The US military is facing a weapons shortage after dozens of aircraft have been destroyed in its war on Iran, the Pentagon has said, as the cost of the war hit $33.4 billion (£24.8bn).
In a report to Congress on Monday, the Defense Department’s inspector general noted the destruction of four F-15 fighter jets and as many as 30 MQ-9 Reaper drones, and damage to one F-35 jet and seven KC-135 tanker aircraft.
It also said that Iranian attacks had “damaged and destroyed hundreds of buildings and structures at US bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman, and Jordan during the conflict”.
Some $22.3bn of cost is down to expended munitions, the report said.
Between 28 February and 30 June, Operation Epic Fury has caused “strategic inventory shortfalls and revealed industrial base bottlenecks for munitions resupply”.
It comes as President Donald Trump has said he is “open” to negotiations to end the war with Iran, but stressed the final decision rests with him.
Read MoreUS defense chiefs warn of munitions shortfall over Iran war
What the escalating war between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis means for Trump in Iran
Oil and gas prices climb after Saudi Arabia closes east-west pipeline
Key Points
- US facing weapons shortages after dozens of aircraft destroyed - as cost of war hits $33bn
- Israel carried out a strike on aid convoy in Gaza, Doctors Without Borders say
- US military rejects Iran's claim that mines blew up tanker
- Saudi-led coalition says 13 civilians injured in Houthi attacks on three Saudi cities
Oil prices rise over fears of Saudi supply disruptions
14:29 , Alex CroftUS crude rose 1.82 per cent to $103.24 a barrel while Brent gained 1.6 per cent to $107.37.
Markets are unsettled after Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis launched a new wave of attacks on Saudi Arabia on Monday, after Riyadh blamed Iran-backed fighters in Iraq for an attack on the kingdom's east-west pipeline.
It is likely to disrupt as much as 4 per cent of global oil supply. Gulf Arab states also postponed planned talks with Iran.
Watch: US Air Force officer recalls 'free-falling' to ground with damaged parachute after plane was shot down over Iran
14:01 , Alex CroftIran should not be distracted by mixed signals from Trump, Rezaei says
13:31 , Alex CroftMohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said Iran should not be distracted by mixed signals from Donald Trump.
“Don’t get distracted by the US president’s mixed signals—from ‘no negotiations’ to ‘we’re ready to talk,’” Rezaei wrote in a post on X.
“The stakes around oil and the straits have changed. Damage control won’t stop what’s coming,” he added.
“No talks until Iran’s conditions are met. Period!”
It comes after Trump said the US was “open” to “concept” of negotiating deal with Iran
"The failing Nation of Iran wants to make a deal, quickly and badly. I will determine whether or not the U.S.A. will choose to engage -- The concept of which we are open to,” Trump said on his social media platform on Monday.
Saudi-led coalition says 13 civilians injured in Houthi attacks on three Saudi cities
13:18 , Alex CroftThe Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said on Tuesday that 13 civilians were injured in attacks by the Iran-aligned Houthis on the Saudi cities of Khamis Mushait, Abha and Taif on Monday.
In a statement posted on X, coalition spokesman Major General Turki al-Malki said the injuries ranged from minor to moderate and that seven houses and two vehicles were damaged.
He added the coalition would respond “responsibly and firmly” and take what it called necessary operational measures to deter further attacks.
IEA slashes global oil demand and supply forecast again as Iran war intensifies
12:30 , Alex CroftThe global oil demand outlook has been slashed once again by the International Energy Agency (IEA) as it warned the ongoing Iran war would not see supplies return to normal until 2027.
The Paris-based agency said in its monthly report that the “impasse in negotiations between the United States and Iran” and renewed attacks in the region would “hamper the normalisation of oil flows”.
It is now predicting 2026 worldwide oil consumption dropping by 2.5 million barrels a day versus 2025, which is far greater than the 1.6 million barrels decline forecast in August.
The prediction comes as oil prices have surged back above 100 US dollars this week because of attacks on Iranian oil tankers and concerns about further disruptions to supply amid ongoing fighting in the Middle East.
UK gas prices also reached a near four-year high, sparking fears over soaring energy costs over the winter months.
The IEA alerted over soaring diesel costs in particular over the months ahead, because of refining issues.
It said: “The rise in both crude futures and physical prices pales in comparison with those for refined products, where market tightness is now most acute.
“Diesel/gasoil, which accounts for nearly 30% of global demand, saw prices in the US surpass the 200 dollars a barrel mark in early September, 94% above pre-war levels, with Europe and Asia not far behind.”
Saudi authorities warn of danger in Mecca amid Houthi escalation
12:01 , Alex CroftSaudi authorities have warned of a potential danger in Mecca, home to Islam’s holiest site, amid an escalation with Yemen’s Houthis.
Minutes later, Saudi civil defence said the danger had cleared.
The brief alerts had also covered the provinces of Taif and Jeddah, state TV reported.
The Iran-aligned Houthis have launched a new wave of attacks on Saudi Arabia and are seizing positions on the western coast of Yemen along the Red Sea, Yemeni officials said, with discussions ongoing in Riyadh over how to respond to their lightning advance.
Vessel struck in Strait of Hormuz, says UKMTO
11:36 , Alex CroftA vessel has been hit by an unknown projectile in the Strait of Hormuz, a verified source has told the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
No damage or environmental impact was reported after the Tuesday strike, the UKMTO said, and authorities are investigating.
We’ll bring you more as it comes in.
UN Security Council to hold meeting over the Bab el-Mandeb Strait
10:30 , Alex CroftThe UN Security Council will hold a meeting on Tuesday to discuss the situation in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, two French diplomats have told the Reuters news agency.
The meeting, which was called by France, will be held on Tuesday afternoon, New York time, they said.
Full report: US watchdog tallies Iran war's hit to weapons stockpiles, military bases and more
10:01 , Alex CroftA U.S. government watchdog released its first report on the impact of the Iran war on Monday, acknowledging the military's advanced weapons shortfalls and offering the first public look at the damage to American aircraft, bases and diplomatic outposts in the Middle East.
Much of the information has been previously reported over the past six months, but the Pentagon inspector general's report offered the fullest official accounting so far of the conflict's costs in American lives, taxpayer dollars and physical damage. It included information from the watchdogs for the Defense and State departments as well as the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Read our full report here:
US watchdog tallies Iran war's hit to weapons stockpiles, military bases and more
Iranian foreign minister to meet Chinese counterpart in Beijing
09:31 , Alex CroftIranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi is set to visit China on 16 September, the foreign ministry in Beijing has said.
Araghchi will meet with Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi.
The pair met in Kyrgyzstan in late July, where they discussed the situation in the Middle East, described in a statement by the Chinese mission to the UN as a “matter of deep concern to China”.
Trump: Countries must reimburse us for securing Strait of Hormuz
09:29 , Alex CroftDonald Trump has demanded that the “Countries of the World” pay the US for its military action to secure the Strait of Hormuz.
"The Countries of the World, which have been no help to us whatsoever, should, and will, reimburse the United States of America when this SCAM Confligration is all over,” he wrote in a post on Truth Social.
The US president was repeating his claim that Tehran “wants to make a deal, quickly and badly”.
He added: "I will determine whether or not the U.S.A. will choose to engage - The concept of which we are open to."
Watch: US Air Force officer recalls 'free-falling' to ground with damaged parachute after plane was shot down over Iran
09:00 , Alex CroftUS facing weapons shortages after dozens of aircraft destroyed - as cost of war hits $33bn
08:38 , Alex CroftThe US military is facing weapons shortages as a result of its war on Iran, the Defense Department’s inspector general has said, after dozens of aircraft were destroyed in the region.
In a report to Congress on Monday, the inspector estimated that the US war on Iran has cost Washington $33.4 billion (£24.8 bn), most of which was spent on expended munitions.
The US military has lost dozens of aircraft, including the destruction of four F-15 fighter jets and as many as 30 MQ-9 Reaper drones, and damage to one F-35 jet and seven KC-135 tanker aircraft.
"Iranian strikes damaged and destroyed hundreds of buildings and structures at US bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman, and Jordan during the conflict," the report says, without confirming what the cost was of the damage to these buildings.
Between 28 February and 30 June, Operation Epic Fury has caused “strategic inventory shortfalls and revealed industrial base bottlenecks for munitions resupply”.
Saudi crown prince to meet Egypt's leader
08:00 , Shweta SharmaEgypt's president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is set to roll out the red carpet for Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday, the Egyptian presidency said.
The meeting comes against the backdrop of intensified fighting between Iranian-backed Houthi rebels and Yemen's Saudi-backed government.
The two leaders will hold a bilateral meeting to discuss the Houthi offensive and developments in Iran.
The Houthi rebels’ weeklong offensive has culminated in the capture of Yemen's Red Sea coast, cementing their hold on the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, through which Saudi oil transits.
Earlier, Cairo rejected a proposal from the Houthis for direct talks to coordinate maritime traffic through the waterway and the Red Sea, according to Qatari media outlet Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.
US imposes fresh sanctions on Russia's VTB Bank over alleged Iran ties
07:30 , Shweta SharmaThe United States imposed new sanctions on Russia's VTB Bank on Monday, accusing the lender of helping Iran evade Western sanctions and warning that foreign institutions that continue doing business with Russia's second-largest bank could face additional penalties.
Already cut off from the dollar system over Russia's invasion of Ukraine, VTB now faces Iran-related sanctions that Treasury officials said could expose foreign banks and businesses that continue to deal with it to additional penalties.
Treasury said VTB had opened offices in Iran, established banking relationships with sanctioned Iranian lenders and helped build financial channels designed to facilitate trade and financial coordination between Moscow and Tehran.
The action, taken under an executive order aimed at increasing pressure on the Iranian economy, adds to US sanctions already in place against VTB Bank that were imposed in February 2022.
The Treasury said in a statement that state-controlled VTB was now "among the most comprehensively sanctioned financial institutions in the world." The Iran-related penalties would increase the risk of secondary sanctions against foreign institutions that continue to do business with VTB, the Treasury added.
"Under Operation Economic Outcast, Treasury will continue to target and disrupt those who provide material, technological, or financial support that allows the Iranian regime to sustain its terrorist enterprise,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in the statement.
"Treasury will not tolerate any support to the regime and will continue to identify, expose, and isolate Iran’s enablers," it quoted him as saying.
Iran's military claims it shot down second MQ-1 drone in two days
07:22 , Shweta SharmaThe Iran Revolutionary Guards Corps claimed it detected and destroyed an advanced MQ-1 drone over the western Strait of Hormuz early on Tuesday using a new Aerospace Force air defence system.
It comes following a similar IRGC statement on Monday that it had shot down an MQ-1 drone over the strait.
Oil prices rise over fears of Saudi supply disruptions
06:54 , Shweta SharmaUS crude rose 1.82 per cent to $103.24 a barrel while Brent gained 1.6 per cent to $107.37.
Markets are unsettled after Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis launched a new wave of attacks on Saudi Arabia on Monday, after Riyadh blamed Iran-backed fighters in Iraq for an attack on the kingdom's east-west pipeline.
It is likely to disrupt as much as 4 per cent of global oil supply. Gulf Arab states also postponed planned talks with Iran.
"Markets are likely to remain focused on the risk that higher crude oil prices could add to inflationary pressures and, in turn, push interest rates higher," Yokoo Akihiko, an analyst at Mitsubishi UFJ Bank, said in a note.
US military rejects Iran's claim that mines blew up tanker
06:16 , Shweta SharmaThe US military has rejected an Iranian claim that a Panama-flagged oil tanker struck naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz, saying the vessel was instead attacked by an Iranian drone.
US Central Command said the El Gaia was struck by an Iranian missile last month, which rendered the tanker “inoperable”, before it was hit again by an Iranian drone over the weekend while it was in waters off Oman.
The vessel is now being towed by a regional partner.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had claimed the tanker struck naval mines and caught fire in Hormuz.
Israel carried out a strike on aid convoy in Gaza, Doctors Without Borders say
05:43 , Shweta SharmaDoctors Without Borders (MSF) said Israeli forces launched a strike on a clearly identified aid convoy in besieged Gaza, injuring at least one humanitarian worker on Monday.
“An MSF bus carrying 10 humanitarian staff in Gaza City was damaged by an Israeli airstrike on a targeted vehicle just two metres away. One of our colleagues was injured in the strike,” the NGO said in a statement.
“The bus was clearly identified as an MSF vehicle, with a large MSF sticker visible on its roof. Once again, Israeli forces have shown a blatant disregard for the safety of humanitarian and medical personnel,” Doctors Without Borders added
Saudi-led coalition says 13 civilians injured in Houthi attacks on three Saudi cities
05:30 , Shweta SharmaThe Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said on Tuesday that 13 civilians were injured in attacks by the Iran-aligned Houthis on the Saudi cities of Khamis Mushait, Abha and Taif on Monday.
In a statement posted on X, coalition spokesman Major General Turki al-Malki said the injuries ranged from minor to moderate and that seven houses and two vehicles were damaged.
He added the coalition would respond “responsibly and firmly” and take what it called necessary operational measures to deter further attacks.
US spent $22.3bn on munitions in first four months of Iran war, watchdog finds
05:00 , Shweta SharmaThe US spent an estimated $22.3bn on munitions during the first four months of its war with Iran, according to a Pentagon watchdog report.
The Defense Department’s inspector general estimated that the war had cost the US military $33.4bn by 29 June, including $22.3bn in expended munitions, $3.7bn in destroyed or lost equipment and $7.4bn in additional costs, largely covering day-to-day military operations.
The estimate does not include the cost of repairing US military bases damaged by Iranian counterattacks, the report said. Facilities in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman and Jordan were damaged.
The scale of weapons use has exposed weaknesses in the US defence industrial base, with the inspector general citing the Pentagon’s acquisition office as saying that the expended munitions had “resulted in strategic inventory shortfalls and revealed industrial base bottlenecks for munitions resupply”.
The Pentagon is now working to speed up procurement and production, while stockpiling critical materials, components and selected munitions to ensure it can respond more quickly to future conflicts, the report said.
The US also suffered significant equipment losses during the conflict. Up to 30 MQ-9 Reaper drones were destroyed, along with four F-15E fighter jets and several other aircraft, according to the report.
Several aircraft and helicopters were also destroyed during a US search-and-rescue operation in early April to recover an Air Force officer stranded deep inside Iran.
Separately, the State Department incurred $113m in costs by early June, including the evacuation of American diplomats and US citizens from the region.
Iranian attacks also caused an estimated $184m in damage to US diplomatic facilities in Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, the report said.
The figures cover the period through 29 June. In late July, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth told Congress that the war had cost the US about $37.5bn.
Iran should not be distracted by mixed signals from Trump, Rezaei says
04:46 , Shweta SharmaMohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said Iran should not be distracted by mixed signals from Donald Trump.
“Don’t get distracted by the US president’s mixed signals—from ‘no negotiations’ to ‘we’re ready to talk,’” Rezaei wrote in a post on X.
“The stakes around oil and the straits have changed. Damage control won’t stop what’s coming,” he added.
“No talks until Iran’s conditions are met. Period!”
It comes after Trump said the US was “open” to “concept” of negotiating deal with Iran
"The failing Nation of Iran wants to make a deal, quickly and badly. I will determine whether or not the U.S.A. will choose to engage -- The concept of which we are open to,” Trump said on his social media platform on Monday.
Saudi Arabia lift warnings after alerts in six cities
04:30 , Shweta SharmaThe Saudi Arabian Civil Defence sent an all clear on Tuesday after issuing alerts for potential danger in six cities including Yanbu, the kingdom's main Red Sea oil port, where millions of barrels a day are loaded.
Saudi Civil Defence said the danger had passed in Jeddah, Abha, Jazan, AlUla and Taif after the areas received emergency alerts amid an uptick in attacks by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis.
The Houthis have stepped up attacks on Saudi cities and energy infrastructure while advancing along Yemen's Red Sea coast towards the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a key shipping route.
Trump says US 'open' to 'concept' of negotiating deal with Iran
04:12 , Shweta SharmaDonald Trump said on Monday that Iran wants to make a deal and he will decide whether the US will engage in that effort.
"The failing Nation of Iran wants to make a deal, quickly and badly. I will determine whether or not the U.S.A. will choose to engage -- The concept of which we are open to,” Trump said on his social media platform on Monday.
It comes even as Trump cast doubt on Iran’s trustworthiness and suggested that a deal would not hold any value.
"I think an agreement with them isn't worth the paper it's written on," Trump told Fox News on 1 September.
"I couldn't care less if they sign a worthless, to them, agreement."
Australia's energy minister to visit Saudi Arabia as Middle East conflict escalates
04:02 , Shweta SharmaAustralian energy minister Chris Bowen said he would travel to Saudi Arabia next week to meet his counterpart, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, as an escalation in the Middle East conflict raises concerns over global energy supply disruptions.
Australia imported 84 per cent of its petroleum product demand last year, official data shows, leaving it exposed to global shocks. Canberra has been moving quickly to shore up supplies since the US-Israeli war with Iran began in February.
"What we are seeing in the Middle East is deeply concerning," Bowen told ABC News late on Monday.
Australia currently holds 41 days' worth of petrol reserves, Bowen said, adding, "The approach of the Saudi Arabian government will be key for ensuring that fuel security overcoming weeks and months."
Bowen ruled out the possibility of a fuel tax cut, after the Labor government in March halved the fuel excise for three months to help families cope with surging costs.
"That excise cut was temporary ... we're not going to respond to every daily movement on the world oil price."
Israeli strikes on southern Lebanese town kill 13 as fears of escalation mount
03:00 , James ReynoldsIsraeli strikes on a southern Lebanese town killed at least 13 people including six children on Monday, Lebanon's health ministry said, in one of the deadliest days of Israeli bombardment in recent weeks.
Fears of a renewed Israeli military campaign are mounting in Lebanon after days of escalating strikes despite a June ceasefire that was meant to halt fighting between the Israeli military and Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.
A woman who said she was related to at least three of the dead said one attack hit a residential building as children were getting ready for school. The Israeli military said it struck people seen transferring weapons in the area of the town, Kfar Rumman.
At the site, Reuters reporters saw children's schoolbooks strewn between chunks of concrete where the building once stood. Rescue workers with heavy machinery had worked throughout the morning to pull bodies out from underneath the rubble.
Eight-year-old Mustafa Farhat lost his grandparents and his mother in the strike, locals said. Rescue workers were still searching for his father's body on Monday morning while the boy lay in the hospital being treated for his wounds, they added.
Explained: What the escalating war between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis means for Trump in Iran
02:00 , James ReynoldsYemen’s Houthi rebels have forced a lightning offensive to the Red Sea coast, assuming control over another vital waterway in the region and threatening to expand the frozen US-Israeli conflict with Iran to the east.
By securing a position overlooking the narrow Bab el-Mandeb strait, the Iran-aligned group has opened a second pressure point, further squeezing Saudi Arabia’s oil exports already diverted from the Strait of Hormuz.
The sudden land grab over the last week has been accompanied by an aerial campaign against military instalments in southern Saudi Arabia, shifting the balance of power after more than a decade at war.
The Independent looks at what the Houthi advance means for regional stability:
What the escalating war between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis means for Trump in Iran
EU condemns Houthi attack on Saudi Arabia
01:00 , James ReynoldsThe EU commission president condemned the Houthi attack against Saudi Arabia on Monday.
In comments on social media, Ursula von der Leyen said the bloc stands “in solidarity with our Gulf partners in the face of relentless attacks by Iran’s proxies”.
“We will continue working with our partners for safe, free navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and for stability in the Middle East,” she said.
Former Trump aide says his constant posting shows his ‘brain rot’
Tuesday 15 September 2026 00:00 , James ReynoldsA former White House aide has likened President Donald Trump’s recent run of bizarre posting on Truth Social to “watching his brain rot in real time” amid growing exasperation over his online trolling.
The president has regularly made headlines through his social media output but caused particular concern over the Labor Day weekend when he posted no fewer than 60 posts in 10 hours, many of them AI-generated memes of highly inflammatory topics.
They included the president surrounded by robots, playing the stock market and showing allied countries on a map draped by an American flag.
“He floods the zone with so much of it that we’ve become numb to just how bizarre it is,” ex-White House deputy press secretary Sarah Matthews told The New York Times.
Former Trump aide says his constant posting of AI slop shows his ‘brain rot’
Saudi civil defence says danger in Khamis Mushait, Abha passed after alerts issued
Monday 14 September 2026 23:37 , Bryony GoochSaudi Arabia's civil defence said on Tuesday the danger has passed in Khamis Mushait and Abha, after earlier issuing alerts warning of a potential threat.
Formula One set to make late call on Middle East season finale
Monday 14 September 2026 23:00 , James ReynoldsFormula One is prepared to wait before deciding whether the current season can conclude in the Middle East.
The championship is scheduled to finish with consecutive rounds in Qatar on 29 November and Abu Dhabi a week later.
Imola has been put on standby to host the season finale if the Middle Eastern races cannot go ahead due to the United States-Iran conflict.
Formula One set to make late call on Middle East season finale amid Iran war concerns
Watch: US Air Force officer recalls 'free-falling' to ground with damaged parachute after plane was shot down over Iran
Monday 14 September 2026 22:00 , James ReynoldsThe American air force colonel whose fighter jet was downed over Iran in April has shared how survived for two days behind enemy lines with a broken back, arm and shoulder while waiting for help to arrive.
‘Bravo’ was the weapons-system officer in a two-man crew flying over Iran on 3 April when their F-15E Strike Eagle was hit by Iranian fire. The pilot in the front - ‘Alpha’ - ejected successfully, but Bravo came down in the mountains.
Explained: What the escalating war between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis means for Trump in Iran
Monday 14 September 2026 21:15 , James ReynoldsYemen’s Houthi rebels have forced a lightning offensive to the Red Sea coast, assuming control over another vital waterway in the region and threatening to expand the frozen US-Israeli conflict with Iran to the east.
By securing a position overlooking the narrow Bab el-Mandeb strait, the Iran-aligned group has opened a second pressure point, further squeezing Saudi Arabia’s oil exports already diverted from the Strait of Hormuz.
The sudden land grab over the last week has been accompanied by an aerial campaign against military instalments in southern Saudi Arabia, shifting the balance of power after more than a decade at war.
The Independent looks at what the Houthi advance means for regional stability:
What the escalating war between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis means for Trump in Iran
Recap: Another blow to peace as crucial Oman talks postponed
Monday 14 September 2026 21:00 , James ReynoldsOman announced late on Sunday that planned talks with Iran about the future of the Strait of Hormuz had been cancelled “in the interests of consensus”, scuppering hopes of a diplomatic breakthrough in the near term.
Foreign minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi said the meeting had been postponed, without a clear alternative date set. He said Oman remained committed to “fostering dialogue that supports stability and lasting cooperation in our region”.
Iranian officials had said earlier that they would attend the gathering with Gulf Arab states to present an agreement with Oman on the future governing of shipping routes through the Strait, which carried about a fifth of global oil supplies before the war.
The international waterway was free to cross before the war and shipping companies have warned such an agreement could set a dangerous precedent. Formal control of the Strait of Hormuz would also hand Iran more leverage in future talks with the US.
The channel continued to pose risks for oil shipping as it was reported on Sunday that a vessel had been struck by a projectile during transit, causing a fire and forcing the crew to evacuate. Oil prices surged to $102.35 on Monday morning.
Oil tanker exploded after colliding with mines in Hormuz, reports say
Monday 14 September 2026 20:13 , Rebeca WhittakerAn oil tanker exploded and caught fire after colliding with mines in the Strait of Hormuz, Iran's IRGC said, according to Fars, without saying when the incident occurred.
Trend of oil shipments through Strait of Hormuz rising, says US energy sec
Monday 14 September 2026 20:00 , James ReynoldsThe seven-day rolling average of covert oil shipments accompanied by the US Navy through the Strait of Hormuz is rising and will continue to rise, Donald Trump’s energy secretary Chris Wright said at a meeting of the UN nuclear watchdog on Monday.
"The trend in that seven-day rolling average has been going up and will continue to go up," he told a press conference, adding that a peak of 17 million barrels in one day he cited on Sept. 1 was in fact higher.
“There was one ship not counted. It turned out it was almost spot on 18 million barrels that day,” he claimed.
Analysis: Why are the Houthis escalating now?
Monday 14 September 2026 19:00 , 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.
