Iran’s supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei has issued a new handwritten letter to the military serving as potential proof of life after not being seen in public for months, according to state media.
Khamenei addressed IRGC Aerospace Force commander Majid Mousavi in a letter dated 1 August and praised a report he submitted while encouraging the military to continue.
“Efforts regarding the supply chain should, God willing, continue, and reports on it should be regularly conveyed to me,” reads the document, which has not been independently verified.
He also urged the commander to protect himself and others: “Taking care of your dear life and all the brothers is my emphatic request.”
Khamenei has not been seen since US-Israeli strikes killed his father on 28 February. Communications since the attacks have been electronic or communicated through intermediaries and the letter marks the first time a handwritten document has been attributed to the leader.
Meanwhile, Iran’s president condemned Donald Trump’s “bullying mentality” as he stood before the United Nations in New York on Wednesday.
He said Iran was ready to resolve tensions through diplomacy, but warned that they would not accept the language of force.
Read MoreIranian president accuses US of ‘terrorism’ and flouting international law in defiant UN speech
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Netanyahu hits out at Macron’s ‘grotesque’ claim Hamas has never operated in the West Bank
Iran’s president faces stark choice in UN speech after Trump threatens ‘annihilation’
Key Points
- Iranian president: US has no respect for international law - but Iran won't surrender
- 'They were innocent': Iranian president holds up image of children killed in Minab school strike
- War-torn Ukraine and Iran discuss keeping tensions low
- Oil prices edge lower as Iran says it is open to diplomacy
Iranian and Ukrainian foreign ministers meet in New York, Mehr news agency reports
13:45 , Maira ButtThe Iranian and Ukrainian foreign ministers held a meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported, the first such meeting since tensions rose in July following a Ukrainian attack on an Iranian commercial vessel in the Caspian Sea.
Indian sailors urge Modi to send naval escorts to Hormuz
13:30 , Maira ButtIndian sailors have urged prime minister Narendra Modi to deploy naval escorts for Indian crews in the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf waters following the death of another Indian sailor.
Forward Seamen’s Union in a letter to the PM said Suraj Yadav, 26, was working as a wiper aboard the MV Cape Dao, which was sailing from Mina Saqr in the United Arab Emirates toward India.
The vessel was struck twice on its port side.
“Our sons who move the world’s trade must not be slaughtered in silence,” the union wrote
Thousands flee Yemen as war escalates – leaving Djibouti ‘overwhelmed’ with refugees
13:00 , Maira ButtThousands of Yemenis displaced by intensified fighting have fled across the Red Sea to Djibouti, with aid agencies “more than overwhelmed” by new arrivals amid the fallout from abrupt cuts to international aid.
More than 120,000 people have been displaced by a surge in fighting along Yemen's coast in recent weeks, according to the United Nations, with more than 3,200 arriving in Djibouti over the past few days.
The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, told The Independent its displacement facilities in Djibouti are already over capacity as they have received waves of people fleeing bombings across the sea on fishing boats, and later commercial vessels.
Thousands flee Yemen as war escalates – leaving Djibouti ‘overwhelmed’
Saudi civil defense sends alerts on potential danger in Mecca, Tabuk, Jeddah and Yanbu
12:30 , Maira ButtThe Saudi civil defence issued alerts on Thursday warning of potential danger in the holy city of Mecca, the northwestern area of Tabuk, the Red Sea areas of Jeddah and Yanbu, and the southern area of Taif.
The alerts were the first of the day to be issued by Saudi authorities.
They were removed shortly after as the Saudi civil defence said the “danger has passed”.
Iran hits out at Canadian PM Carney for defending Trump speech as 'language of war'
12:04 , Maira ButtIranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei has hit out at Canadian prime minister Mark Carney for saying that Donald Trump’s threats to “annihilate” Iran were part of the “language of war”.
He accused Carney of “reframing a threat” when he should have been “condemning US blatant aggression and warmongering”.
“Mark Carney must understand that time is too ruthless to let the shelter of illusion & hypocrisy endure forever,” he wrote in a post on X on Thursday.
“A day will surely dawn when those who sought refuge in the long shadow of American bullying—believing that mimicking the language of the mighty could shield them from the claws of power—will stand bare before the truth.
“They will learn, too late, that averting their eyes from reality and bartering away their dignity and self-respect buys no salvation. It only strips them naked, leaving them utterly defenceless before the very force that demands their submission.
“Perhaps, in that hour of reckoning, they will look upon Iran and finally comprehend. They will see that the nation they once conspired with empires to crush was the solitary guardian of a sacred flame.
“By standing unyielding against coercion, it kept a torch burning in the dark—a torch that, if allowed to die, would leave humanity with nothing but the cold embrace of naked force, burying the civilised and humane altars of reason beneath the brutal logic of might.”
Traffic through Strait of Hormuz almost halves
11:30 , Maira ButtTen commodity vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, up from seven a day earlier and below the 10-day moving average of about 17, preliminary shipping data showed on Thursday.
The figures could change as some ships switch off their transponders during the voyage.
Watch: US walks out as Iranian president accuses them of 'terrorism' for 'bombing girls school'
11:02 , Maira ButtNetanyahu expected to berate New York's Mamdani in 'campaign speech' of UN address
10:35 , Maira ButtIsraeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to use his UN address on Thursday to berate New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani for calling him a war criminal ahead of elections at home that he may lose.
Addressing the mayor directly in a video statement this week, Netanyahu said he was going to New York "to tell the truth about our heroic soldiers" and "to tell the truth about you." He falsely accused Mamdani of supporting Hamas militants.
Mamdani has previously called the Israeli leader a “war criminal” and had looked into means to arrest him if he landed in the city.
Tehran shares letter from supreme leader not seen for months
10:13 , Maira ButtIran’s supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei has issued a new handwritten letter to the military serving as potential proof of life after not being seen in public for months, according to state media.
Khamenei addressed IRGC Aerospace Force commander Majid Mousavi in a letter dated 1 August and praised a report he submitted while encouraging the military to continue.
“Efforts regarding the supply chain should, God willing, continue, and reports on it should be regularly conveyed to me,” reads the document, which has not been independently verified.
He also urged the commander to protect himself and others: “Taking care of your dear life and all the brothers is my emphatic request.”
Khamenei has not been seen since US-Israeli strikes killed his father on 28 February. Communications since the attacks have been electronic or communicated through intermediaries and the letter marks the first time a handwritten document has been attributed to the leader.
How Iran’s ‘bazaar style’ negotiation tactic is stalling deal discussions to its benefit
09:02 , Maira ButtNegotiations between the US and Iran over an end to the war on the country have been languishing in a stalemate for weeks as both sides remain intransigent about key issues including nuclear development.
This has likely not been helped by Iran’s particular “bazaar style” negotiation strategy, which aims to wear down its opponents.
How Iran’s ‘bazaar style’ negotiation tactic is stalling deal discussions
Iranian president accuses US of ‘terrorism’ and flouting international law in defiant UN speech
08:19 , Maira ButtIran’s president Masoud Pezeshkian launched a defiant attack on the United States and Israel at the UN, the day after President Donald Trump threatened to “annihilate” the Islamic Republic.
The US leader warned he could send Iran to “hell” during his combative address to the United Nations General Assembly Tuesday, seven months after the war he started alongside Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu.
In his address to the gathering in New York on Wednesday, Pezeshkian insisted that Iran would never surrender and held up images of children killed in a strike on a primary school in Minab.
Iranian president accuses US of ‘terrorism’ and ignoring international law at UN
Netanyahu hits out at Macron’s ‘grotesque’ claim Hamas has never operated in the West Bank
06:55 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarBenjamin Netanyahu has accused French president Emmanuel Macron of “grotesque absurdity” after claiming Hamas did not operate in the West Bank.
Macron gave his last UN General Assembly speech on Tuesday before stepping down as president, lashing out at increased settler violence.
“Look at what is happening in the West Bank, where every day violations are committed. In whose name? Hamas has never operated in the West Bank,” Macron said.
More here.
Netanyahu hits out at ‘grotesque’ Macron claim Hamas has never operated in West Bank
Iran slams Canadian PM for calling Trump's threat 'language of war'
06:28 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarThe Iranian foreign ministry has criticised Canadian prime minister Mark Carney for “reframing a threat to annihilate Iran as merely speaking the language of war”.
Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said that “Mark Carney must understand that time is too ruthless to let the shelter of illusion and hypocrisy endure forever”.
He added that “those who sought refuge in the long shadow of American bullying” would eventually learn that “averting their eyes from reality and bartering away their dignity and self-respect buys no salvation”.
When asked for his reaction to US president Donald Trump's threat to "annihilate Iran", the Canadian prime minister had said: "There is a war going on. He [Trump] is speaking the language of war."
Iranian president accuses US of ‘terrorism’
05:58 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarIran’s president Masoud Pezeshkian launched a defiant attack on the United States and Israel at the UN, the day after president Donald Trump threatened to “annihilate” the Islamic Republic.
The US leader warned he could send Iran to “hell” during his combative address to the United Nations General Assembly Tuesday, seven months after the war he started alongside Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu.
In his address to the gathering in New York, Pezeshkian insisted that Iran would never surrender and held up images of children killed in a strike on a primary school in Minab.
More here.
Iranian president accuses US of ‘terrorism’ and ignoring international law at UN
Another ship hit in the Strait of Hormuz
05:23 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarA cargo ship was struck in the Strait of Hormuz, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said, citing an unidentified company security officer.
The vessel was hit by an "unknown projectile," resulting in two casualties, UKMTO said without providing further details. The crew abandoned the ship, which caught fire and was left adrift.
The attack was the first reported in two days. No one immediately claimed responsibility.
Indian sailors urge Modi to send naval escorts to Hormuz
05:20 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarIndian sailors have urged prime minister Narendra Modi to deploy naval escorts for Indian crews in the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf waters following the death of another Indian sailor.
Forward Seamen’s Union in a letter to the PM said Suraj Yadav, 26, was working as a wiper aboard the MV Cape Dao, which was sailing from Mina Saqr in the United Arab Emirates toward India.
The vessel was struck twice on its port side.
“Our sons who move the world’s trade must not be slaughtered in silence,” the union wrote
Hard-liners in Iran criticise talks with US
04:56 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarHard-line figures in Iran have attacked the country's top diplomat for engaging with the US at the UN, triggering pushback from rival factions in Tehran.
In an X post, lawmaker Ebrahim Rezaei demanded that Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi explain the decision to meet with "the aggressor enemy".
Ali Ahmadnia, a media official for Iran's president, responded by posting an AI-generated image depicting Araghchi as a wounded warrior. "How can a soldier be on the battlefield while the home front is being weakened from within?!" Ahmadnia wrote on X.
"The Iranian delegation in New York operates in full coordination with the relevant institutions."
War-torn Ukraine and Iran discuss keeping tensions low
04:45 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarUkrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said he discussed ways of keeping tensions in check at a meeting with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araqchi."
Diplomacy is about direct conversation, even in challenging circumstances," Sybiha wrote on X.
"Our conversation focused on mutual steps to prevent further aggravation of tensions between our countries. We agreed to keep existing channels of communication open."
Sybiha said the two ministers exchanged views on the situation in the Middle East and Europe "as well as various tracks of ongoing peace efforts".
"I reiterated Ukraine's position in support of a sooner restoration of peace and stability in both our regions."
EU urges Iran to resume cooperation with IAEA
04:35 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarEuropean Council president Antonio Costa said he spoke with Iran's president Masoud Pezeshkian and urged Iran to resume its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Costa also called for an end to Iran's strikes against its neighbours and the full restoration of freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz
Oil prices edge lower as Iran says it is open to diplomacy
04:25 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarOil prices edged lower today, after climbing 4 per cent in the previous session, as Iran said it remained open to diplomacy to end the US-Iran war, though the two countries remain far apart on ways to do so.
Brent crude futures fell 94 cents, or 0.9 per cent, to $102.13 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate futures eased 59 cents, or 0.7 per cent, to $91.56.
Watch: Trump continues to make ominous threats against Iran at Middle East meeting at UN
03:00 , Alex CroftPentagon officially adds one more soldier death to US count from Iran war
01:30 , Alex CroftJasmine Fernández reports:
The Pentagon updated its official casualty database to list 19 total U.S. military deaths related to the war with Iran after quietly adding a new fatality.
The change occurred following the death of a female Army officer who suffered a fatal medical emergency Friday while traveling to the Middle East, as reported by The Washington Post.
A U.S. defense official speaking on the condition of anonymity told the outlet that the casualty was logged into the database sometime after Monday afternoon. The death was reported earlier by Task & Purpose. Her identity has not been released.
The addition brings the total number of documented fatalities in the Defense Casualty Analysis System, or DCAS, to 19, up from 18 recorded earlier in the week. The database also lists more than 820 service members wounded in action.
However, current and former officials indicate the public count remains incomplete. Five U.S. officials told the publication last week that at least 22 service members have died in the region since military action began on February 28, while a sixth official placed the figure at 23.
Some of those unrecorded deaths involve military personnel deployed to the region during active hostilities, even if not directly killed in combat.
In response to reports regarding the accounting discrepancies, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth rejected claims of intentional omissions.
“Even if we wanted to attempt to hide a combat death, we never would and we never could,” Hegseth said.
Full report: Iranian president accuses US of ‘terrorism’ and flouting international law in defiant UN speech
Thursday 24 September 2026 00:00 , Alex CroftIran’s president Masoud Pezeshkian launched a defiant attack on the United States and Israel at the UN, the day after President Donald Trump threatened to “annihilate” the Islamic Republic.
The US leader warned he could send Iran to “hell” during his combative address to the United Nations General Assembly Tuesday, seven months after the war he started alongside Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu.
In his address to the gathering in New York on Wednesday, Pezeshkian insisted that Iran would never surrender and held up images of children killed in a strike on a primary school in Minab.
Maira Butt reports:
Iranian president accuses US of ‘terrorism’ and ignoring international law at UN
Iran, Taiwan and AI: What's at stake as Trump rolls out the red carpet for China's Xi
Wednesday 23 September 2026 23:00 , Alex CroftMacron says Strait of Hormuz risk was 'underestimated' but refuses to blame Trump
Wednesday 23 September 2026 22:01 , Alex CroftFrench president Emmanuel Macron said the risk posed by the Strait of Hormuz "was probably underestimated" but declined to blame US president Donald Trump for the escalating crisis.
In an interview with ABC News, Mr Macron said the main objective of his meeting with Mr Trump on Monday was to find a deal to reopen the strait and address the global energy crisis, which has driven up the price of petrol, diesel and jet fuel.
He said that when the war began, "the Iranian regime discovered they had this card in their hands", referring to Iran's ability to close the strait. Asked whether this had been a blind spot for Mr Trump, Mr Macron said: "I will not here blame anybody. We are where we are. I think the US is the one able to fix this issue, and we need you."
He added that the situation with the strait "was probably underestimated, and today we have to fix this issue."
Asked whether France would offer its military to help reopen the strait, Mr Macron said he did not want to enter a confrontation with any country, but that France was "ready to be more engaged in order to protect some capacities in order to make this transit possible."
Mr Macron also criticised the decision to go to war with Iran, saying that "having a regime change by bombing a country is not something I think feasible", adding that it was "not a good option, because it doesn't work" and that the US had made the same mistake "several times in the past decades."
Responding to Mr Trump's complaints that European allies were not doing enough to support US military spending, Mr Macron said France respected the US and considered itself a "good ally", but that allies should be consulted and strategised with before a war is launched.
In pictures: Life continues for ordinary Iranians in Tehran
Wednesday 23 September 2026 21:00 , Alex Croft
Trump's approval rating on foreign affairs hits new low
Wednesday 23 September 2026 20:00 , Alex CroftUS president Donald Trump’s approval rating on foreign affairs has hit a new low as the war in Iran drags on.
Just 29 percent of Americans approve of Trump’s handling of foreign affairs, while 71 percent disapprove, according to a new CNN/SSRS poll. CNN noted that this is a new low in its polling.
When asked specifically about Iran, 26 percent of Americans said they approve of Trump’s handling of the war. This is down from 33 percent who approved of his job a month after the war began in late February.
UAE bans major Iranian bank from operating in the country
Wednesday 23 September 2026 19:00 , Alex CroftThe United Arab Emirates has banned a major Iranian bank, Melli, from operating in the country as it accused it of failing to comply with regulations.
It could come as a blow to Tehran, whose links to the UAE provide a vital lifeblood for its economy.
Bank Melli Iran, founded in 1927, is the largest state-owned bank in the country and served as its central bank until 1960, when it was replaced by the Central Bank of Iran.
Watch: US walks out as Iranian president accuses them of 'terrorism' for 'bombing girls school'
Wednesday 23 September 2026 18:01 , Alex CroftYemen’s factions battling Iran-backed Houthis share a common enemy but not common goals
Wednesday 23 September 2026 17:00 , Alex CroftYemeni factions fighting the Iran-backed Houthis are united mainly in one thing — their opposition to the rebels who control the country’s north and have recently advanced along its Red Sea coastline.
But beyond that, the groups fighting under the banner of Yemen's internationally recognized government are divided by geography, foreign patronage and competing visions for what their country should look like if the Houthis are pushed back.
In a month of intense fighting that saw the Houthis' biggest land grab in years, factions of the anti-Houthi coalition lost their hold of Mokha, a strategic city on the Red Sea, and islands in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait further south. The advance ended a truce that had been in place since 2022 and had calmed a devastating civil war.
In pictures: US delegate walks out during Iranian president's speech
Wednesday 23 September 2026 16:01 , Alex Croft
Weapons used to attack Iran must not pass through Hormuz - Iranian president
Wednesday 23 September 2026 15:46 , Alex CroftPezeshkian has turned to the Strait of Hormuz, the central sticking point in negotiations between Washington and Tehran.
"It cannot be the case that everyone benefits from the Strait of Hormuz while we are denied access to shipping through this waterway. The permanent deployment of hostile fleets and the expansion of the war will not lead to peace," he says.
The strait also must not be used for the passage of weapons that will be used to hurt Iran, he adds.
'They were innocent': Iranian president holds up image of children killed in Minab school strike
Wednesday 23 September 2026 15:36 , Alex CroftIranian president Masoud Pezeshkian has shared images of children killed in a strike on a school in Minab.
“I come from an Iran where they bombed a school,” he told delegates at the assembly.
“These children perished under bombs with weapons used by the United States and Israel. They were innocent, had committed no crimes.”
A preliminary US military investigation has determined that Washington is responsible for the deadly Tomahawk strike, likely due to a targeting mistake.
Iranian president: US has no respect for international law - but Iran won't surrender
Wednesday 23 September 2026 15:30 , Alex CroftWe’re hearing now from Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian, who is speaking to the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations on Wednesday.
Iran will not surrender in the war with the United States, but believes in diplomacy to try to end the conflict, he says.
He adds that Washington has no respect for international law, adding that the Iranian regime needs to be strong and powerful to resist its US enemies.
Watch: Trump denies reports of US weapons shortages
Wednesday 23 September 2026 15:01 , Alex Croft.@POTUS: The cowards and traitors would love to say the United States is low on munitions — but that’s not true. We have more munitions than we could ever possibly think of using and are building them up at levels we have never done before.
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) September 22, 2026
In addition, in the very near future,… pic.twitter.com/uQhWMGFoz7
Two injured after cargo vessel struck by projectile in Strait of Hormuz, says UKMTO
Wednesday 23 September 2026 14:28 , Alex CroftAn incident has been reported in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, in which a cargo vessel was struck by an unknown projectile, leaving it on fire and adrift, the UKMTO reported.
All crew were evacuated and two casualties reported, it said.
UKMTO said authorities were investigating, and that there was no reported environmental impact.
