Al Jazeera

By Faisal Aziz Khan and Kristina Harazim

    CENTCOM disputes the IRGC claim that the Panama-flagged oil tanker El Gaia struck a naval mine in the Strait of Hormuz, saying that the vessel was hit by an Iranian missile last month and struck again by a drone this weekend while sitting in waters off the coast of Oman.

    US President Donald Trump once again claims that Iran wants to make a deal, but adds that he will “determine whether or not” the US chooses to engage.

    Mohsen Rezaei, Iran’s security chief, says the stakes around oil and the strait have changed, and that there will be no talks with the US until Iran’s demands are met.

    The Houthis say they have seized the islands of Greater and Lesser Hanish in the southern Red Sea, adding that Saudi jets launched 129 air raids in the past 48 hours.

Why Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline matters for global oil

    In another blow to global oil markets, drones struck Saudi Arabia’s East-West oil pipeline on Thursday, prompting the kingdom to suspend operations.

    The 1,200km (746-mile) pipeline, which carries roughly 4 to 5 million barrels of oil per day (bpd), links the country’s major oil-producing fields in the east with the Red Sea port of Yanbu, allowing Saudi Arabia to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, which has largely been closed since the outbreak of the US-Israel war on Iran in February.

    Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Energy said the shutdown was a “precautionary” measure after the attack caused damage and injuries in the Riyadh and Medina regions.

    The closure comes as the US-Israel war on Iran has sharply reduced oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz and Houthi forces in Yemen have intensified attacks around the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb.

With oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz severely disrupted, Saudi Arabia has relied more heavily on the East-West pipeline. What does its closure mean for an already tight global oil market

IRGC claims downing of advanced MQ-1 drone over Strait of Hormuz

    Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) says an advanced MQ-1 drone was intercepted and destroyed in the skies west of the Strait of Hormuz.

    In a statement carried by the semi-official Tasnim news agency, the military branch announced that the aircraft was targeted on Monday by an advanced air defence system operated by the IRGC aerospace force under the control of the country’s integrated air defence network.

Hormuz shipping traffic declines and crude prices climb as Middle East attacks intensify

    The number of ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz continued to dwindle in the wake of intensifying attacks in the Middle East, shipping data showed.

    Commodity vessel transits through Hormuz totalled four on Monday, down from 10 the previous day, according to preliminary data from Kpler cited by Reuters on Tuesday.

    The Hormuz Strait Monitor showed at least 436 vessels were at a standstill.

    The recent attacks on shipping in Hormuz and Saudi energy infrastructure pushed crude prices up, with Brent crude futures rising $1.24, or 1.18 percent, to $106.93 a barrel as of 00:26 GMT.

US senator slams Trump for blaming Ukraine for record diesel prices

    US Senator Chuck Schumer has hit back at President Donald Trump, accusing him of blaming Ukraine rather than “his war with Iran” for record-high US diesel prices.

    “Trump’s newest LIE: Somehow, Ukraine is responsible for diesel prices hitting a record high. Americans know it’s Trump and his war with Iran that’s driving up costs. No amount of Trump’s finger-pointing and lies can erase his disaster of an economy,” Schumer wrote on X.

    The Democratic leader’s comments come after Trump publicly called on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to halt military strikes targeting Russian energy facilities.

    “Mr Zelenskyy has to do one thing: he has to stop knocking out diesel fuel in Russia,” Trump said on Sunday, speaking to reporters during a trip to the Republic of Ireland.

    “We spoke to Mr Zelenskyy about it. There are plenty of other targets. Don’t hit diesel fuel. That’s hurting the world.”

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Saudi Civil Defence says ‘danger’ has passed in six governorates

    Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defence has announced that the “danger” has passed in six governorates: Jeddah, Yanbu, Taif, al-Ula, Abha and Jazan.

    In a follow-up statement, authorities urged residents to continue adhering to safety instructions, avoid gathering or filming in the area and report any emergencies.

Saudi-led air strikes kill three in Yemen’s Taiz province

    Three people, including two children, have been killed in Saudi-led coalition air strikes in Yemen, Houthi-run al-Masirah TV reports.

    Citing the Ministry of Health, the report said two others were injured in the attacks on the districts of Dhubab and Maqbanah in the southwestern Taiz province.

    Armed forces affiliated with Yemen’s internationally recognised government have retaken positions from the Houthis and are advancing in the province as clashes intensify.

Saudi authorities issue further safety warnings for Jazan and al-Ula

    Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defence has issued a new urgent warning alerting the public to “potential danger” across the Jazan province and al-Ula governorate.

Saudi authorities issue public safety warnings for Taif, Yanbu and Jeddah

    Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defence has issued urgent warnings alerting the public to “potential danger” across the Jeddah, Yanbu and Taif governorates.

    The General Directorate of Civil Defence has urged citizens and residents to remain calm, proceed to the safest location and follow news through official channels to protect public safety.

‘They want it all’: Expert says Houthis seek total control of Yemen

    Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis believe that using force is the most effective way to exert maximum pressure to achieve their goals, according to Mohammed al-Basha, a Yemeni security and intelligence analyst.

    “And what the Houthis want today, they want it all. They want the entire Yemen,” al-Basha told Al Jazeera.

    “They want to be recognised as the government, to control the resources, control the airspace, control the sea ports. Then they will negotiate with the Yemeni parties. They basically want the Saudis to recognise them as the government,” he added.

    Al-Basha said that even if the Houthis take over the whole country, they will still seek a multibillion-dollar reparations and reconstruction package from Riyadh.

    “And if the Saudis delivered, then what would guarantee that the Houthis will not ask for additional funding or more demands  It’s a tough place that the Saudis are facing right now,” he added.

    While Iranian backing has helped the Houthis become a major regional player, al-Basha said Tehran does not hold total sway over the group’s decisions.

    “I don’t think Iran has full control of the situation. They may have advisers on the ground, and they may be able to pressure the Houthis or encourage them to do certain things,” he said.

    “Iran made the Houthis who they are today. But can the Houthis survive without Iran  Absolutely they can!” he added.

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WHO to cut diesel supplies to 20 Gaza hospitals and health centres

    The World Health Organization (WHO) will stop supplying diesel from September 19 to more than 20 hospitals and health centres in Gaza because of a funding shortfall, Gaza Health Ministry Director-General Dr Munir al-Bursh has said.

    In a video message posted on X, al-Bursh warned of a “new crisis and further strangulation” at a time when the “small quantities that were available… were barely enough to keep the health facilities operational”.

    “Their suspension will not merely switch off generators; it will shut down operating rooms and intensive care units, disable ventilators and oxygen systems, and endanger newborns in incubators, dialysis patients, the wounded, and people with chronic illnesses,” he wrote in a separate post.

    “Ambulance services and the cold chain for medicines and vaccines will also be paralysed. This is not a temporary fuel crisis. It is another link in a systematic policy of strangulation and deprivation, pushing hospitals toward complete shutdown and exposing patients to preventable death,” he added.

    Al-Bursh called on the WHO, donors and the international community to take action against the decision.

    There was no immediate comment from the WHO on the decision.

Iran’s FM tells Lebanon’s speaker regional coordination is vital against ‘Israeli aggression’

    Iran’s Press TV reports that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has held a phone call with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri to discuss regional developments and the need for greater coordination against “Israeli aggression and warmongering”.

    During the call, Araghchi reaffirmed “Iran’s commitment to Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity” while stressing the Islamic Republic’s “full support for Lebanon’s resistance”, Press TV said.

    In response, Berri thanked Iran for its support and briefed Araghchi on the situation in southern Lebanon, emphasising the “legal and moral responsibility of the international community and Islamic countries” to stop “Israeli violations and hold perpetrators accountable”.

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    Residents say they were targeted outside tents in a Gaza City displacement camp.

How many people has Israel killed and injured in Gaza

A recap of recent developments

    The Saudi-led coalition has said that 13 civilians have been injured following a wave of ballistic missile and drone attacks launched by Houthi forces into Saudi Arabia.

    The US Central Command (CENTCOM) disputes the IRGC claim that the Panama-flagged oil tanker El Gaia struck a naval mine in the Strait of Hormuz, saying the vessel was hit by an Iranian missile last month and struck again by an Iranian drone this weekend as it sat in waters off the coast of Oman.

    US President Donald Trump has again said that “Iran wants to make a deal” but added that he will “determine whether or not the U.S.A. will choose to engage”.

    Mohsen Rezaei, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, has dismissed what he called “mixed” signals from Trump, saying there can be no talks until Tehran’s conditions are met.

    The deputy governor of Iran’s Hormozgan province says a drone attacked two fishing boats in the Gulf off the port of Kargan, near Larak Island, prompting search and rescue operations to locate missing fishermen.

    Houthi and Yemeni government officials say the Houthis have seized the islands of Greater and Lesser Hanish in the southern Red Sea. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree says Saudi warplanes carried out 58 air raids across six provinces in the past 24 hours.

    An Israeli strike destroys a public school building in the southern Lebanese town of Kafr Tibnit, Lebanon’s National News Agency reports, citing aerial images that show damage consistent with a demolition operation.

    Yemeni government forces have struck Houthi equipment and fighters in the Dhubab and al-Khokha areas along the Red Sea coast.

    Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian says US sanctions aim to cause the social collapse of Iran, accusing certain Iranians abroad of aligning with Tehran’s enemies to stoke discord.

    Iran’s nuclear chief has been blocked from attending the annual General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna after US opposition.