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Conflict Events Archive
16,160 documented events · latest Sep 18, 2026 — chronological archive with full summaries and multi-source verification.
Iranians rally by the hundreds of thousands in biggest show of defiance since war began
CAIRO (AP) — Hundreds of thousands of Iranians rallied Friday in a government-organized show of defiance after months of war, pledging their readiness to take up arms in the biggest such demonstration since the United States and Israel attacked in February. Iran's government has sought to rally the people and stress national unity, even as the economy worsens under a U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports and new U.S. sanctions meant to increase Tehran's economic pain. Estimates varied of the number of people volunteering to receive limited military training and defend the country in an effort described as “Janfaday-e Iran,” or the “ones who sacrifice their lives for Iran." They marched through downtown Tehran in combat uniform, carrying flags, as onlookers cheered. For days, state media have encouraged Iranians to join the campaign, saying training with assault rifles would begin soon. The volunteers would be an additional layer of security to the powerful Revolutionary Guard paramilitary and its all-volunteer arm, the Basij. Tehran’s Guard chief, Gen. Hassan Hassanzadeh, told the state broadcaster that over 600,000 people had registered to participate, with over 1 million expected to take part in the training. On Friday morning, the broadcaster estimated over 300,000 people were on the streets. The new head of the Basij, Hossein Taeb, declared in a speech as the rally began that the volunteers will be ready for “full-fledged defense” and similar rallies will take place in other cities soon. The new trainees will make a “nightmare” for Iran's enemies, Taeb added, as President Masoud Pezeshkian, military commanders and other senior officials watched the march. Some participants trampled flags of the U.S. and Israel. Others chanted “Death to America” and “Death to Israel.” “I am here to tell (U.S. President Donald) Trump that we Iranians have no fear about his threats against our homeland,” said Marzieh Afaghi, 24, who attended the rally with her toddler and husband. “No one in history could invade Iran and remain there.” The rally was also a chance for Iran to show off military hardware. Anti-aircraft batteries were on display, while female Guard members in black headscarves sat with truck-mounted machine guns. The Guard displayed drones that have been widely used against ships in the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran has asserted control since the war began, severely affecting the Gulf region’s shipments of oil and natural gas to the rest of the world. The volunteers could help suppress future dissent Friday's events also suggested that hardliners like Taeb among Iran's leadership will be more prepared to suppress any future demonstration against the theocracy. In January, shortly before the war, Iran saw some of its largest nationwide protests in history, which began over the struggling economy and turned to wider grievances. Activists have said a crackdown killed over 7,000 people and saw tens of thousands detained. In May, government officials said more than 30 million people in Iran — home to a population of some 90 million — had volunteered via an online form or at public gatherings to lay down their lives for the theocracy. The Associated Press could not independently confirm that. ___ Karimi reported from Tehran, Iran, and Anna from Jerusalem.
‘Outrageous lies’: How Israeli voters are shrugging off Western sanctions
New sanctions highlight Israel's isolation, yet analysts say they won't sway voters before October's elections.
In Yemen, war at home and in the region drives up prices
Families in Sanaa brace for higher food and transport costs after first fuel price increase in four years.
Oman oil escape route: How ship-to-ship transfers work — despite big risks
Oman’s Sohar port is becoming a popular spot for ship-to-ship oil transfers amid continued Hormuz blockade.
South Korea says US-North Korea talks possible, rules out Hormuz deployment
South Korean president will facilitate US-North Korea talks but will not deploy troops in US war on Iran.
US pivot leaves Saudi Arabia with ‘humiliating dilemma’ over Houthis
Advertisement Saudi scrambles to solve ‘humiliating dilemma’ after US rejects Red Sea intervention Riyadh is now working frantically to build a coalition to protect shipping in the Red Sea and defend the kingdom against Houthi attacks 4-MIN READ4-MIN Saudi Arabia faces a “humiliating dilemma” after the United States refused to militarily intervene to prevent the Iran-aligned Houthi militia from tightening its blockade of the kingdom’s key backup maritime trade route with Asia, according to analysts. US President Donald Trump on September 12 dismissed the Houthi seizure of Yemen’s entire Red Sea coast as a problem that “only affects one country”. Iran has already blockaded the Straits of Hormuz, Saudi Arabia’s main oil and petrochemicals export lane from the Gulf. This stance has “deeply disturbed” the Saudi leadership, according to Michael Ratney, a former US ambassador to Saudi Arabia. It was “deeply frustrating, to say the least” for Riyadh, Ratney said at a webinar hosted by the Washington-based Arab Gulf States Institute on Wednesday. Trump’s belief that all would be “fine and dandy” contrasted starkly with the suspension of Saudi oil exports from the Red Sea the same day, after drone strikes by Iran-allied Iraqi militias badly damaged the east-west pipeline that had enabled the kingdom to bypass Hormuz since the Iran war erupted on February 28. Select Voice Select Speed 1x AI-generated voice
US likely to have committed war crime in strikes on school and sports facility in Iran, says UN mission
A UN fact-finding mission on Iran said it had reasonable grounds to believe the United States was behind two military strikes on a school and sports facility in Iran in February, and that these constituted war crimes. It also found that Iranian authorities committed crimes against humanity during their deadly crackdown on anti-government protests. The findings in a new report by the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran, to be submitted to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, examined the US’s conduct during the Iran war that began in February and the Iranian government’s response to nationwide unrest that began in late December. The Iranian and US permanent missions in Geneva did not immediately respond to requests for comment. US officials have previously said military operations are conducted in accordance with the law of armed conflict, while Iran has consistently rejected allegations of systematic rights violations. UN Fact-Finding missions are investigative, not judicial bodies, and therefore do not initiate any criminal cases. Their findings, however, can be used in criminal investigations by national courts or international tribunals such as the International Criminal Court. States will discuss the findings of the report when it is presented to the Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday. The UN experts said they found reasonable grounds to believe US forces were responsible for an attack on the Shajareh Tayyebeh Primary School in the city of Minab, where more than 150 people were killed, including around 120 schoolchildren, according to Iranian officials. The attack constituted an indiscriminate attack causing civilian deaths and damage to civilian infrastructure, amounting to a war crime under international law, the mission concluded. According to the report, the US failure to update information in relation to the school, which was adjacent to an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps naval complex, in its targeting databases and to confirm the building was a military objective amounted to more than mere negligence. “Rather, the US directed the strikes at the building of the school while being aware of a substantial risk of striking a civilian object and acting recklessly as regards the possibility that this would happen.” In June, US president Donald Trump said that “nobody” purposefully attacked a girls’ school in Iran in February, citing an investigation into the incident. Reuters first reported that an initial internal US military investigation showed US forces were likely responsible for the fatal strike in Minab in southern Iran. The Pentagon has since elevated the probe, but it has not published any preliminary findings. UN experts said the school was a clearly identifiable civilian object and found no evidence that it was being used for military purposes. The experts reached a similar conclusion over a strike on a sports centre in Lamerd. The report said the attack damaged nearby residential buildings and a school, and killed and injured 22 civilians. It concluded that the strike was indiscriminate and therefore constituted a war crime. US Central Command said in a statement in March that US forces did not launch any strikes into the city of Lamerd on that day. The UN mission probe found that the Iranian authorities carried out a widespread and systematic attack against civilians during protests that erupted in late December last year, involving unlawful killings, torture, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances and severe restrictions on freedom of expression. Rights groups say bystanders were among those killed during the biggest crackdown since Shia Muslim clerics took power in the 1979 revolution. Tehran blamed “terrorists and rioters” backed by exiled opponents and foreign foes, the US and Israel. The probe said it could not independently verify the death toll, but that it believed the number of dead and injured was likely far higher than official figures which say 3,038 people were killed, and 25,000 people injured. The government’s response to the protests — including violence and killings, cutting off the internet and use of the death penalty — marked a significant escalation from previous patterns of suppressing dissent, the report said.
US Veteran told he is ‘embarrassing’ uniform over Israeli bonds stance
A veteran was told he is ‘embarrassing’ his uniform for protesting Palm Beach County’s $1B investment in Israel bonds.
Syria warns Israel poses ‘the greatest threat’ to Middle East stability
UNSC meeting on Syria turned into a heated debate between Israel and Turkiye over troops in Syrian territory.
Saudi Arabia has defence pacts with Pakistan, Turkey, US: Why aren’t they fighting the Houthis?
6 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Sep 18, 2026 07:09 AM IST The fighting between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis has sharply escalated in the past two weeks, with the militia making their biggest territorial gains in years. On September 10, they captured the strategic Red Sea port of Mocha (after which Mocha the coffee is named) along with other territory along Yemen’s western coast. By September 17, Ansar Allah, the official name of the Houthi militia, effectively controlled much of Yemen’s Red Sea coast. Map: Wikimedia Commons Thus, while the Houthis are gaining more power against Yemen’s official government, which Riyadh backs, they are also in the position to disrupt Saudi oil flow on its western coast, at a time its eastern coast shipping is already suffering because of the Strait of Hormuz blockade. The global oil price has already crossed $100 per barrel, up from $70 in June 2026 The Houthis have also launched missiles and drones at Saudi territory, including attacks on energy infrastructure. Saudi Arabia has responded with airstrikes and warnings of stronger action. On paper, Saudi Arabia has defence partnerships with multiple key players in the region. The US-Saudi Strategic Defense Agreement was signed on November 18, 2025; Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed their Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement (SMDA) on September 17, 2025; and Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement on August 7, 2026. The Makkah agreement says an armed attack on any one of the three countries will be regarded as an attack on all three. So why have Pakistan, Turkey, or the US not joined the fighting against the Houthis? Why aren’t Pakistan and Türkiye fighting alongside Saudi Arabia? While the Makkah agreement is supposed to be a defence treaty, few details about its actual operational structure are available publicly. It does not delineate the escalation ladder, or what sort of response is expected from a member at which stage when another is facing attacks. Story continues below this ad Both Pakistan and Turkey have said that Saudi Arabia has not requested them to send combat forces to Yemen. Turkish officials have said their Parliament is yet to approve the defence treaty. Pakistan, of course, also has another mutual defence pact with Saudi Arabia. However, barring a few fighter jets it sent in April when Iran was attacking US military assets in the kingdom, Pakistan hasn’t intervened militarily. Nor has Saudi Arabia come to Pakistan’s aid against Afghanistan, with both countries prioritising their own immediate concerns. In the past few days, Pakistan has said it will extend all help to Saudi Arabia, but hasn’t given details. Recently, defence minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif told a Pakistani news channel that, “Under the trilateral agreement, if the territorial integrity of a country comes under threat, the agreement will be activated and the other two countries will proceed to protect it in fulfilment of their obligations.” But when asked specifically about military involvement against the Houthis, Asif said the government’s strategies couldn’t be made public at this stage. Both Pakistan and Turkey are using diplomatic channels to calm the fighting. Pakistan specially has asked Iran, the Houthis’ main benefactor, to rein in the militia. Story continues below this ad Why isn’t the US fighting the Houthis? US President Donald Trump has reportedly declined Saudi requests for direct military intervention against the Houthis. The US has participated in the Yemen conflict in the past. It reached an understanding with the Houthis in 2025, under which it stopped its bombing campaign in return for a Houthi commitment not to attack American vessels. That arrangement is still relevant. Right now, the Houthis are threatening only Saudi ships in the Red Sea, but they have the power to completely disrupt navigation in this crucial water body. With the world still reeling from the economic shock of the blocked Strait of Hormuz, the US would not want this. Also, US munitions are running low as the war with Iran grinds on. The Trump administration would not want to open another front in the Middle East when midterm elections are approaching and the Iran war is anyway unpopular. Then is the Iran factor. The Houthis have largely been trained and armed by Iran. If other countries were to enter active fighting on Saudi Arabia’s behalf, Iran and its allied militias might get behind the Houthis openly, adding another dimension to the US-Israel-Iran war and risking a much wider conflagration in the region. Story continues below this ad Why doesn’t Saudi Arabia simply fight the Houthis alone? Because Riyadh has already tried that. The Houthis are Zaidi Shias, and Yemen’s civil war began because they felt marginalised under the Sunni government. In 2014, they captured the capital, Sanaa. Saudi Arabia, a major Sunni power, intervened militarily in 2015. The rich Saudi Arabia has a modern, well-equipped military, but the Houthis survived years of pressure, while the war produced enormous humanitarian and political costs. A UN-mediated truce in 2022 significantly reduced the fighting, although it was never turned into a permanent settlement. The current escalation came because the Houthis want Saudi Arabia to remove its blockade of the territories they control. Today, the Houthis are far better trained and equipped, especially with missiles and drones. A direct confrontation, thus, could be prolonged and messy, with both economic and security costs for Saudi Arabia, at a time the Iran situation is anyway volatile and Riyadh would like to prioritise its growth ambitions.
Iran claims strike on oil tanker in Strait of Hormuz
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 says it struck and detained Togo‑flagged oil tanker in Strait of Hormuz
TEHRAN, Sept 18 — Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said today 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 Thursday a “security incident in the Strait of Hormuz, 16 nautical miles (29.6km) 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. — AFP
Iran says struck oil tanker in Strait of Hormuz - The Korea Times
Iran says struck oil tanker in Strait of Hormuz Summary Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Friday they struck a Togo-flagged oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, state news agency IRNA reported. The tanker was identified as Trend after a fire broke out on board. Tehran said it was acting against an attempted illegal passage through the waterway. UKMTO separately reported a security incident northeast of Khasab, Oman, on Thursday, but did not identify the vessel. Key Facts - IRNA said the UKMTO reported a security incident on Thursday in the Strait of Hormuz, 16 nautical miles northeast of Khasab, Oman. - The vessel named by the Revolutionary Guards was the Togo-flagged oil tanker Trend. - The Guards said the tanker was detained after a fire broke out on board. - Tehran said it has imposed an effective blockade of the strait since the United States and Israel struck Iran in late February. - Iran said it wants to charge tolls for passage and targets ships it accuses of trying to bypass its preferred route. TEHRAN— 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 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. Explore More - Q. - Q. - Q.
Iran expels Swedish diplomat in retaliatory move
Tehran gives Swedish official 48 hours to leave as Iran says Stockholm is bowing down to outside pressure.
Iran war live: Trump weighs ‘big decision’ on Iran, tanker hit in Hormuz
Trump says he faces a 'big decision' on whether to 'annihilate' his Iranian foes, adding that 'anything could happen'.
Iran and Sweden expel each other’s diplomats as tensions escalate over security
- Iran gave a Swedish diplomat 48 hours to leave Tehran in retaliation for Sweden expelling an Iranian embassy staff member from Stockholm over security threats. - Sweden accused Iran of conducting activities targeting regime opponents and Jewish and Israeli interests in the country, while Iran dismissed the claims as baseless. - Diplomatic tensions between the two nations have been strained for years, marked by Iran’s execution of a Swedish-Iranian citizen for spying for Israel and the imprisonment of another for collaboration with Mossad. Iran on Thursday gave a Swedish diplomat in Tehran 48 hours to leave the country, after Sweden had expelled a staff member from the Iranian embassy in Stockholm. The Swedish ambassador was summoned to the foreign ministry in Tehran to protest against the Swedish decision, which was “unjustified and contrary to international law”, Iran’s foreign ministry said, in a statement broadcast by state television. Swedish authorities had on Wednesday accused Iran of having long “conducted activities that threaten security in and against Sweden, targeting both individuals who oppose the Iranian regime and various Jewish and Israeli interests in our country”. Iran called the accusations “baseless” on Thursday. Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard said the Iranian diplomat had been expelled over “activities not in accordance with the Vienna Convention”, which outlines practices for diplomatic missions and their staff. Calling Tehran’s reaction “very regrettable”, she added that the Swedish staffer “was carrying out ordinary diplomatic activities in Iran”. READ | Sweden says Iran is using Swedish gangs, and children, to target Israel Sweden has a large Iranian community, including government opponents living in exile. Diplomatic relations between the two countries have been tense for several years. In March, Iran executed an Iranian-Swedish citizen on charges of spying for Israel, the Islamic Republic’s sworn enemy. Another Swedish-Iranian, Ahmadreza Djalali, has been imprisoned in Iran for more than 10 years. He was convicted in 2017 of collaborating with Israel’s Mossad spy agency. Iran does not recognise dual citizenship. The Swedish Security Service has previously accused Iran of recruiting criminal gang members to commit “acts of violence” against Israeli and other interests in Sweden - a claim Iran has denied. Since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023, several Israeli interests in Sweden have been targeted, according to the Swedish government.
US seeks to sell Saudi Arabia 48 fighter jets for $24.3 bln
For each fighter jet, the United States will provide a Pratt & Whitney F135-PW-100 engine, as well as one additional spare engine, along with secure communications, navigation, and encryption equipment
War crimes: UN fact-finding mission condemns US, Iran
War crimes: UN fact-finding mission condemns US, Iran A United Nations fact-finding mission on Iran says it has reasonable grounds to believe the United States was behind two military strikes on a school and sports facility in Iran in February, and that these constituted war crimes. It also found Iranian authorities committed crimes against humanity during their deadly crackdown on anti-government protests. The findings on Thursday in a new report by the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran, to be submitted to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, examined US conduct during the Iran war that began in February and the Iranian government's response to nationwide unrest that began in late December. The Pentagon declined to comment on a report conducted by an outside organisation. The Iranian permanent mission in Geneva did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment. US officials have previously said military operations are conducted in accordance with the law of armed conflict, while Iran has consistently rejected allegations of systematic rights violations. UN Fact-Finding missions are investigative, not judicial bodies, and therefore do not initiate any criminal cases. Their findings, however, can be used in criminal investigations by national courts or international tribunals such as the International Criminal Court. States will discuss the findings of the report when it is presented to the Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday. The UN experts said they found reasonable grounds to believe US forces were responsible for an attack on the Shajareh Tayyebeh Primary School in the city of Minab, where more than 150 people were killed, including around 120 schoolchildren, according to Iranian officials. The attack constituted an indiscriminate attack causing civilian deaths and damage to civilian infrastructure, amounting to a war crime under international law, the mission concluded. According to the report, the US failure to update information in relation to the school, which was adjacent to an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps naval complex, in its targeting databases and to confirm the building was a military objective amounted to more than mere negligence. "Rather, the US directed the strikes at the building of the school while being aware of a substantial risk of striking a civilian object and acting recklessly as regards the possibility that this would happen," the report read. The UN mission probe found the Iranian authorities carried out a widespread and systematic attack against civilians during protests that erupted in late December, involving unlawful killings, torture, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances and severe restrictions on freedom of expression. Rights groups say bystanders were among those killed during the biggest crackdown since Shi'ite Muslim clerics took power in the 1979 revolution. Tehran blamed "terrorists and rioters" backed by exiled opponents and foreign foes the US and Israel. The probe said it could not independently verify the death toll, but that it believed the number of dead and injured was likely far higher than official figures which say 3,038 people were killed, and 25,000 people injured. The government's response to the protests — including violence and killings, cutting off the internet and use of the death penalty — marked a significant escalation from previous patterns of suppressing dissent, the report said.
UN spokesperson warns humanitarian situation in Yemen is deteriorating
This is an entry from: Live: UN experts say 'reasonable grounds' to believe US committed war crime in Iran school strike UN spokesperson warns humanitarian situation in Yemen is deteriorating 17 September 2026 23:00 BST UN Secretary-General spokesperson Stephane Dujarric warned on Thursday that the humanitarian situation in Yemen is worsening as tensions escalate in the region. UN Human Rights Office verified 55 civilian casualties from 19 incidents in the governorates of Taiz, Hodeidah, Marib and Lahj since the start of the month, adding that the actual toll was likely to be much higher, Dujarric said. Among them, 16 people were killed, including 10 children, he added, while restrictions to access, funding shortages and security incidents involving humanitarian premises were hindering the international response.
Security Council Fails to Renew Iran Sanctions Panel amid Dispute over ‘Snapback’
The Security Council today failed to adopt a resolution that would have extended the mandate of the Panel of Experts tasked with monitoring implementation of United Nations sanctions on Iran, as Council members continued to be divided on whether those sanctions are in force at all.