News

Iran's Revolutionary Guard said its forces targeted the Togo-flagged oil tanker Trend and forced it to stop in the Strait of Hormuz after a fire broke out on board, accusing it of attempting to pass illegally. The incident comes amid a sharp decline in the movement of commodity vessels through the waterway.

Russia and China vetoed a US-drafted resolution to extend the mandate of an expert panel monitoring the implementation of UN sanctions on Iran. The measure received 11 votes in favour, while Pakistan and Somalia abstained, amid disagreement over the legality of reimposing sanctions on Tehran.

The US State Department approved a potential military sale to Saudi Arabia estimated at $24.3 billion, including 48 F-35 fighter jets, engines, equipment and related services. The deal was referred to Congress as part of the required procedures before moving forward with its implementation.

A total of 152 countries backed a General Assembly resolution calling on the United States to immediately reverse its decision to bar the Palestinian delegation from attending the 81st session in New York. President Mahmoud Abbas is scheduled to deliver his address via video on September 24, after Washington refused to issue entry visas to the delegation for a second consecutive year.

Russian missile and drone attacks hit several areas of Ukraine, injuring dozens and damaging energy and communications facilities. At the same time, Kyiv plans to spend 4.9 trillion hryvnias on defense and security in 2027, amid growing reliance on foreign aid to meet its financial needs.

The Institute for Science and International Security said images taken on September 13 showed accelerated reconstruction work at the Talgahn 2 facility inside the Parchin military complex near Tehran, after it was hit by Israeli forces. The images showed a cover concealing parts of the site, along with construction equipment and new concrete fortifications.

The leaders of France, Lebanon and Jordan discussed in Paris a plan for the Lebanese Army’s deployment and its financial, training and military needs, along with alternative international arrangements after the end of UNIFIL’s mandate. Military officials from several countries took part in a preparatory meeting to mobilize support and ensure there is no security vacuum in southern Lebanon.

Three children were killed and several civilians injured on Thursday in a drone attack targeting Al-Tarirah village in Yemen's Taiz governorate. Yemeni Legal Affairs Minister Ishraq al-Maqtari accused the Houthi group of carrying out the attack, amid the displacement of families from areas where she said the group had resumed its deployment.

The International Organization for Migration recorded the displacement of 17,461 families comprising 104,796 people within Yemen from the start of the military escalation in June through September 15, 2026. Most new displacement was concentrated in Taiz governorate, amid growing needs for shelter, non-food items and protection.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations received a report from a westbound oil tanker that a small boat had followed it and attempted to intercept it 75 nautical miles east of Aden. Authorities are investigating the circumstances of the incident amid growing concerns about navigation safety near Bab el-Mandeb and the Red Sea.

A Turkish security official and a Qatari security official held separate meetings with leaders of the Taliban government in Afghanistan on Wednesday, discussing security cooperation, regional developments and tensions with Pakistan. A Taliban official said the visits were not joint, while the nature of the officials’ movements and meetings in Kandahar remained unclear.

US Central Command said its forces had diverted 104 commercial vessels as part of the naval blockade of Iranian ports. The new figure follows its announcement that 100 vessels had been diverted during the 60 days since operations resumed on July 14, 2026.

Ankara has given Moscow and Kyiv a draft agreement aimed at halting attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea, after at least 25 Turkish-owned ships came under attack since late June. The initiative proposes safer shipping routes, drawing on the grain corridor mechanism launched in 2022.

Iran Human Rights said it had verified the identities of more than 4,200 people killed during the January 2026 protests, including 420 women and 281 people under 18. It said the figure represents a minimum, while Iranian authorities had reported 3,117 deaths.

The chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff called on the military to prepare for combat operations extending from Earth into lunar space, as Washington announced that it was operating space-control weapons in orbit. The Space Force says the preparations are aimed at protecting US interests and deterring potential threats.

Eighteen people, including two children, were injured in a Russian missile and drone attack targeting Kyiv during the night of September 16-17, 2026, according to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko. The attack damaged buildings, service facilities and railway lines, and temporarily disrupted water supplies in several parts of the city.

Mehmet Uçum, a senior adviser to the Turkish president, said Recep Tayyip Erdoğan would enter the presidential race for one final time if parliament decided to renew the election with the support of 360 lawmakers, suggesting the vote could be held on April 16, 2028, instead of its constitutional date in May that year.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry said Thursday it had asked a Swedish diplomat to leave the country, a day after Stockholm expelled an official at the Iranian embassy. Tehran summoned the Swedish ambassador to protest his country’s policies, while Sweden said its decision was linked to activities that violated the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

A man aged about 48 was killed after being swept away by fast-moving water near Barcelona, while heavy rain forced about 270 people to evacuate a campsite and disrupted public transport services. Emergency number 112 received more than 1,000 calls linked to hundreds of incidents across Catalonia.

Mohammed Uçum, an adviser to the Turkish president, said Recep Tayyip Erdogan would run for president again if parliament decided to renew the elections, and predicted they would be held on April 16, 2028. Under Turkey’s constitution, the decision requires the support of 360 lawmakers, making the timing and candidacy dependent on a parliamentary step that has not yet been taken.

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry condemned the US decision not to grant President Mahmoud Abbas a visa to attend the UN General Assembly meetings in New York, calling it unjustified and contrary to efforts to restore trust and develop Palestinian-American relations.

The Kremlin said a package of sanctions approved by the US Congress against Russia would hinder efforts to reach a peaceful settlement to the war in Ukraine. The legislation targets the energy and defence sectors, Russian officials and oil tankers, and allows tariffs to be imposed on major buyers of Russian oil and gas.

Military sources said the Sudanese army had launched a ground operation along several fronts in the Kordofan region, amid continued fighting with the Rapid Support Forces. The operation follows moves to reinforce forces stationed in the area and statements by army leadership on continuing the advance toward western Sudan.