Iran has said it will unveil new sanctions for ships trying to pass through the Strait of Hormuz following a weekend of renewed exchanges with the United States, casting fresh doubt on progress towards an end to the six month conflict.
Mohsen Rezaei, the secretary of Iran’s supreme national security council, told state TV on Sunday that Tehran will announce a new ‘exclusion zone’ outside of the waterway in the coming days.
He said any ship seen entering the new restricted zone would be added to a sanctions list, reiterating that the waterway would only fully open again once the Americans “stop the sabotage, threats and attacks on Iran”.
Iran and the United States traded fire again over the weekend, forcing oil prices back up to $93 per barrel and driving Hormuz traffic down to its lowest since May.
The US claimed strikes on three Iranian oil tankers, including one off the coast of Kharg Island, after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched ballistic missiles at two American naval vessels.
Read MoreIran war will continue for another six months, former US defence secretary says
Trump approval rating drops to record low in new poll
Trump gets testy and calls Iran war ‘small potatoes’ when pressed on length of fight
Iran fuel tanker explosion leaves 11 dead and seven injured
Key Points
- Iran official says Tehran to set up 'exclusion zone' outside strait
- US denies that Iran struck an uncrewed US military ship in the Strait of Hormuz
- Iran says it hit a US ship in a week of renewed hostilities
- Iran mocks US over Strait of Hormuz disruption with Simpsons meme
- Israeli strikes kill 7 in Lebanon
Trump approval rating drops to record low in new poll
12:40 , James ReynoldsDonald Trump’s approval rating has dropped to a record low in a major poll, presenting a headache for Republicans in the lead up to the midterm elections.
Less than two months before November’s elections, a Financial Times poll carried out by Focaldata found that only 33 percent of registered voters approve of Trump’s performance as president.
This is the lowest number recorded since the newspaper began asking the question in May and a three-point decrease from the previous month.
In full:
Trump approval rating drops to record low in new poll
Iran warns South Korea against joining Gulf operations
12:00 , James ReynoldsIran's foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday that South Korea's military participation or presence in operations in the Gulf and Strait of Hormuz would be regarded as support for US "aggression" and would have serious consequences.
A South Korean official said last week that Seoul was reviewing practical options, including military measures, for supporting freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz - but that South Korea-US security talks were “not currently progressing”.
Iran war shows strategic alliance with the US is not enough, Qatari official says
11:20 , James ReynoldsA spokesperson for the Qatari foreign ministry on Monday admitted openly that the Iran war has shown that Gulf Arab countries should not depend exclusively on their partnership with the US for their security.
Majed al-Ansari told a panel at the Hili forum in Abu Dhabi: “We need to realise in the Gulf that having international forces in the region, having a strategic alliance with the US is very important but is not enough.
“Self-sufficiency when it comes to security is the only way forward,” he said.
Hormuz traffic dips to lowest since May following renewed strikes on ships
10:40 , James ReynoldsAn average of 10 commodity ships transited the Strait of Hormuz per day over the past 10 days, the lowest since May, according to shipping data on Monday, after US and Iranian strikes on tankers.
The 10-day moving average was 10 on Sunday, down from more than 15 on Friday and nearly 13 on Saturday, data from analytics firm Kpler found.
Only two vessels passed through the strait on Saturday while six went through on Sunday, mostly using the Iranian route.
US forces struck three Iranian oil tankers on Saturday, Central Command said, including one off Kharg Island, Iran's key oil export hub, following attacks by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on US warships in the region.
In retaliation, the IRGC navy said on Saturday it targeted three oil tankers travelling unauthorized routes in the strait as well as three additional U.S. vessels in other areas.
'Not a big thing': Trump still defiant that Iran is going to plan
10:00 , James ReynoldsPresident Donald Trump has backed up comments from his vice president and insisted the Iran conflict is a relatively minor operation, rather than a full-on war.
"I call it a military conflict because it's small potatoes for us,” the president told reporters in the Oval Office on Friday. “It’s not a big thing.”
When pressed by Rachel Scott of ABC News about the record-setting deployments of certain service members as part of the fight, the president lashed out, repeatedly asking, “How long were we in Vietnam?”
President Trump claimed the U.S. had successfully stopped Iran from getting a nuclear weapon and alleged U.S. satellite intelligence would spot any future threats from the country the moment they arose. The U.S. had “essentially taken over” Iran, the Republican said.
Read the full story:
Trump calls Iran war ‘small potatoes’ amid questions about prolonged campaign
Catch up: Iran fuel tanker explosion leaves 11 dead and seven injured
09:20 , James ReynoldsAt least 11 people have been killed and seven injured after a fuel tanker exploded in western Iran, state media said.
State news agency IRNA reported late on Saturday that the vehicle suffered a brake fault and struck several cars before catching fire near a traffic police station outside Sanandaj, a Kurdish city roughly 400 kilometres (248 miles) west of Tehran.
The injured were taken to hospital. A similar collision involving a fuel tanker and a passenger bus near Sanandaj in 2018 killed 15 people and injured four.
At least 11 killed in Israeli strikes in Lebanon, state news agency reports
08:40 , James ReynoldsIsraeli strikes on a southern Lebanese town early on Monday killed at least 11 people including two children and two medics, Lebanon's state news agency said.
Israel has intensified its bombardment of south Lebanon in recent days despite a June ceasefire that was meant to halt fighting between the Israeli military and Lebanese armed group Hezbollah. At least seven people were killed in Israeli strikes on Sunday.
Just after midnight, Israeli warplanes hit a residential building in the town of Kfar Rumman in southern Lebanon, killing nine people including two children, and wounding five more, Lebanon's National News Agency reported.
A separate Israeli drone strike on a civilian vehicle in the town killed two medics inside the car, it said.
The strikes on the town came without an online evacuation warning from the Israeli military.
Muslim nations condemn Israeli proposal to empty Gaza
08:00 , Shweta SharmaAny Israeli plan or action to remove Palestinians from Gaza would violate international law and undermine the US-backed plan for drawing down the war, eight Muslim nations said in a statement.
Israel's national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, last week published a plan to encourage Palestinian migration from Gaza. Israel's defence minister, Israel Katz, has said Israel is prepared to facilitate the removal of Palestinians by sea, air or other means, and that plans remain under discussion.
The foreign ministers of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and five other governments called the statements "inflammatory" and said they threatened the "legitimate and inalienable rights" of Palestinians and the future establishment of a Palestinian state.
The ministers warned of “grave consequences of transforming calls for forced displacement into declared policy or practical measures.”
“Such measures directly challenge international efforts to achieve peace, particularly president Donald Trump’s comprehensive plan to end the conflict in Gaza, which includes a firm rejection of forced displacement,” they added, referring to the US-backed October 2025 peace plan for Gaza.
Iran's government to raise fuel price for heavy users
07:30 , Shweta SharmaIran will raise the price of gasoline for users surpassing 110 litres per month starting on Tuesday, a government spokesperson said, as it steps up efforts to tackle problems created by the war and crippling US economic sanctions.
Motorists can still buy up to 60 litres at 15,000 rials (about one pence) per litre and an additional 50 litres at 30,000 rials per litre.
But the price for amounts above that will be raised to 100,000 Iranian rials (about 5 pence) per litre, Fatemeh Mohajerani said in comments carried by state media.
The increase in Iran's gasoline price, which is one of the lowest in the world, was discussed by the government and postponed amid concerns it could trigger new protests.
Iran experienced widespread protests in 2019 over the same issue.
The higher fuel price will only affect consumers who require more than 110 litres per month and is due to "current conditions", Mohajerani said.
In December, Iran partially raised the price of its subsidised gasoline for most users, as the OPEC member sought to control rising fuel demand.
Pictures: Mass funeral in Gaza after 70 children among 110 killed
07:00 , Shweta SharmaBodies wrapped in white shrouds and draped with Palestinian flags were laid out for the mass funeral after 110 people were killed.
Some shrouds bore images of the deceased.
"We are witnessing a painful, heartbreaking scene," said Mustafa Quzghat, a relative.
Over 73,650 Palestinians have been killed since the war in Gaza began, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.
Strait of Hormuz shipping falls to lowest level since May
06:54 , Shweta SharmaAn average of just 10 commodity ships transited the Strait of Hormuz each day over the past 10 days, the lowest level since May, according to data from analytics firm Kpler.
It came as US forces struck three Iranian oil tankers on Saturday, US Central Command said, including one off the coast of Kharg Island, near Iran's key oil export hub.
The navy of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said on Saturday it targeted three oil tankers that were travelling through unauthorised routes in the Strait of Hormuz as well as three additional US vessels in other areas.
However, Centcom denied that US vessels were struck by Iran.
Oil price rise after US and Iran strikes in Hormuz
06:44 , Shweta SharmaOil prices extended gains on Monday as tit-for-tat strikes between the US and Iran on vessels sailing through the Strait of Hormuz and elsewhere heightened concerns about a prolonged disruption to supplies from the Middle East.
Brent crude futures rose 79 cents, or 0.82 per cent, to $97.07 a barrel by 0512 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate crude was at $92.28 a barrel, up 80 cents, or 0.87 per cent.
Brent rose 7.8 per cent last week while WTI gained nearly 10 per cent after the US and Iran resumed attacks and caused a reduction in oil flows through the Hormuz strait where a fifth of the world's oil supply used to transit.
Trump's son-in-law Kushner says Gaza has been a 'dystopian place'
06:30 , Shweta SharmaJared Kushner, president Donald Trump's son-in-law, defended the lack of progress in talks about next steps in the fragile Gaza ceasefire, saying that "it's been a dystopian place for a long time."
Speaking at a news conference in Ukraine, Kushner defended his work with Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, saying the militarisation by the Hamas militant group in the Palestinian territory was "beyond our comprehension, so demilitarizing it is not going to be easy."
"But we're very determined, and we're working through these things," Kushner said.
He added: "We're working through some political issues in Israel. I think we agree with them on the end state. They just have a crazy election, and that makes them a little irrational in certain regards."
Israel's election is set for 27 October.
Drone strikes Iranian Kurdish opposition camp in Iraq, report says
06:23 , Shweta SharmaA drone struck a refugee camp belonging to an Iranian Kurdish opposition group in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region early on Monday, according to Kurdish news outlet Rudaw.
The strike hit the camp in Sulaymaniyah at around 4.40am local time, reportedly causing material damage but no casualties.
Mass funeral in Gaza for over 110 Palestinians found in rubble
06:00 , Shweta SharmaDozens of Palestinians gathered in Gaza City to mourn over 110 people, including at least 70 children, after their remains were recovered.
Rescue crews have been digging out the bodies from the Zeitoun neighborhood.
They said the dead came from three families whose houses were flattened by Israeli strikes earlier in the war.
"We are witnessing a painful, heartbreaking scene," said Mustafa Quzghat, a relative.
The bodies were wrapped in white shrouds and draped with Palestinian flags. Some shrouds bore images of the deceased, according to Associated Press footage. They were laid out in rows on the ground.
Over 73,650 Palestinians have been killed since the war in Gaza began, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.
The ministry, part of the Hamas-run government, maintains detailed records viewed as generally reliable by UN agencies and international organisations. It doesn't give a breakdown of civilians and militants.
Iran official says Tehran to set up 'exclusion zone' outside strait
05:34 , Shweta SharmaThe new head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council said Tehran plans to announce an "exclusion zone" outside the Strait of Hormuz aimed at vessels it believes are attempting to transit the waterway.
Mohsen Rezaei's comments to Iran's state broadcaster came with few details, a day after the US struck three Iranian oil tankers in response to Tehran launching ballistic missiles at US warships.
Experts called the launches a dangerous escalation after Iran's previous attacks at sea targeted commercial shipping.
The new zone should be announced in the coming days and weeks and "will begin from the line of the US naval blockade, extend toward the Strait of Hormuz, and from this side continue into the Persian Gulf," Rezaei said.
Iran mocks US over Strait of Hormuz disruption with Simpsons meme
04:45 , Shweta SharmaIran has accused the US of causing disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and then attempting to blame Tehran for the fallout.
Foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Washington was trying to “put Iran’s name” on the consequences of a crisis it had created.
Baghaei also shared a Simpsons meme depicting Homer and Bart standing beside a spreading fire, with Bart saying: “Relax. It’s a controlled burn.”
“America started the war but expects the whole world to pay the bill, while portraying Iran as the one that caused this chaos”, he wrote on X.
The Strait of #Hormuz was wide open until 28 February, when the #USrael attacked Iran. Washington unleashed an unlawful and savage war on the region and disrupted the normal flow of commercial shipping; tankers are halted, trade is disrupted, and energy prices are rising.
— Esmaeil Baqaei (@IRIMFA_SPOX) September 6, 2026
The US… pic.twitter.com/ll5oHCQoEv
Israeli strikes kill 7 in Lebanon
04:30 , Shweta SharmaIsraeli strikes killed at least seven people in southern Lebanon and leveled an empty hospital, Lebanon's health ministry said.
Strikes on the village of Arabsalim killed two, the ministry said.
Two others were killed in Nabatiyeh al-Fawqa, near a strategic hill that Israel said its forces gained control over on Thursday.
And three people were killed in the village of Nabatiyeh al-Tahta after an Israeli drone struck a parking lot.
At least 20 others were wounded in strikes, the ministry said, among them three children and five women.
Israel's military said its latest strikes came in response to a drone attack launched earlier on Sunday by Hezbollah on troops in southern Lebanon.
It said Hezbollah had used the empty hospital as a command centre.
Since a ceasefire went into effect between Israel and Hezbollah more than two months ago, low-level skirmishes and Israeli strikes continue in the south.
US denies that Iran struck an uncrewed US military ship in the Strait of Hormuz
03:59 , Shweta SharmaThe US military denied that Iran struck an uncrewed American military vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, calling the claim a "total lie."
State-run media in Tehran said the US vessel was trying to enter an area that Iran says is restricted in the Strait of Hormuz, but Captain Tim Hawkins, spokesperson for the US Central Command, called it "a total lie."
The claim came a day after the US said it struck Iranian oil tankers in retaliation for Iran launching ballistic missiles at Navy warships. Attacks resumed last week after roughly a month of quiet.
In full: Trump approval rating drops to record low in new poll
03:00 , Dan HaygarthTrump approval rating drops to record low in new poll
Iran says it hit a US ship in a week of renewed hostilities
02:00 , Dan HaygarthIran said Sunday that it struck an unmanned US military boat in the Strait of Hormuz, marking the latest exchange of fire between the countries after a month of relative calm.
State-run media in Tehran said the US vessel was trying to enter an area that Iran says is restricted in the Strait of Hormuz.
It came a day after the US said it struck Iranian oil tankers in retaliation for Iran launching ballistic missiles at Navy warships.
Attacks resumed last week after roughly a month of quiet.
Israeli government warns holiday travellers
01:00 , Dan HaygarthIsrael issued a warning ahead of the Jewish High Holiday season, a busy travel time that begins this
Friday. It cautioned citizens not to travel to Muslim nations, including Jordan and Egypt, and to take precautions when overseas, including avoiding displaying Jewish symbols like skullcaps or speaking Hebrew in public spaces.
Israel frequently issues such warnings ahead of holidays or during wartime.
Watch - 'Small potatoes': Trump says Iran conflict isn't a 'big thing' for US
Sunday 6 September 2026 23:59 , Dan HaygarthRecap: UK chancellor warns of tough Budget because of economic impact of Iran war
Sunday 6 September 2026 23:00 , Daniel HaygarthThe chancellor has warned that the Budget in the autumn could be tough, as Donald Trump’s war in the Middle East affects the British economy.
John Healey issued the warning amid the leap in Government borrowing earlier this week, reflecting concerns among lenders about the inflationary impact of the US’s war with Iran.
Mr Healey also told the Financial Times he would ensure the UK emerges from his first Budget on October 28 with a solid “buffer against uncertainty”.
Economists have predicted that the fiscal buffer Rachel Reeves built up in her last budget, through a combination of tax rises and departmental spending cuts, will be squeezed by the inflationary pressures of ongoing global turmoil.
This could limit prime minister Andy Burnham’s ambitions to tackle the cost-of-living crisis, and spending plans across his wider agenda for Government.
The Chancellor told the FT: “What’s happening in the Middle East is hitting inflation, it’s hitting growth, it’s hitting borrowing costs.”
He added: “It’s part of a more dangerous world that is more uncertain and it’s one of the challenges we have to meet in this country, but have to meet with other [countries].”
In full - Iran fuel tanker explosion leaves 11 dead and seven injured
Sunday 6 September 2026 22:00 , Dan HaygarthAt least 11 people have been killed and seven injured after a fuel tanker exploded in western Iran, state media said.
State news agency IRNA reported late on Saturday that the vehicle suffered a brake fault and struck several cars before catching fire near a traffic police station outside Sanandaj, a Kurdish city roughly 400 kilometres (248 miles) west of Tehran.
The injured were taken to hospital.
Read more below:
Iran fuel tanker explosion leaves 11 dead and seven injured
Watch - ‘I wouldn’t call it a war’: JD Vance’s jaw-dropper after reporter asks about Iran timeline
Sunday 6 September 2026 21:00 , Dan HaygarthThe young Iranian protestors facing execution
Sunday 6 September 2026 20:00 , Daniel HaygarthEight months after Donald Trump promised to protect protesters in Iran, the brutal killings continue.
As more detainees from the national uprising of January 2026 are executed, information obtained by Independent Persian indicates that dozens more protesters are facing either final death sentences or charges such as “enmity against God” and “corruption on Earth”, which can carry the death penalty.
Families of several prisoners say their loved ones have been denied access to lawyers of their choice and that, in some cases, confessions obtained under pressure and torture have become the primary evidence used to issue death sentences.
Read more:
Meet the young Iranian protestors facing execution
Iran to tackle economic issues, says further attacks will be 'more painful'
Sunday 6 September 2026 19:00 , Dan HaygarthIran said it will step up efforts to tackle problems created by the US sanctions that are crippling its economy, while a senior Iranian official warned of a "painful response" if it comes under further attack.
Six months after U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran, the war appears to be at a stalemate. A preliminary ceasefire accord reached in June has unravelled and little progress has been made in diplomatic efforts to get the peace process back on track.
After a pause in military action for much of July, tit-for-tat strikes have resumed with US Central Command saying it hit three Iranian tankers on Saturday in response to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launching ballistic missiles at two U.S. Navy ships.
Following the attacks, Iran's Parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said on Sunday that the US should understand that the rules of the game in the war against Iran have changed "before it is too late".
"From now on, any attack against Iran’s interests and security will receive a faster, heavier and more painful response,” he said in a speech published on his Telegram channel.
Tehran has shown it still retains the capability to attack U.S. interests in neighbouring countries and to shut down oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of global oil supplies flowed prior to the conflict.
In full: Trump approval rating drops to record low in new poll
Sunday 6 September 2026 18:00 , Dan HaygarthTrump approval rating drops to record low in new poll
Israeli strikes killed at least four people in southern Lebanon on Sunday and levelled a hospital, Lebanon's Health Ministry said.
Sunday 6 September 2026 17:00 , Dan HaygarthStrikes on the Lebanese village of Arabsalim killed two, the ministry said.
Two others were killed in the city of Nabatiyeh, near a strategic hill that Israel said its forces gained control over Thursday.
At least 20 others were wounded in the Sunday strikes, the ministry said, among them three children and five women. The strikes also destroyed an empty hospital, the ministry said. Residents have largely vacated the area because of the war.
The Israeli military said its latest strikes came in response to a drone attack launched earlier Sunday by Hezbollah on Israeli troops in southern Lebanon. It said Hezbollah had used the hospital as a command centre.
Since a ceasefire went into effect between Israel and Hezbollah more than two months ago, fighting has subsided in much of Lebanon but low-level skirmishes and Israeli strikes continue.
Muslim nations condemn Israeli proposal to empty Gaza of Palestinians
Sunday 6 September 2026 16:00 , Dan HaygarthAny Israeli plan or action to remove Palestinians from the Gaza Strip would violate international law and undermine the US-backed plan for drawing down the Gaza war, the foreign ministers of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and five other governments said in a statement on Sunday.
Israel's national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, last week published a plan to encourage Palestinian migration from Gaza, which he said would include Israel paying countries to help cover the cost of services for emigres.
It followed Israel's defence minister, Israel Katz, saying Israel was prepared to facilitate the removal of Palestinians by sea, air or other means, and that plans remained under discussion.
The governments called the statements "inflammatory" and said they threatened the "legitimate and inalienable rights" of Palestinians and the future establishment of a Palestinian state. They warned that any Israeli effort "aimed at uprooting Palestinians from their land" would have "grave consequences."
Previous Israeli attempts to persuade third countries to accept Palestinians from war-ravaged Gaza have gained little traction.
Iran says it hit a US ship in a week of renewed hostilities
Sunday 6 September 2026 15:00 , Dan HaygarthIran said Sunday that it struck an unmanned US military boat in the Strait of Hormuz, marking the latest exchange of fire between the countries after a month of relative calm.
State-run media in Tehran said the US vessel was trying to enter an area that Iran says is restricted in the Strait of Hormuz.
It came a day after the US said it struck Iranian oil tankers in retaliation for Iran launching ballistic missiles at Navy warships.
Attacks resumed last week after roughly a month of quiet.
Trump’s ambassador to Israel accuses Ed Miliband of ‘Jew hate’ over Gaza
Sunday 6 September 2026 14:34 , Dan HaygarthThe US ambassador to Israel has accused the Labour government of “Jew hate” after Ed Miliband said vital medicines on their way to Gaza were being blocked.
The outburst came after the foreign secretary posted a video in which he described what he had been told by people working inside the enclave.
“Frankly, it was horrific, what is unfolding,” Mr Miliband said. “The stories that people were telling me of medicines being blocked [and] children dying while waiting for vital life-saving treatment.”
In response, Mike Huckabee wrote on X: “The Brits have lost it. The Jew hate of their government knows no boundaries and knows no facts.”
Read more:
Trump’s ambassador to Israel accuses Ed Miliband of ‘Jew hate’ over Gaza
Analysis: Trump Just Doesn’t Understand He Is Now In A Forever War With Iran - And Russia
Sunday 6 September 2026 14:00 , Dan HaygarthIran's response to US attacks will be 'more painful', parliament speaker says
Sunday 6 September 2026 13:30 , Dan HaygarthThe US should understand that the rules of the game in war against Iran have changed "before it is too late", Iranian parliament dpeaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said on Sunday, a day after the US struck several Iranian tankers in the Gulf.
"From now on, any attack against Iran’s interests and security will receive a faster, heavier and more painful response,” he said in a speech published on his Telegram channel.
Trump faces Iran war nightmare as diesel hits record $5.85 and prices threaten to soar
Sunday 6 September 2026 13:00 , Dan HaygarthFuel costs hit an unprecedented high in the U.S. on Friday, with diesel soaring to a record national average of $5.85 a gallon as an ongoing six-month war with Iran continues to disrupt global fuel flows.
Read more below.
Trump faces Iran war nightmare as diesel hits record $5.85
OPEC+ set to keep oil output policy unchanged on Sunday, sources say
Sunday 6 September 2026 12:30 , Dan HaygarthOPEC+ (Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and other oil-producing countries) is set to keep its oil output policy unchanged for October at a meeting on Sunday, two people familiar with the discussions told Reuters, as the producer group needs to agree new quotas before deciding its next output steps.
The meeting comes as the Iran war continues to disrupt oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz, limiting OPEC+'s influence over prices and market share. Unlike in the past, the group's supply decisions have had a limited impact on the market.
In August, OPEC+ agreed its production boost for September, completing a phased rollback of a 1.65 million-barrel-per-day supply cut first agreed in 2023. Despite the agreed production increases, the group made up of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies, including Russia, still produces far below its targets because of the war.
OPEC+ still has another layer of production cuts in place, covering most members of the 21-country group until the end of 2026. Before the group decides how to unwind the cuts and return production to the market, it needs to review members' oil production capacity to set 2027 output baselines, which form the basis for quotas.
This debate will likely happen later in 2026 and hence OPEC+ is likely to pause its output increases for the fourth quarter, sources earlier told Reuters.
In full: US strikes three Iranian oil tankers after two of its warships targeted with missiles
Sunday 6 September 2026 12:00 , Dan HaygarthThe U.S. military says it struck three Iranian oil tankers Saturday, including one off the coast of Kharg Island, near Iran's key oil export hub.
The strikes were carried out after Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched ballistic missiles at two U.S. Navy warships, Central Command said.
“Let the message to the IRGC be clear: If you shoot at two of our ships, we will impose an even higher economic cost — taking out three of yours," said Admiral Brad Cooper, head of U.S. Central Command.
In a statement Saturday, the military said an aircraft carrier and a destroyer evaded “multiple unprovoked Iranian attacks”, and no U.S. personnel were hurt. It said two Iranian oil carriers were “permanently disabled” and the third, unladen one, was destroyed.
The U.S. statement said the tankers were part of a shadow network helping to fund Iran’s IRGC.
Read more:
US strikes three Iranian oil tankers after two of its warships targeted with missiles
Watch - ‘I wouldn’t call it a war’: JD Vance’s jaw-dropper after reporter asks about Iran timeline
Sunday 6 September 2026 11:30 , Dan HaygarthUK chancellor warns of tough Budget because of economic impact of Iran war
Sunday 6 September 2026 11:00 , Dan HaygarthThe Chancellor has warned that the Budget in the autumn could be tough, as US President Donald Trump’s war in the Middle East affects the British economy.
John Healey issued the warning amid the leap in Government borrowing earlier this week, reflecting concerns among lenders about the inflationary impact of the US’s war with Iran.
Mr Healey also told the Financial Times he would ensure the UK emerges from his first Budget on 28 October with a solid “buffer against uncertainty”.
Economists have predicted that the fiscal buffer Rachel Reeves built up in her last budget, through a combination of tax rises and departmental spending cuts, will be squeezed by the inflationary pressures of ongoing global turmoil.
This could limit prime minister Andy Burnham’s ambitions to tackle the cost-of-living crisis, and spending plans across his wider agenda for Government.
The chancellor told the FT: “What’s happening in the Middle East is hitting inflation, it’s hitting growth, it’s hitting borrowing costs.”
He added: “It’s part of a more dangerous world that is more uncertain and it’s one of the challenges we have to meet in this country, but have to meet with other [countries].”
Comment: We are now in the age of the Energy Wars
Sunday 6 September 2026 10:30 , Dan Haygarth
The Falklands are just the beginning – we are now in the age of the Energy Wars
Israeli military says it strikes southern Lebanon after Hezbollah launched drones
Sunday 6 September 2026 10:30 , Dan HaygarthThe Israeli military said it was striking southern Lebanon early on Sunday in retaliation for Hezbollah firing two drones at Israeli soldiers stationed in a part of the region it has declared a security zone.
The Israeli military had issued an evacuation warning to areas near a building in Arab Salim town in South Lebanon, saying it will strike it as it is used by Hezbollah.
There was no immediate comment from the Iran-backed group.
On Friday, the Israeli military said it struck weapon storage facilities intended to be used by Hezbollah in south Lebanon.
Since 2 March, Israeli strikes have killed more than 4,300 people in Lebanon.
Iranian death row prisoner smuggles out desperate plea to the world: Do not forget about us
Sunday 6 September 2026 10:00 , Dan HaygarthFrom behind the bars of a brutal Iranian prison, a political dissident awaiting execution describes life behind bars – and says the war with the US has made carrying out executions easier for the regime. Alex Croft reports.
Iranian death row prisoner smuggles out plea to the world: Do not forget about us
A fuel tanker explosion in west Iran kills 11 and injures 7, report cites fault brakes
Sunday 6 September 2026 09:30 , Dan HaygarthA fuel tanker exploded in western Iran, killing 11 people and injuring seven others, state media said.
IRNA reported late Saturday that the tanker hit other cars before bursting into flames near a traffic police station close to the Kurdish city of Sanandaj, some 400 kilometers (248 miles) west of the capital, Tehran. The report cited a faulty brake system.
The injured were transferred to hospitals.
In 2018, a similar road accident between a fuel tanker and an intercity passenger bus near Sanandaj killed 15 people and injured four.
Road and traffic accidents annually leave more than 17,000 dead in Iran. Experts blame the high fatality rate on unsafe vehicles, disregard for traffic rules, and inadequate emergency services.
Watch - 'Small potatoes': Trump says Iran conflict isn't a 'big thing' for US
Sunday 6 September 2026 09:15 , Dan HaygarthIn full: Trump gets testy and calls Iran war ‘small potatoes’ when pressed on length of fight
Sunday 6 September 2026 09:00 , Dan HaygarthPresident Donald Trump has backed up comments from his vice president and insisted the Iran conflict is a relatively minor operation, rather than a full-on war.
"I call it a military conflict because it's small potatoes for us,” the president told reporters in the Oval Office on Friday. “It’s not a big thing.”
When pressed by Rachel Scott of ABC News about the record-setting deployments of certain service members as part of the fight, the president lashed out, repeatedly asking, “How long were we in Vietnam?”
President Trump claimed the U.S. had successfully stopped Iran from getting a nuclear weapon and alleged U.S. satellite intelligence would spot any future threats from the country the moment they arose. The U.S. had “essentially taken over” Iran, the Republican said.
The question of whether the fight is a war has profound implications.
Read more below.
Trump calls Iran war ‘small potatoes’ amid questions about prolonged campaign
