Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Friday they struck an oil tanker sailing under the Togolese flag in the Strait of Hormuz, state news agency IRNA reported. Tehran has imposed an effective blockade of the strait since the United States and Israel struck Iran in late February. The Islamic republic wants to charge tolls for passage, attacking ships it accuses of attempting to circumvent its preferred route. "The Togo-flagged oil tanker 'Trend' had been targeted and detained after a fire broke out on board," the statement said, referring to an attempted "illegal passage" through the vital waterway. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) announced on Thursday a "security incident in the Strait of Hormuz, 16 nautical miles (29.6 km) northeast of Khasab, Oman". UKMTO did not provide details about the vessel involved, and it is unclear whether it is the same mentioned by the Revolutionary Guards. Meanwhile, fresh fighting left scores of combatants dead in Yemen, as Saudi Arabia reported its first death since hostilities flared anew and its Yemeni government allies sought to roll back the group's recent gains. The sides have been locked in increasingly violent exchanges since Yemen's civil war resumed, with the Houthis launching a new offensive that saw them capture all of the country's Red Sea coast. At least 23 government soldiers were killed over the previous 24 hours in missile and drone attacks by the group in two southwestern provinces, a government military official told AFP on Thursday. Houthi military sources reported 40 fighters killed in Saudi airstrikes and fighting on the ground during the same period. Earlier in the day, Saudi Arabia's civil defence agency reported the country's first fatality since the Houthis began targeting their territory as part of their revived campaign. "The fall of shrapnel from a downed drone in Taif governorate resulted in one death, two injuries, and material damage to several buildings and vehicles," the agency said, adding that the person killed was a Yemeni national. Images posted by Saudi state media showed windows in cars and shop fronts shattered by the shrapnel, with nearby buildings also damaged. The incident came a day after Riyadh accused the Houthis of launching a "cowardly" thwarted drone attack targeting Islam's holy city of Mecca, a claim the group denied. (AFP) Edited by Altis Wong
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Friday they struck an oil tanker sailing under the Togolese flag in the Strait of Hormuz, state news agency IRNA reported. Tehran has imposed an effective blockade of the strait since the United States and Israel struck Iran in late February. The âŚ
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Reuters reported that US President Donald Trump stated on October 23 that further military strikes against Iran remain an active policy option, referencing prior operations. These remarks were made during a campaign rally in Florida amid ongoing regional hostilities and concerns over disruptions to Persian Gulf shipping lanes.
Ukraine and Russia announced a ceasefire agreement for the occupied town of Oleshky, effective October 27, which reportedly facilitates humanitarian aid and evacuations under the coordination of U.S. First Lady Melania Trump. Concurrently, President Zelensky stated that technical-level negotiations involving Ukraine, Russia, and the United States are scheduled for early November in Abu Dhabi, though a U.
S. official indicated the location could alternatively be Switzerland. These developments follow earlier U.S.-mediated talks that concluded in February without achieving a broader resolution to the conflict.
US President Donald Trump stated on Friday that a further military operation against Iran, referred to as "Epic Fury," remains a possibility as the conflict approaches its eight-month mark, though he previously indicated no new attacks would occur before the November 3 midterm elections.
The ongoing war, which began with US and Israeli strikes on Iran in late February and has since displaced millions and increased global energy costs, has prompted Iranian officials to report that Tehran has developed detailed plans to target undersea communications cables in the Gulf in the event of renewed hostilities.
President Trump stated at a Florida rally that the US may launch further military action against Iran, describing previous strikes as having "obliterated" the country's nuclear enrichment capacity. Concurrently, the State Department announced staffing reductions at four Middle Eastern embassies, citing security threats, while the Pentagon officially declared the prior "Operation Epic Fury" concluded in May despite ongoing hostilities.