US president Donald Trump has suggested his forces could stay in Iran and "keep the oil", drawing a parallel with a US push to take control of a fifth of Venezuela's vast oil reserves.
Trump reiterated that he still expected the Iran war to end this year even as the gridlock over talks on the Strait of Hormuz continue. Trump added that the price of gasoline would "drop like a rock" once the Iran war ended.
On Monday crude oil spiked to $107 a barrel, one of the highest since the US and Israel launched its war on Iran.Trump said that he would only make the "right deal", before drawing a parallel with the US deal in Venezuela, announced in August.
"We'll ultimately get out (of Iran), unless we decide to stay and keep the oil like Venezuela," Trump said, adding that the US revenue from Venezuela has "paid for the war many times".
Meanwhile, Oman said it had to postpone a meeting scheduled for Monday in Muscat with Iran and other regional countries to discuss the Strait of Hormuz “in the interest of consensus”.
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Key Points
- Trump says US could keep Iranian oil like Venezuela deal
- Oman postpones meeting with Iran and regional countries on Hormuz
- Trump denies China helped Iran before attack that killed US troops
- Iran says one killed in strike on commercial ship
- Oil prices jump more than 2% to $107 after new strikes
Plans for new airport in Damascus sparks outcry
07:00 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarSyrian government plans to turn a former military airport in Damascus into a hub for private jets are raising alarm among rights groups and residents who say redevelopment could disturb suspected mass graves and override private land claims.
Syria’s civil aviation authority said last week it was preparing to reclassify Mezzeh military airport for limited civilian use, focused on private and executive aviation, to complement Damascus International Airport, according to a report on Syria's state news agency, SANA. Rubble removal and infrastructure upgrades had already begun, the report said.
The project is emerging as a test of how Syria’s new authorities balance a drive to attract investment and redevelop state assets with two unresolved legacies of Assad’s family rule: the fate of tens of thousands of missing Syrians and property rights clouded by decades of expropriation.
More here.
Plans for airport in Damascus sparks outcry over disturbance of thousands of graves
New York jeweler has been released from prison in Iran but banned from leaving country
06:45 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarAn Iranian American jeweler from New York has been released from prison in Iran, but he is prohibited from leaving the country, according to his family and federal officials.
Kamran Hekmati was let out of Tehran’s notorious Evin prison on Sept. 5 after completing about half of a two-year sentence, his family recently wrote on a website advocating for his release.
The family said they are also “desperately afraid for his health and well-being” as he requires regular medical checkups to ensure his bladder cancer doesn’t relapse.
More here.
A New York jeweler has been released from prison in Iran but is banned from leaving war-torn country
Watch: Trump says he could keep Iranian oil ‘like Venezuela’
06:34 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarTrump says US could keep Iranian oil like Venezuela deal
05:50 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarPresident Donald Trump suggested that US could stay in Iran and "keep the oil", drawing a parallel with a US push to take control of a fifth of Venezuela's vast oil reserves.
On a trip to Ireland for meetings and to watch golf, he reiterated that he still expected the Iran war to end this year, possibly just after midterm elections due in the US in November.
Speaking at the Irish Open golf championship, Trump added that the price of gasoline would "drop like a rock" once the Iran war ended.
Trump said that he would only make the "right deal" and wouldn't do one that was "no good", adding that Iran was "calling constantly" for peace talks — an assertion that Tehran has dismissed in the past.
But the president also introduced another option: stay engaged with Iran. He drew a parallel with the US deal in Venezuela, announced in August.
"We'll ultimately get out (of Iran), unless we decide to stay and keep the oil like Venezuela," Trump said, adding that the US revenue from Venezuela has "paid for the war many times".
Trump denies China helped Iran before attack that killed US troops
05:40 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarUS president Donald Trump brushed aside a report that Iran acquired satellite images of a base in Jordan from Chinese entities before an attack that killed three US troops.
The Wall Street Journal cited unnamed US officials about the attack in Jordan.
Asked whether he would mention the issue at an upcoming meeting with Chinese president Xi Jinping, Trump did not directly answer, and instead equated the surveillance activities of China and the United States.
"They basically do what we do," he told reporters aboard Air Force One.
"When they say China spies on us, I say you're right and we spy on them too."
Trump on Sunday reiterated his view that he has a good relationship with Xi. "I think he's behaved reasonably well, and we behave reasonably well," Trump said as he flew back to the US after a weekend trip to Ireland.
Iran says one killed in strike on commercial ship
05:20 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarOne person was killed and three injured after an Iranian commercial vessel was struck off Qeshm Island, the largest island in the Persian Gulf that sits on the Strait of Hormuz, state media reported.
Separately, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations monitor reported a vessel was hit by a projectile while transiting the strait, with no details. It was not immediately clear if it was the same strike.
There was no immediate statement by the US military, which has previously struck Iranian-flagged vessels as it keeps up a blockade of Iranian ports. On Saturday, the military said its forces had redirected 100 commercial vessels over the past 60 days.
Saudi Arabia lifts warnings of potential attack in four cities
05:00 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarThe Saudi Civil Defence sent an all-clear this morning after issuing alerts for potential danger in four southern cities amid an uptick in attacks by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis.
Saudi Civil Defence had issued the alerts for the cities of Najran, Khamis Mushait, Jazan and Abha. It also later issued warnings for Khamis Mushait and Abha a second time before lifting them again.
The Houthis, who control the most populous parts of Yemen and much of the north, have been launching attacks towards Saudi Arabia since declaring a naval blockade against Riyadh in July, with strikes targeting Saudi vessels in the Red Sea.
Oil prices jump more than 2% to $107 after new strikes
04:45 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarOil prices jumped more than 2 per cent this morning after new Houthi strikes on Saudi Arabia and Iranian attacks on ships in the Gulf compounded supply concerns following the closure of a key Saudi oil pipeline.
Brent crude futures rose $2.90, or 2.77 per cent, to $107.51 per barrel. WTI futures rose $2.27, or 2.27 per cent, to $102.32 per barrel. Prices had initially risen more than 3 per cent at market open.
Oman postpones meeting with Iran and regional countries on Hormuz
04:35 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarOman said it had to postpone a meeting scheduled for today in Muscat with Iran and other regional countries to discuss the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran and Oman are located on either side of the strait, and Tehran had said foreign ministers from various regional countries would meet in Oman to discuss its management.
But the foreign minister of Oman, Badr Albusaidi, said on X yesterday that the meeting had been postponed “in the interests of consensus".
Iran and Oman agreed to postpone the talks “at the request of some regional countries,” said Mohammad Ali Bak, an official in Iran’s foreign ministry who was quoted by IRNA on X.
In pictures: before and after an attack on the Saudi Arabia East-West pipeline
03:00 , Bryony Gooch
Recap: Surge in activity reported at Iran nuclear site Trump threatened
02:00 , Bryony Gooch
Satellite images reveal surge in activity at Iran nuclear site Trump threatened
Watch: Trump says he has ‘no regrets’ over Iran war
01:00 , Bryony GoochNew attacks in Hormuz and Saudi test nerves as war's spread worsens oil disruption
Monday 14 September 2026 00:00 , Bryony GoochNew strikes on Saudi Arabia and on ships in the Gulf tested nerves in the Middle East on Sunday, after an attack on a Saudi oil pipeline and an advance by Yemen's Houthis threatened to worsen the wartime disruption to global energy supplies.
Oil traders were expecting prices to rise again when markets reopen on Monday, following the weekend developments that jeopardise supplies from the world's biggest exporter, Saudi Arabia.
The British maritime security agency UKMTO said on Sunday that a vessel had been struck by a projectile as it moved through the Strait of Hormuz, causing a fire and forcing the crew to be evacuated. Iran, for its part, said one person was killed and four crew wounded aboard an Iranian commercial vessel struck off its coast.
In Saudi Arabia, state media released video of damage to homes and a mosque from the purported latest cross-border attack by the Houthis, in Jazan province in the south. The Houthis claimed separately to have struck a Saudi military base in a neighbouring province.
Southern Saudi cities have experienced regular alerts since last week, culminating in drone strikes on Friday that knocked out the 1,200-km (745-mile) east-west pipeline across the Arabian Peninsula that has served as the main route for global supplies of Middle East oil bypassing the Strait of Hormuz.
That same day, the Houthis captured Perim Island, which lies in the middle of the Bab El-Mandeb, the "Gate of Tears" strait that controls the mouth of the Red Sea.
Explosions heard in Iran's Sirik Island
Sunday 13 September 2026 23:08 , Bryony GoochIranian state media has reported several explosions heard in Iran’s Sirik Island.
Analysis: Why are the Houthis escalating now?
Sunday 13 September 2026 23:00 , James ReynoldsYemen’s Houthi rebels have ramped up attacks on Saudi Arabia and pushed west towards the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
Being closer to the Red Sea will make it easier to launch strikes on Saudi oil tankers, which are reliant on the strait with the Strait of Hormuz out of action thanks to Iran.
Edmund Fitton-Brown, former British ambassador to Yemen, told The Independent that after months of attacks at sea, the Houthis “think the moment has come to call the Saudi bluff”.
“They think the Saudis have lost the stomach for the fight. They think that they showed themselves to be weak and frightened in the face of the Iranians,” he said.
“And the Houthis think that this is the moment where they can effectively raise their demands and get the Saudis to concede even more advantageous terms than they were previously willing to do.”
The risk for the Houthis, said Mr Fitton-Brown, is that the Saudis “seem inclined to fight back” - although so far their allies in Turkey, Pakistan and the United States are yet to join the cause.
Envoy warns of 'new and more dangerous phase' in Yemen war
Sunday 13 September 2026 22:00 , James ReynoldsThe UN Security council has been warned that the international community must act to address “a new and more dangerous phase” in the Yemen war.
Hans Grundberg, the UN Special Envoy for Yemen, told a UN said the Houthis' gaining control of Mocha gave them “a direct presence on the approaches to one of the world’s most vital straits.”
Speaking to the council on Thursday, he said: “When I briefed this council last month, I warned that Yemen was facing the greatest risk of a return to large-scale conflict since the 2022 truce. That risk has now turned into a harsh reality.
“This renewed war should alarm us all. It effectively marks the end of the relative calm that Yemen has experienced for over four years since the UN-brokered truce.
“It not only threatens to plunge Yemen into a prolonged and expanding war, but also risks yet again dragging the country into the wider and unresolved regional confrontation, with global repercussions.”
Iran says meeting in Oman with Gulf Arab states postponed at request of regional countries, Fars reports
Sunday 13 September 2026 21:36 , Bryony GoochA meeting in Oman between Iran and Gulf Arab states, scheduled for Monday to discuss possible agreements on the Strait of Hormuz, was postponed at the request of some regional countries in a decision jointly made by Tehran and Muscat, Fars news agency reported, citing an Iranian foreign ministry official.
Main story: Houthis claim drone attack on Saudi base as military advance in Yemen intensifies
Sunday 13 September 2026 21:00 , James ReynoldsYemen’s Houthi rebels claimed on Sunday to have struck facilities at a military base in Saudi Arabia as the burgeoning conflict threatens to throw the region back into chaos.
Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree said that the Iran-backed group had targeted “weapons depots and command and control centers” at the southern Sharurah base.
Saree claimed that a joint ballistic missile and drone attack hit its targets and warned of wider measures if the Saudi attacks on Yemen continue.
The escalation follows a lightning Houthi advance to the Red Sea coast this week, giving the group greater power to attack Saudi ships around the Bab-al Mandeb strait.
Oil hovered around $100 per barrel on Sunday amid growing fears the clashes could drag in the US to help its ally in Riyadh, prolonging the six-month conflict with Iran to the east.
Trump says Iran war could end before midterms
Sunday 13 September 2026 20:00 , James ReynoldsSpeaking earlier in Doonbeg, on his last day of a two-day non-state visit to Ireland, president Trump tells reporters the Iran war could end “maybe before or right after the midterms”.
"Iran will end right after - maybe before - but it'll end right after the midterms. Gasoline's going to drop like a rock," Trump told reporters at the Irish Open golf championship.
He insisted - again - that Iran “wants to make a deal so bad”.
“They are calling constantly,” he said. “They want to make a deal. They've got to make the right deal. I'm not going to make a deal that's no good.”
Trump says no after Saudi crown prince pushes for US strikes on Houthis: report
Sunday 13 September 2026 19:00 , James ReynoldsSaudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman made two phone calls to President Donald Trump on Thursday, pressing him to execute military strikes targeting Houthi forces, according to an Axios report citing two American officials.
Trump turned down the request, with U.S. officials stating the administration currently has no intention of taking direct military action against the Houthis.
Neither the White House nor the Saudi embassy in Washington immediately responded to requests for comment outside standard business hours, and the details could not be independently verified.
Trump says no after Saudi crown prince pushes for US strikes on Houthis: report
Trump says US could stay in Iran and keep oil, like Venezuela deal
Sunday 13 September 2026 18:20 , Bryony GoochPresident Donald Trump suggested on Sunday the United States could stay in Iran and "keep the oil", drawing a parallel with a US push to take control of a fifth of Venezuela's vast oil reserves.
On a trip to Ireland for meetings and to watch golf, he reiterated that he still expected the Iran war to end this year, possibly just after midterm elections due in the United States in November.
Speaking at the Irish Open golf championship, Trump added that the price of gasoline would "drop like a rock" once the Iran war ended.
Turmoil in the Middle East has roiled oil markets, with oil traders expecting prices to rise again on Monday after an attack on a Saudi oil pipeline.
Trump said that he would only make the "right deal" and wouldn't do one that was "no good", adding that Iran was "calling constantly" for peace talks — an assertion that Tehran has dismissed in the past.
But the president also introduced another option: stay engaged with Iran. He drew a parallel with the US deal in Venezuela, announced in August.
"We'll ultimately get out (of Iran), unless we decide to stay and keep the oil like Venezuela," Trump said, adding that the US revenue from Venezuela has "paid for the war many times."
Watch: Trump says Iran war will end ‘immediately’ after November midterm elections
Sunday 13 September 2026 18:00 , James ReynoldsBurnham to slash energy bills by up to £200 – see if you’re eligible
Sunday 13 September 2026 17:00 , James ReynoldsAndy Burnham could slash up to £200 off energy bills when Britons can expect a surge in gas and fuel prices this winter due to the Iran war.
Ofgem’s energy price cap will rise by four per cent in October, due to an increase in wholesale gas prices as a result of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which has pushed up the cost of supplying energy in the UK.
This means the annual figure will rise from £1,663 to £1,723 – equivalent to around £5 more per month, or £60 per year, but analysts are already predicting a bigger hike to the price cap in the new year.
Read the full story:
Burnham to slash energy bills by up to £200 – see if you’re eligible
