Oil prices jump 2% after Iran says two missiles struck one of its tankers
Oil prices rose sharply on Friday morning after Iranian officials said that two rockets had struck an Iranian tanker traveling through the Red Sea.
Iran
Iran opposes military action in Syria, Zarif tells Turkey
Iran’s top diplomat Mohammad Javad Zarif told his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu in a phone call that Tehran is opposed to military action in Syria, the foreign ministry said.
Iran unveils kit to convert artillery rockets into guided missiles
The Iranian military says it has produced a new conversion kit to upgrade artillery rockets to surface-to-surface missiles, technology that Israel has accused Tehran of attempting to deliver to the Hezbollah terror group.
Report: Iran Plans to Start Using More Advanced Centrifuges
Iran plans to start using a new array of advanced centrifuges for enriching uranium, the country’s nuclear chief said Monday according to state television, in a move likely to intensify pressure on Europe to save Tehran’s collapsing nuclear deal with world powers.
Iran not ‘drawing back’ militarily after Saudi attack – U.S. admiral
Iran has not drawn back to a less threatening military posture in the region following the Sept. 14 attack on Saudi Arabia, the top U.S. admiral in the Middle East told Reuters, suggesting persistent concern despite a lull in violence.
Israel’s top ministers to meet for first time in months, amid warnings on Iran
The Security Cabinet will convene Sunday for the first time in two months, amid cryptic warnings by Israeli leadership in recent days of a growing security threat.
Israel and Gulf states working on ‘historic pact’ to end conflict between them
Israel is reportedly negotiating with several Gulf states on a ‘non-aggression pact’ between them as they face off against an increasingly emboldened Iran. The deal, which Channel 12 news described as potentially ‘historic,’ aims to put an end to the state of conflict between the Gulf states and Israel, and reportedly provides for friendly relations, cooperation in a variety of fields, and no war or incitement against each other.
‘The US Will Always Support Israel’: New UN Envoy Kelly Craft Continues Nikki Haley’s Pro-Israel Legacy
The new US Ambassador to the UN Kelly Craft held her first meeting on Wednesday with Israel’s UN ambassador Danny Danon.
Khamenei: We’ll further breach nuke deal until we get ‘desired results’
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday threatened that Iran would further breach the international accord that set limits on its nuclear program until it obtains the ‘desired results.’
Iran’s top general says wiping Israel off map is an ‘achievable goal’
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander on Monday said that wiping Israel off the map is now an ‘achievable goal’ thanks to the country’s technological advances.
Top Iranian Revolutionary Guards Commander Says Israel Surrounded on All Sides
A top commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, a designated terrorist organization, declared over the weekend that Israel doesn’t pose any threat to the Islamic Republic and has been surrounded to ‘the east, west, north, and south.’
Tehran, Moscow at odds over plans to build up military near Damascus
Tehran and Moscow are said to be at loggerheads over the building of Iranian military installations being erected near the Syrian capital of Damascus.
Rouhani claims Trump offered to drop sanctions in exchange for talks
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Friday that Trump had offered to drop all sanctions against the Islamic Republic in exchange for talks at the UN General Assembly, a claim Trump later vehemently denied.
Underground church growing, Islam dying, inside Iran
A new documentary claims the ‘fastest-growing church’ in the world is sprouting up in the unexpected soil of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Saudi prince: ‘Firm’ action needed against Iran to prevent devastating war
Saudi Arabia’s crown prince said in an interview aired Sunday that war with Iran would devastate the global economy and he prefers a non-military solution to tensions with his regional rival.
US deploys air defense systems, troops to Saudi Arabia
The US is sending a Patriot missile battery and four ground-based radar systems to Saudi Arabia, the Pentagon said Thursday, in what officials describe as the first steps to help the kingdom protect itself against Iranian attacks.
Erdogan says Turkey will continue oil, natural gas trade with Iran
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday it was impossible for Turkey to stop buying oil and natural gas from Iran, despite the threat of U.S. sanctions, and added that trade between the two countries would continue, according to broadcaster NTV.
Iran Breaches Nuclear Deal, UN Watchdog Says
The U.N. nuclear monitoring agency says Iran has begun using advanced centrifuges to enrich uranium, a violation of a landmark agreement with world powers.
‘Iran could fire cruise missiles at Israel from Iraq’
The IDF’s intelligence branch thinks that Iran could fire missiles at Israel like the ones it sent flying at a Saudi oil field last week, the head of Military Intelligence’s Research Division, Brig. Gen. Dror Shalom, told Israel Hayom in a special Rosh Hashanah interview.
UK tanker leaves Iranian port after being seized in July
The British-flagged Stena Impero tanker left Iran’s Bandar Abbas port on Friday after being detained since July by Iranian forces and was heading toward international waters.