War returns to Iran with Israel, US strikes

Saudi Aramco has instructed staff to evacuate its headquarters in Dhahran and work remotely, Reuters reports, citing six anonymous sources “with knowledge of the matter”.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have threatened to strike American bases across the Middle East if the US military continues to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz, AFP reports.

“The US military must know that if this trend continues, the conflict will extend to its bases in the region,” the Guards have said in a statement on their Sepah News website.

“This is a serious warning,” they add.

The Greek finance ministry says it is implementing sanctions in place linked to Iran and that it backs efforts to effectively combat money laundering and the financing of terrorism, Reuters reports.

The statement comes after the US Treasury Department said that the US Financial Crimes Enforcement Network issued an administrative subpoena to advance an investigation into a Greek bank, which it did not name.

An Indian national was among the two killed in the attack on Dammam airport, Indian embassy in Riyadh says on X.

Two Indian nationals have been injured as well, it adds.

“We are ascertaining further details and contacting the affected families,” the embassy says.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and loved ones of the deceased and we wish speedy recovery of the injured.”

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said that it had targeted four ships in the northern part of the Arabian Gulf that it said were transferring oil cargoes from one vessel to another, Reuters reports.

The IRGC’s naval forces said in a statement that “fires were still burning on the targeted ships.”

It added that the four vessels had been spotted transferring oil between ships and were targeted simultaneously for sailing along “unauthorised routes.”

Oil prices rallied over $2 a barrel after more Houthi attacks in Saudi Arabia stoked concerns over a broader escalation of conflict and further disruptions to crude supplies from the world’s key exporting region, Reuters reports.

Brent crude futures climbed$2.82, or 2.59 per cent, to $111.64 a barrel at 0626 GMT, close to a five-month high. US West Texas Intermediate crude gained $2.24, or 2.31pc, to $99.39.

“Oil prices remain well bid, with ICE Brent back above $110 per barrel this morning following additional deadly attacks on Saudi Arabia,” ING analysts said in a note on Thursday.

The death toll from Wednesday’s attack on Saudi Arabia’s Dammam has risen to two, according to the Saudi civil aviation authority, Reuters reports.

The US and Israeli militaries have developed plans for renewed strikes against Iran after the US midterm elections, with preparations advancing for a potential short but intensive campaign, The New York Times reports.

Citing US officials and other people briefed on the deliberations, the newspaper reported that the two militaries have stepped up exercises, including flights over Iraq to practice strike maneuvers.

Potential targets could include Iran’s nuclear facilities, missile and drone arsenal, and energy infrastructure, according to the report.

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel this week to discuss possible new strikes, the newspaper reported.

India’s imports of Middle Eastern crude oil surged in September, returning to pre-war levels, while its refiners cut back purchases of Russian oil amid stiff competition with China, ship tracking data showed, Reuters reports.

Refiners snapped up spot cargoes as Middle Eastern producers and traders cranked up shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, easing supply constraints caused by the Iran war.

The world’s third-biggest oil importer initially raised Russian crude imports to compensate for reduced Middle Eastern supplies at the onset of the war.

US President Donald Trump says Washington is doing “very well militarily and financially” against Tehran, describing the war as “a little conflict against Iran,” Al Jazeera reports.

Speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews, Trump was asked whether he had given up on negotiating with the Iranians. “No, I think we’re not negotiating with – we are going to have something one way or the other. It’ll happen fairly soon,” he said.

“Most people seem to think it’s after the election, and we’re going to see what happens,” he added, referring to the upcoming US midterm elections.

“But I will say this, what we’ve done with Iran is amazing,” Trump said.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy has said its forces spotted and struck four vessels involved in ship-to-ship oil transfers in the Gulf, Al Jazeera reports.

The vessels caught fire, the report added.

The IRGC said that three other vessels collided with mines west of the Strait of Hormuz, and warned that further escalation by the US military could lead to direct action against its regional bases.

Asian stocks struggled to stay above water in early trade, as tech earnings optimism provided only fleeting support amid lingering concerns over AI and uncertainty in the Gulf.

MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was down 0.2 per cent, on track for a fourth straight week of decline. Japan’s Nikkei stock index gave up earlier gains to trade 0.4pc lower, while Korean shares were down more than 1%.

US stock futures, the S&P 500 e-minis, were down 0.4pc at 7,765.8.

Oil prices have risen as more attacks by the Houthis in Saudi Arabia prompted the United States to order some diplomats and family members to leave its missions in the Kingdom, Reuters reports.

Brent crude futures rose $1.29, or 1.2 per cent, to $110.11 a barrel at 00:34 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate crude gained 97 cents, or 1pc, to $98.12. Brent had settled largely unchanged on Wednesday, while WTI had eased 67 cents.

The US State Department plans to withdraw family members from a number of other US missions in the region, US officials told Reuters.

Iran’s state media has reported the sound of explosions in the southern Hormozgan province overlooking the Strait of Hormuz, according to AFP.

“A few minutes ago, the sound of several explosions was heard in the Karpan area of Sirik, in Hormozgan Province,” the official IRNA news agency says, adding that “local sources have not yet disclosed the nature of these explosions. “

Washington has ordered all US embassy staff and their families to leave Saudi Arabia, a diplomatic source has told AFP, as the kingdom comes under sustained attack by Yemen’s Houthis.

“All American staff and their families have been ordered to depart from the US embassy in Saudi Arabia,” the source says, adding that the families of embassy staff were also ordered to leave the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Qatar and Bahrain.

The Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reports that a drone was intercepted over the Shaybah oil field in the kingdom’s east, but that two foreigners were killed and as many were injured due to falling shrapnel.

Citing an official source at the Saudi Ministry of Energy, SPA reports that the drone was downed as it attempted to target a facility at the Shaybah oil field belonging to Saudi Aramco.

“The incident resulted in a fire in a vehicle belonging to a contractor working at the field, outside the facility’s perimeter, without affecting operational activities,” the news agency says.

“The attempted attack resulted in the deaths of two residents, one Filipino and one Nepalese, and injuries to two residents, one Pakistani and one Indian,” SPA adds.

The ministry confirmed the casualties in a separate statement.

The US State Department is preparing to issue an ordered departure of some personnel and family members from US embassies across the Gulf region, three US officials say according to Reuters.

The move was due to a possible resumption of hostilities, particularly with the Houthis in Yemen, two of the officials said.

Explosions have been heard in Sirik in southern Iran, Reuters reports citing Iranian media, adding that the nature and origin of the explosions are unknown.

The US Treasury Department has imposed sanctions on Karnakis and Karnakis, a law firm based in Greece and Panama, alleging that it had provided legal assistance to Iranian shipping networks for years, Reuters reports.

The US Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FINCEN) also issued an administrative subpoena to advance an investigation into a Greek bank over potential ties to Iran, according to a US Treasury statement, which has not named the bank.

FINCEN has also issued requests for information to six other European banks that it did not name over relationships with Iranian financial institutions under US sanctions.

“Whether you are conducting illegal oil transfers at sea or sitting in the corner office of a law firm, if you are supporting the Iranian regime, we will find you and sanction you,” US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says in a press release.

Treasury has also imposed sanctions on shipping agents based in Singapore and the United Arab Emirates that it claims aid Iranian shadow fleet operations directly.

Karnakis and Karnakis have not immediately responded to a request for comment.

Israel’s election next week may change its leader, but not its strategy: Iran will remain its chief adversary, military force will continue to be its preferred tool and Palestinian statehood ​a distant prospect, Reuters reports citing regional policymakers and analysts say.

Tel Aviv may toughen its security policy, the analysts say, as victory for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with the backing of far-right coalition partners may embolden him to step up the war with Iran, tighten Israel’s grip on the occupied West Bank and push diplomacy further to the margins.

Israel’s security doctrine now rests on three pillars: breaking Iran, holding buffer zones beyond its borders and using force to deter enemies.

The real ​divide is one of degree rather than direction — how aggressively Israel fights its wars, how far it expands Jewish settlements in the West Bank and whether any leader opts for diplomacy, the ​analysts add.

Read more here.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi writes in The Financial Times that while his country is firmly committed to seeking a dignified, peaceful resolution to the Middle East war, “we are also fully prepared to defend ourselves”.

In a separate post on X sharing the opinion piece, Araghchi stresses that Tehran is prepared to pursue diplomacy if it sees “strong evidence” of Washington sincerely desiring peace.

“But if [the] US chooses war over diplomacy, it’ll certainly result in an even greater strategic failure,” he warns.

Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has met with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, according to state broadcaster Press TV, with the latter stressing national unity and the need for more joint efforts by the government and parliament to address economic issues.

Ayatollah Khamenei has also called on both institutions to “work towards advancing affairs related with Iran’s strategic partners”.

The Saudi-led coalition says it has intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone headed for the kingdom’s southern regions.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has met Egypt’s foreign minister, Badr Abdelatty, in Riyadh, where he received a written message for Saudi King Salman from Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and discussed the latest regional developments, Reuters reports citing the Saudi Press Agency.