinese leader.
"Both Xi and Trump feel it's quite helpful to have stability in the relationship so that they can focus on more pressing things," said Ruby Osman, senior geopolitical researcher at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change.
"For Trump, that is Iran. For Xi, that is building out China's domestic resilience for whatever comes after Trump."
Turkey finally acknowledges Saudi Arabia may need help with the Houthis
Monday 21 September 2026 21:00 , James ReynoldsTurkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan said on Saturday that Saudi Arabia may have some military needs due to the ongoing attacks by Yemen's Houthis and that Turkey would look into them as part of a trilateral defence pact signed with Pakistan.
Speaking on broadcaster NTV, Fidan said it was unacceptable for Saudi Arabia to be made a part of the US-Iran war as it had no desire to join the conflict, and added without elaborating, that proposals have been conveyed to all sides to end the fighting.
Why it matters:
What the escalating war between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis means for Trump in Iran
Top story: Iran informed that US plans to resume action
Monday 21 September 2026 20:00 , James ReynoldsIran received information that the United States, with the backing of some regional countries, was preparing to resume actions against Iran, the country's central military command said in a statement on Sunday, according to state media.
The military said that any U.S. attack would trigger sustained strikes on U.S. bases and interests in the region, the report added, warning that regional countries supporting U.S. aggression against Iran would be considered parties to the conflict.
Watch: Trump threatens to ‘blow entire nation up’ after Iran warns of ‘painful strikes’
Monday 21 September 2026 19:00 , James ReynoldsICYMI: Saudi Arabia says Yemen's Houthi rebels tried to attack its capital with a ballistic missile
Monday 21 September 2026 18:00 , James ReynoldsSaudi Arabia said on Saturday that Yemen’s Houthi rebels tried to attack its capital with a ballistic missile in what would be the first targeting of Riyadh since the escalation in fighting with the rebels.
The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis said the attack was intercepted. Some residents in Riyadh heard an explosion. Later, some saw a plume of smoke near the airport. There were no reports of casualties or damage.
The statement also said the Houthis tried to attack civilian infrastructure in the Red Sea port city of Yanbu — where a key Saudi pipeline ends — and in Taif, Baysh and Farasan but they were thwarted, giving no further details.
The Houthis had earlier claimed, without providing evidence, that they had targeted “sensitive sites” in Riyadh and facilities of Saudi oil giant Aramco in Yanbu.
Trump planning sanctions against International Criminal Court over Netanyahu arrest warrant: report
Monday 21 September 2026 17:20 , James ReynoldsDonald Trump is reportedly preparing sanctions against the International Criminal Court after the global tribunal issued an arrest warrant for Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Sweeping sanctions could prohibit the court from carrying out transactions in dollars, cutting it off from the global financial system and drastically undermining its work, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The Trump administration has made no secret of its disdain for the court, which prosecutes war crimes and genocide worldwide. U.S. officials want the court to drop its arrest warrants against Israeli leaders as well as a past probe into American troops in Afghanistan.
Trump planning sanctions against ICC over Netanyahu arrest warrant: report
Minister dismisses Burnham’s past Trump criticism as ‘politics’ as PM and president set to meet this week
Monday 21 September 2026 16:40 , James ReynoldsA government minister has dismissed Andy Burnham’s previous comments about Donald Trump as “politics” ahead of the prime minister’s expected meeting with the US president.
The prime minister is set to travel to New York for the UN general assembly, in one of his most important trips abroad since taking over from Sir Keir Starmer.
Mr Burnham will reportedly meet the US president on the sidelines of the event, in what will be their first in-person conversation and a major diplomatic moment.
Labour chair Bridget Phillipson, asked whether the encounter could prove awkward in light of past remarks, told Sky News: “Look, I think what you’ve just described there is politics, and the president knows that.”
In full:
Minister dismisses Burnham’s past Trump criticism as ‘politics’ ahead of meeting
What happened to the Islamabad Memorandum to end the war?
Monday 21 September 2026 16:00 , James ReynoldsIran and the US have remained at odds on several prickly issues since the signing of the ‘Islamabad Memorandum’ to end the war in June.
The agreement, which was primarily brokered by Pakistan, was supposed to immediately stop the fighting in the Middle East and facilitate more talks aimed at resolving the conflict.
But four months on, the region continues to live under fear of re-escalation. Both sides continue to contest the status of the Strait of Hormuz. And diplomatic efforts appear to have stopped entirely.
What were the terms?
The agreement was focused on an end to the war and a US naval blockade, in exchange for Tehran taking steps to ensure safe transit in the Strait of Hormuz, according to the Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei.
Senior Iranian diplomat Hossein Nooshabadi told ISNA news agency that the possible framework deal included the end of the war on all fronts including Lebanon, the release of blocked Iranian assets, the lifting of the US naval blockade and the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, the withdrawal of US forces from the region and freedom to sell Iranian oil. He said Iran’s draft contained no commitments on Iran’s nuclear programme.
The Americans said the nuclear issue must be resolved as part of any deal. A senior US official told Reuters that Iran had agreed “in principle” to reopen the Strait in exchange for the US lifting its naval blockade, and to dispose of Tehran’s highly enriched uranium.
What happened?
Israel was left out of the signing and fighting continues with Hezbollah in Lebanon. The US continues to maintain its presence in the region and has struck Iranian sites.
Maintaining its hold on the Strait of Hormuz, Tehran has tried to show its neighbours that they cannot depend on Washington for security and should accept a new status quo, whereby they are responsible for transit through the Gulf with Oman.
With neither side backing down, the Iran-aligned Houthis have entered the fray, attacking Saudi ships in the Red Sea and seizing land near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to squeeze those trying to bypass the Strait of Hormuz.
Talks are apparently suspended, while Iran and its proxies continue to exert more and more pressure on its neighbours and on the global economy.
Another tanker hit by debris from unknown projectiles - UKMTO
Monday 21 September 2026 15:32 , James ReynoldsAnother LPG tanker has been hit by debris from unknown projectiles while transiting out of the Strait of Hormuz, according to the UKMTO.
The monitor, citing a Master, reported that all crew are safe and that there is no impact to the environment. Authorities are investigating, they say.
It follows an earlier report of an incident involving a vessel transiting the Strait.
A tanker coming into the waterway was struck by an unknown projectile, the UKMTO reported earlier on Monday.
Trump says 250-foot arch will now be a military complex for attack drones, snipers and ammo
Monday 21 September 2026 15:20 , James ReynoldsDonald Trump made another push on Sunday to redefine one of his Washington, D.C. “beautification” projects that is likely aimed at securing funding for the project from a skeptical Congress.
The president posted on Truth Social that his planned 250-foot triumphal arch will now be loaded up with “large numbers of drones, plus Snipers,” and insisted that the commemorative structure on the grounds of one of America’s most sacred spaces — Arlington National Cemetery — would become a “top grade Military Complex.”
“At the strong request of the United States Military, and for National Security purposes, I have agreed to convert the magnificent Triumphal Arch, planned since the Civil War Era many years ago, at the Receptive Circle adjoining the Arlington Memorial Bridge, into a top grade Military Complex/Triumphal Arch, to house, store, and have the rapid ability to use large numbers of drones, plus Snipers, on both the roof and plaza areas, and additionally have and hold large quantities of sniper ammunition in storage,” wrote the president.
In full:
Trump says 250-foot arch will now be a military complex for drones and snipers
Monday 21 September 2026 15:03 , James ReynoldsDonald Trump said on Monday that Russia has “lost control” of its diesel industry and again called for an end to Moscow's war with Ukraine.
The rising cost of diesel is hitting US farmers just as the president’s war with Iran weighs on global oil prices. Both risk souring Trump’s domestic approval rating ahead of the November midterms.
"Russia has unfortunately lost control of its Diesel Oil Industry due to its War with Ukraine. A large number of their Diesel refineries have been blown up and are, at least temporarily, out of commission," Trump said in a social media post a day before he was to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
"This ridiculous and never ending War with Ukraine must be ended."
Has Trump achieved his goals in the war with Iran?
Monday 21 September 2026 14:40 , James ReynoldsShortly after the US and Israel attacked Iran, Donald Trump laid out several objectives, from destroying Iran's ballistic missile capabilities to ensuring Tehran can never have a nuclear weapon. Here’s where things stand after seven months:
Missiles and drones
Before the war, Iran held the largest ballistic stockpile in the Middle East, with between 2,500 and 6,000 missiles of different types. A month into the conflict, US sources told Reuters they believed a third of that arsenal had been destroyed and another third likely damaged, destroyed or buried.
It is unclear how many missiles Iran has left, but the country still has the ability to reach US bases and allies across the region.
Military capabilities
The US says it has degraded Iran's conventional military ability to project power in the region or threaten US operations.
It claims to have destroyed at least 161 Iranian naval ships and 82 per cent of its air defence systems. But Iran’s Revolutionary Guards still exert control over the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting global trade and forcing up oil prices.
Nuclear programme
Trump has repeatedly said that his main goal is to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. Tehran says it has no intention of building a bomb and its programme is for peaceful purposes.
But the war has not significantly changed Iran's nuclear capability. US intelligence estimated two months into the war that Iran would still need less than a year to produce a nuclear weapon - no change from the estimate given last summer.
Iranian proxies
Trump said on March 2 at the White House that Tehran cannot be allowed to continue to arm and fund the armed proxy groups in Iraq, Lebanon, Gaza and Yemen that Iran has relied on for decades to project power and harass enemies.
US Admiral Brad Cooper said in May that Iran no longer has the ability to reliably supply those groups with advanced weapons. The Yemeni Houthis have regardless tightened their grip on traffic through the Red Sea, cutting Saudi Arabia off as it tries to divert oil from the Gulf. The vital East-West pipeline was cut off in September after it was attacked by drones from Iraq.
Regime change
Trump encouraged Iranian protesters to overthrow their rulers before the war began and said Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's death on February 28 was their "single greatest chance" to seize the government.
The war has failed to dislodge Iran’s government, but supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed and replaced by his son at the start of the conflict. Trump has since refrained from repeating his calls for the toppling of Iranian leaders.
Houthis push on strategic highlands as Trump weighs strikes
Monday 21 September 2026 14:38 , James ReynoldsHouthi fighters were pushing to seize strategic heights in Yemen on Monday to cut off the Red Sea coast from remaining areas held by Saudi-backed forces, after a report that President Donald Trump had called off US strikes on the group at the last minute.
A lightning advance by the Iran-backed group this month has extended the wider Middle East conflict to a new theatre and further threatened global energy supplies.
Five Yemeni military sources told Reuters the Houthis were now seeking to seize strategic heights, known as the Kahboub Mountains, in two provinces, Taiz and Lahij, which separate the Red Sea coast from the government-held south.
Fighting has centred on the outskirts of the remote mountain Al-Wazi'iyah district in Taiz province, and Ras al-Ara along the Indian Ocean coast between the mouth of the Red Sea that the fighters captured last week and the government's base in Aden.
The Houthis aim to secure the rear of their forces around the Bab al-Mandab Strait leading into the Red Sea by taking control of the heights, which would allow them to open new fronts, according to the sources. That would help protect exposed positions the Houthis captured during their advance around Dhubab on the Red Sea and on Perim Island in the strait.
The New York Times reported that the Trump administration had prepared on Sunday to launch airstrikes against the Houthis after fresh pleas from the Saudi crown prince. But the newspaper said Trump called off the airstrikes at the last minute, even as troops were loading bombs onto aircraft.
Tanker struck by projectile in Strait of Hormuz, two crew injured
Monday 21 September 2026 14:05 , James ReynoldsA tanker transiting the Strait of Hormuz was struck by a projectile, injuring two crew members, United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on Monday, citing military authorities.
The two crew sustained minor injuries, while the vessel was continuing to its next port of call, it added.
Stressed Trump’s stark warning on Iran: ‘If and when do I blow the entire nation up?’
Monday 21 September 2026 14:00 , James ReynoldsDonald Trump again issued a grave threat to destroy the “entire country” of Iran during a phone call with a Fox News reporter on Sunday.
The president told Fox’s Trey Yingst that for him, the “question” was “if and when” it would be required to “blow the entire nation up” if Iran’s government did not submit to his demands.
“They better behave,” Yingst said the president told him of Iran’s government, adding that the choices included “wiping them out, letting Iran rot economically, or making a deal”.
Stressed Trump’s stark warning on Iran: ‘If and when do I blow the entire nation up?’
Cost of hiring a supertanker swells as Iran war drags on
Monday 21 September 2026 13:55 , James ReynoldsHiring an oil supertanker to load in the Persian Gulf and transit the Strait of Hormuz cost as much as $1m a day earlier this month as the Iran war weighs on global shipping.
That figure, shared by maritime-intelligence firm Windward, is worth around a quarter of the current value of crude oil, and goes some way towards explaining its inflated price.
With Yemen’s Houthi rebels now squeezing the Bab el-Mandeb strait, prices are likely to continue to climb, with fewer alternative routes available to bypass Hormuz.
According to the Wall Street Journal, operators are now also constrained in by a shortage of oil tankers, slowing deliveries and compounding costs for consumers.
Adi Imsirovic, a former energy trader and lecturer at Oxford University, told the Journal: “What matters for refiners is the delivered cost of the crude, and that includes freight. The price at the pump includes all of it and the consumer has to pay the full price.”
UK must drill the North Sea to avert looming oil shock, says Tory leader
Monday 21 September 2026 13:37 , James ReynoldsKemi Badenoch, the leader of Britain’s Conservative party, urges the Labour government to drill oil and gas in the North Sea, warning the impact of the Iran war is bringing forth another oil shock.
“Saudi Arabia's East-West oil pipeline has been damaged by drone attacks. The strait of Hormuz is restricted, Houthi bandits threaten shipping routes into the Red Sea. Another oil shock is coming,” the leader of the opposition wrote on social media.
“Yet our Prime Minister and his Cabinet are behaving like a flock of ostriches, heads buried so deep in the sand they could strike oil themselves. The answer is simple: DRILL OUR OWN OIL AND GAS IN THE NORTH SEA.”
These are all the countries currently on the Foreign Office ‘do not travel’ list
Monday 21 September 2026 13:20 , James ReynoldsThe FCDO has issued various travel warnings, including advice against “all travel” and “all but essential travel” to entire countries or parts of countries in Europe, Africa, Asia and South America.
Of 226 countries or territories with foreign travel advice pages, 72 are currently flagged as having no-go zones due to security issues, health risks and legal differences with the UK.
Here’s the latest:
All the countries currently on the Foreign Office ‘do not travel’ list
The latest: Iran and US still trading threats with diplomacy at impasse
Monday 21 September 2026 12:40 , James ReynoldsIran and the United States exchanged new threats over the weekend, with Donald Trump warning Iran would fail economically or face its leadership being wiped out if it didn't make a deal, and the Iranian military saying it would retaliate harshly to any fresh attack.
The conflict has looked stalemated for months, with no sign either side was ready for concessions even as it has deepened a global energy crisis, cratered swathes of Iran's economy and spilled over into new regional escalations.
In a phone call with a Fox News reporter, Trump said Iran's leaders should make a deal, rot economically or be wiped out.
However, with Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian expected in New York this week for the United Nations General Assembly, Trump said he would be open to meeting him, the Fox reporter added.
Trump has repeatedly made vague threats of major military escalations during the conflict that began with US and Israeli strikes on February 28, without carrying them out.
Earlier, Iran's military central command said any new attack would trigger sustained retaliation against US bases and interests and that Washington's regional allies would be considered parties to the conflict.
Chancellor’s headroom ‘to halve because of Iran war inflation and weak growth’
Monday 21 September 2026 12:00 , James ReynoldsChancellor John Healey will face pressure to raise taxes or cut spending at next month’s Budget, as soaring borrowing costs because of the Iran war and weaker growth has wiped nearly £12 billion off the Government’s fiscal headroom, according to a new report.
The latest KPMG economic outlook estimates that Mr Healey could be left with headroom of about £12 billion in the autumn, down from £23.6 billion at the time of the spring forecast.
It said rising borrowing costs on the UK’s debt after the Middle East conflict has already cut about £9 billion off the headroom, with sluggish growth and expected downgrades from the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) likely to to reduce it by about another £2 billion.
Chancellor’s headroom ‘to halve because of Iran war inflation and weak growth’
Just 17 commercial vessels transit Strait of Hormuz over weekend
Monday 21 September 2026 11:30 , James ReynoldsA total of 17 commodity vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz on the weekend, down from 37 a week earlier, shipping data showed on Monday, as tension in the Gulf persisted with the US and Iran in stalemate.
Visible traffic through the strait, the conduit for a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas before the war, has dwindled to a trickle. However, Middle Eastern producers continue to export oil on tankers travelling with their transponders off.
Among trackable ships, five vessels exited the strait on Sunday, while another two small-sized oil tankers entered the Gulf, provisional data from analytics firm Kpler showed as of 0706 GMT.
The vessels that exited were the very large crude carrier Pinios, two tankers carrying refined oil products, and two empty carriers for bulk goods and gas.
Inside Iran’s petrol crisis: How war with the US has taken its toll
Monday 21 September 2026 11:00 , James ReynoldsAs government officials in Iran announce plans for a 100 per cent increase in petrol prices, reports from cities across the country suggest the main problem is no longer simply the price - access to good-quality fuel is also becoming increasingly difficult.
Jafar Ghaderi, a member of the Iranian parliament’s Economic Commission, said last week that the Islamic Republic of Iran faces a daily petrol shortfall of 15 to 20 million litres and that importing petrol costs around $1 (75p) per litre.
He confirmed the US naval blockade had disrupted the flow of imports into Iran. According to Ghaderi, around 83% of imports had previously entered the country through southern maritime routes, and restrictions on these routes have affected the supply of both goods and fuel.
Read the full story from our partner site, Independent Persian:
Inside Iran’s petrol crisis: How war with the US has taken its toll
Catch up: Iran warns US against any major new offensive
Monday 21 September 2026 10:30 , James ReynoldsIran issued a warning on Sunday against any major new offensive by the U.S. and its partners, saying it had intelligence that such an offensive move was being organized, heightening anxiety across a region already unsettled after recent drone and missile strikes on Saudi Arabia.
Iran’s military central command stated on state media that any fresh assault would provoke sustained retaliation against US military installations and interests, adding that Washington’s regional allies would be regarded as parties to the conflict.
The State Department published a security alert on Saturday, noting the potential for unpredictable escalation in the Middle East and advising all American citizens to remain vigilant while anticipating potential commercial flight cancellations and possible regional airspace closures.
Read the full story:
Iran issues chilling warning to US and its allies as tensions escalate
What escalating Saudi-Houthi war means for Trump in Iran
Monday 21 September 2026 10:00 , James ReynoldsWashington has largely ignored the lingering disruption created by the Houthis around the Red Sea. But a wider conflict with Saudi Arabia could force them to intervene:
What the escalating war between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis means for Trump in Iran
Trump planning sanctions against International Criminal Court over Netanyahu arrest warrant: report
Monday 21 September 2026 09:34 , James ReynoldsDonald Trump is reportedly preparing sanctions against the International Criminal Court after the global tribunal issued an arrest warrant for Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Sweeping sanctions could prohibit the court from carrying out transactions in dollars, cutting it off from the global financial system and drastically undermining its work, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The Trump administration has made no secret of its disdain for the court, which prosecutes war crimes and genocide worldwide. U.S. officials want the court to drop its arrest warrants against Israeli leaders as well as a past probe into American troops in Afghanistan.
Trump planning sanctions against ICC over Netanyahu arrest warrant: report
