US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that Washington has not ruled out further military strikes on Iran and claimed the United States maintains control over the Strait of Hormuz, though these assertions require verification against independent assessments of the region's status.

The Secretary indicated that economic pressure remains the primary lever against Tehran while emphasizing that "kinetic strikes" remain a viable option, and he noted that the administration is seeking $1.5 trillion in defense funding from Congress.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated on Monday that Washington has not ruled out kinetic military strikes against Iran, particularly within the Strait of Hormuz, while emphasizing that economic pressure remains the primary current strategy. Speaking in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, Hegseth indicated ongoing coordination with Treasury officials regarding sanctions but did not provide verified details on the specific scope or timeline of any potential military actions.

Saudi Arabia, France Call For Iran Diplomacy, Reaffirm Support For Palestinian State In Joint Statement By Noor Nugali Key Takeaways: - Saudi Arabia and France, in a joint statement after Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and President Macron met in Paris, called for a negotiated solution on Iran that ensures the peaceful nature of its nuclear program and full IAEA cooperation, while demanding restoration of unrestricted navigation through the Strait of Hormuz to pre-February 28, 2026 conditions.

- On the Palestinian track, both sides welcomed a reported Hamas disarmament agreement, urged a sustainable ceasefire and unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza, rejected moves undermining a two-state solution within 1967 borders, and called for an end to Israeli settlement expansion and settler violence.

- Beyond regional diplomacy, the leaders marked a century of ties by expanding the strategic partnership—deepening defense cooperation, boosting trade and investment (including a major Qiddiya project in France), and advancing collaboration in AI, quantum technologies, culture, and Expo 2030—while addressing stability in Lebanon, Yemen, Sudan, and Syria.

Saudi Arabia and France called for a negotiated solution on Iran, the restoration of unrestricted navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and renewed efforts toward Palestinian statehood as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and French President Emmanuel Macron laid out a broad joint vision for Middle East security and an expanded strategic partnership.

In a joint statement issued following their meeting in Paris on Monday, the two leaders emphasized that stability in the Middle East must be based on the sovereignty of states, respect for international law and the pursuit of political and diplomatic solutions to conflicts and security threats.

Iran featured prominently in the statement, with Riyadh and Paris stressing the need for a negotiated solution to prevent further escalation and ensure regional security. The two sides reaffirmed their commitment to a diplomatic solution that guarantees the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program and called on Tehran to resume full cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency.

They also condemned attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz and threats to the security of waterways, emphasizing the need to restore navigation through the strategic passage to the conditions that prevailed before Feb. 28, 2026. The two countries called specifically for freedom of navigation, regular shipping traffic and the absence of direct or indirect tolls or restrictions on passage, in accordance with international law.

On the Palestinian issue, Saudi Arabia and France welcomed the announcement of an agreement on the disarmament of Hamas and called for its implementation. They stressed the need to create conditions for a sustainable ceasefire and ensure the urgent, safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza.

They also rejected attempts to undermine the Palestinian people’s right to establish an independent state within the 1967 borders and emphasized the importance of preserving the unity of the Palestinian territories. Riyadh and Paris also called for an end to Israeli settlement policy and settler violence, which they said threaten the two-state solution, and reiterated their commitment to the full implementation of the New York Declaration.

The two sides reaffirmed their support for the Palestinian Authority’s reform agenda and welcomed the announcement of legislative and presidential elections in Palestine. The statement addressed several other regional flashpoints, including Lebanon, Yemen, Sudan and Syria.

On Lebanon, the two leaders agreed to intensify efforts toward a final resolution of the conflict through strengthening the Lebanese state and its institutions while safeguarding the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. They commended President Joseph Aoun and the government of Prime Minister Nawaf Salam for steps taken to rebuild state institutions and extend state authority.

Riyadh and Paris also reiterated support for the Lebanese Armed Forces and security forces, called for the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and stressed the need to complete the disarmament of all non-state armed groups. They also called for Israel to withdraw from all Lebanese territory.

On Yemen, the two countries reaffirmed support for the Presidential Council and UN efforts to reach an inclusive and comprehensive solution to the crisis. They condemned Houthi attacks targeting civilian infrastructure and vital facilities in Saudi Arabia, as well as attacks on ships.

France expressed its “solidarity and full support” for the Kingdom and rejected attacks on Saudi territory. On Sudan, both sides called for intensified efforts to end the crisis and halt foreign interference while preserving the country’s sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and institutions.

Saudi Arabia and France also reaffirmed support for Syria’s unity, stability and economic recovery. They highlighted the potential to reposition Syria as a bridge connecting Europe, the Gulf and Asia through alternative routes and welcomed the establishment of a Saudi-Syrian-French business council.

Beyond regional diplomacy, the statement signaled a significant expansion of bilateral cooperation as the two leaders marked a century of political relations between Saudi Arabia and France and presided over the first meeting of the French-Saudi Strategic Partnership Council.

The two countries adopted a declaration strengthening their historic defense cooperation, including in armaments and training, while committing to greater coordination on global security and stability. Economic ties were another major focus. Bilateral trade reached about $11.

8 billion in 2025, while both countries agreed to strengthen cross-investment and cooperation between financial institutions. The statement also welcomed Qiddiya Investment Company’s ambition to develop a major mixed-use destination in Cergy-Pontoise in the Île-de-France region, encompassing entertainment, leisure, hospitality, culture and sport.

Current ambitions include investment of around €6 billion over the project’s development lifecycle. Cooperation will also deepen in artificial intelligence, quantum computing and emerging technologies, while the countries agreed to extend their partnership on AlUla until 2035, building on cooperation in archaeology, heritage and culture.

France also confirmed its participation in Riyadh Expo 2030, with both leaders agreeing to make the event a highlight of Saudi-French relations. The visit saw agreements and memorandums of understanding signed in defense, healthcare, AI, emerging technologies and entertainment, while the French-Saudi Investment Roundtable produced announcements of more than 22 agreements and MoUs across key sectors.

Together, the initiatives underscored a partnership that Riyadh and Paris are seeking to deepen not only around trade and investment, but also around some of the Middle East’s most consequential diplomatic and security challenges. Like what you read?

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A cyber attack shut down a small British power plant for four days in July. Hackers affiliated with the Iranian regime were responsible, according to the Telegraph. Tony Diver, Rozina Sabur and Matt Oliver broke the story on Saturday. It is thought to be the first time hackers linked to Tehran have closed such a facility in the UK, they wrote.

They described it as the most successful attack of its kind. What the government has confirmed A British government spokesperson confirmed the incident to The Register on Monday. “This story refers to an incident impacting a small-scale energy generator, and at no point was there a risk to the wider energy system,” the spokesperson said.

“The UK has a highly resilient energy system. We work closely with the energy sector to protect infrastructure and ensure the highest security standards.” Michael Shanks, the UK energy minister, posted about the attack on X. His department briefed energy chief executives afterwards, he said, and shared advice on the steps companies should take.

The UK has not blamed anyone The government has not formally attributed the attack. That applies to Iran and to any other government or hacking group, The Register reported. Officials declined to identify the power station, citing security concerns.

The National Cyber Security Centre declined to comment. The NCSC sits under GCHQ and handles attacks on critical infrastructure. It does not routinely acknowledge individual incidents. The plant was small This was not an attack on an essential service such as a large power station, Tom Symonds reported for the BBC.

The UK network includes a number of smaller gas generators. They provide short-term power when needed. The Financial Times described the site as a peaker plant. Britain has dozens of them, according to the Telegraph. Many are gas-fired and run for only a few hours a week, for example when wind speeds are low.

A government source told the Telegraph the site sits well below the level at which operators must legally report cyber activity. “It’s a very small-scale site, less than a rounding error compared to grid capacity,” the source said. American water systems were hit at the same time The outage coincided with a series of attacks on US water infrastructure, the Telegraph reported.

Those attacks reached 12 states and caused concern in the White House. Dozens of wastewater treatment plants were affected. The intrusions caused flooding and a loss of pressure from taps. Some authorities told customers to boil water before drinking it.

The first reports emerged in Minnesota on 26 July. Michigan, Georgia, South Dakota and New Jersey followed. The Register put the Minnesota figure at more than 30 facilities, with similar intrusions later reported in at least 11 other states. CNBC reported that the FBI warned about attacks in at least seven states.

CISA, the FBI and the Environmental Protection Agency blamed Iran, CNBC said. How the American attacks worked Most or all of the US utility attacks involved internet-connected programmable logic controllers, The Register reported. Those are the small computers that operate physical equipment such as pumps and valves.

Five federal agencies issued a warning last week. Attackers are now using AI-generated exploitation scripts to break into internet-exposed Siemens S7 controllers, they said, at water, manufacturing and energy sites. “This is not a theoretical risk, it is an active threat,” the agencies said.

“This appears to be a continuation of the same suite of activity we suspect is affiliated with Iran targeting PLCs,” Cynthia Kaiser told The Register. Kaiser is a former FBI cyber analyst, now at the Halcyon Ransomware Research Center. What Britain had been told to expect The intelligence and security committee oversees Britain’s spy agencies.

It reported last year that an Iranian cyber attack on British infrastructure was “unlikely”, according to the Telegraph. The same committee called cyber warfare a “significant area of asymmetric strength” for Iran. Tehran spends tens of millions of dollars on hacking groups, it said, each containing hundreds of people.

A Cabinet Office risk assessment published last month put the chance of a serious and successful attack on domestic infrastructure at 5% to 25%. It also warned that “AI can automate the process of launching cyber attacks, making them faster, more efficient and lower the barrier for entry”.

How often this happens Richard Horne runs the NCSC. He said in June that the agency had dealt with more than 200 attacks on critical national infrastructure in the previous year. Horne has also warned that the NCSC now handles at least four nationally significant attacks a week, Cyber Security News reported.

That number could rise sharply if Britain becomes more entangled in the Iran conflict, he said. The NCSC told British organisations in March to review their security in light of the Middle East conflict. The wider campaign Iran has stepped up attacks on Western countries since the US and Israel began air strikes in February, according to the Telegraph.

Germany, Poland, Finland, Belgium and Albania have all reported suspected Iranian attacks. The US Department of Justice charged 17 Iranians on 18 August, CNBC reported. The department called it a massive cyber theft campaign on behalf of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Israel’s national cyber chief said in June that Iranian attacks on the country had tripled in a year. What hackers have done in Britain before Foreign attacks have brought down NHS systems, schools and manufacturing lines, the Telegraph reported. Jaguar Land Rover was among them.

Hackers have also taken retail customer data and voter records from the Electoral Commission. Russian hackers were behind the Jaguar Land Rover attack, which cost the British economy $2.5bn. No hacker had brought a British power plant to a standstill before, according to the Telegraph.

AI and the attack toolkit The federal warning about AI-written exploit code follows other cases this year. Hackers mass-exploited two WordPress flaws in July after AI found the way in. Greg Brockman said this month that OpenAI had underestimated its own models on cyber capability.

Defence has become its own market. SoftBank and OpenAI launched a patching service for Japanese critical infrastructure in June. What is still unknown Neither the government nor the NCSC has said which plant was affected. Neither has said how the attackers got in.

Nobody has said whether the intrusion connects to the American water incidents. No formal attribution has been made. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero says it is updating its cyber security regulations. A new energy resilience strategy is due later this year, the BBC reported.

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