War returns to Iran with Israel, US strikes

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has expressed appreciation for Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts for regional peace and stability, as well as its role as a mediator in the Iran war during a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) says.

During the UN chief’s visit to Pakistan, PM Shehbaz highlighted Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts to promote dialogue and de-escalation, particularly as a mediator between the US and Iran.

“He reiterated that dialogue and diplomacy remains the only viable path to resolving disputes and preventing escalation,” the PMO says.

Guterres “particularly appreciated Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts to promote dialogue, mediation and de-escalation, and welcomed its continued commitment to multilateralism and the purposes and principles of the UN Charter”, the statement added.

Switzerland has announced nearly $2 million in humanitarian aid to Yemen, with $1.2m in emergency aid to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and nearly $780,000 to the World Food Programme in support of Yemen, Al Jazeera reports citing the Swiss Foreign Ministry.

The ministry calls on all parties to respect international humanitarian law, protect civilians and encourage dialogue.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has told his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian in a phone call that Moscow is ready to help efforts to mediate the Middle East war, AFP reports citing Iranian state media.

The Russian leader and Pezeshkian, in their call, have spoken of the “positive and expanding trajectory of relations” between the two allies, stressing the need to further deepen ties, state news agency IRNA reports.

On the war, Putin “referred to efforts by some countries to mediate and help reduce tensions, saying that Russia supports” them, the agency reports, adding that Putin said that Iran “can be assured that Moscow is also ready to play a role and provide assistance in this regard”.

Oil prices have risen, with Brent futures holding above $100 a barrel on supply concerns as investors weigh a surprise drop in US crude stocks, global war-driven bottlenecks, and a storm heading for US oil-producing regions, Reuters reports.

Brent crude futures are up $1.29, or 1.28 per cent, to $101.87 a barrel as of 1452 GMT (7:52pm PKT). US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was up 22 cents, or 0.25pc, to $89.66.

The Royal Saudi Navy’s Chief of Staff, Lieutenant-General Muhammad al-Ghurairi, has received the commander of US Naval Forces Central Command, Vice Admiral Curt Renshaw, and his team for talks in Saudi Arabia, Al Jazeera reports citing a statement from Riyadh’s defence ministry.

Both commanders have discussed cooperation between Riyadh and Washington to enhance maritime security and promote freedom of navigation in the region, a post on X by the defence ministry says.

Iranian media reports a 60 per cent decrease in oil passing through the Strait of Hormuz over the past two days, reaching around 3.8 million barrels per day, according to Al Jazeera.

The Tasnim News Agency says the weekly average of oil passing through the Strait is estimated to be about 9.3 million barrels per day.

At least 81 US fixed-wing, rotary-wing and uncrewed aircraft were lost or damaged during military operations against Iran, Anadolu reports citing a recent report prepared by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service.

The figures compile operational incidents recorded since Feb 28 across Pentagon records, US Central Command statements, military inspector general findings and press accounts.

The compilation shows extensive losses across uncrewed platforms, led by 45 MQ-9 Reaper drones and three MQ-1 multi-role craft downed during operations, along with one MQ-4C Triton that crashed in a flight mishap.

Manned combat airframes also sustained substantial hits. Twelve F-15E Strike Eagle fighters were affected, including three destroyed by friendly fire over Kuwait, one downed over Iran, and eight that suffered light damage during an Iranian missile strike on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan before returning to service.

Read more here.

International Energy Agency (IEA) members have expressed support for accelerating the release of around 100 million barrels of oil stocks to the market which were pledged back in March, prioritising the release of diesel stocks, Reuters reports citing a statement from the body.

The statement says the Agency will hold a governing board meeting next week to review the situation, adding that IEA members still have the equivalent of around 1.1 billion barrels in reserve, including over 200 million barrels of diesel.

Deputy Foreign Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has reiterated the importance of diplomacy and dialogue in the region during a meeting with Belarusian National Security Adviser Lieutenant General Aleksandr Volfovich, the Foreign Office (FO) says.

In addition to bilateral interests, both sides discussed the latest regional and international developments, with Dar stressing “the importance of dialogue and diplomacy to address challenges and promoting regional peace and stability”, the FO says on X.

In a post on X, Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei has warned of the possibility of false-flag attacks, noting that the practice is an “old craft” where countries “manufacture the incident, assign the blame, and harvest the consequences”.

“In a world where the American and international public is weary of an unlawful war of aggression against Iran, and where the aggressors have no honest way to justify a war of choice, even a raft made of lies can look like salvation to those who are drowning,” he writes.

Attacks on tankers sailing through the Strait of Hormuz hit their highest last week of any week since the Iran war began, Reuters reports citing maritime security sources tracking incidents.

Attacks, attempted attacks and harassment activity, including drone overflights, surveillance and hailing using VHF radio by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have persisted in the strait, the US Navy-led Joint Maritime Information Centre (JMIC) says in a note from Sunday.

“These actions continue to demonstrate Iran’s intent to assert presence along key transit lanes and maintain pressure on transiting vessels,” the JMIC adds.

From September 28 to October 5, there have been at least 12 attacks on oil, liquefied natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas tankers around the Strait of Hormuz, according to data from three maritime security sources who analysed incidents based on information received from the area.

That is the highest number of attacks in a single week since the US war on Iran began on February 28, the sources say.

Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warns that the US has shifted its focus from military action towards promoting insecurity within the country, state news agency IRNA reports.

According to IRNA, Ghalibaf says the Americans have realised that military action “could not inflict damage on Iran” and that this has created a “deterrent effect”.

“For this reason, they have concentrated serious and fundamental pressure against Iran on economic issues and disrupting security inside the country,” he is quoted as saying.

The parliament speaker also stresses that the US is planning “violent actions inside Iran”, which indicates that strengthening economic resilience and ensuring domestic security should be Tehran’s top priorities.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) and the European Union have discussed the release of oil and diesel stocks proposed last week with diplomats and analysts, expecting it to include volumes pledged in March, Reuters reports.

IEA countries have met to discuss the plan, as has the EU’s oil co-ordination group, diplomats say.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has told his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin that “Iran is fully prepared to reach a balanced and fair agreement that ensures lasting peace and security in the region,” Al Jazeera reports, citing the Fars News Agency.

“Our red line is the national interests and rights of the Iranian people. If the United States adheres to international legal frameworks, reaching an agreement is not out of reach,” Pezeshkian is quoted as saying.

The Iranian president adds that Tehran is “ready to cooperate and collaborate with its neighbours to achieve the region’s own peace and security – without the presence or interference of extra-regional countries”.

Putin underscores the need for the US and Israel to pay war reparations and ensure that Iran receives “long-term security guarantees to prevent a repeat of the aggression”, Fars reports.

The Hamas attack of October 7, 2023, has accelerated Israel’s decline, the chief of staff for Iran’s armed forces says, as Israelis mark the third anniversary of the deadliest day in their country’s history, AFP reports.

“The Resistance Front turned its defensive strategy into an offensive strategy for the legitimate defence of the Palestinian people and their land, and accelerated the decline of the Zionist regime (Israel),” Ali Abdollahi says in a statement.

Ex-oil minister Mohsen Paknejad has pushed back against US President Donald Trump’s accusation that he resigned because Iran has “no oil”, Al Jazeera reports.

Paknejad resigned on Sunday for “personal reasons” and was replaced by acting minister Hamid Bovard.

“My resignation has nothing to do with Trump’s claims last night,” he says in a statement.

Oil prices have risen, with Brent futures holding above $100 a barrel, on continued Middle East supply risks and a storm heading for oil-producing regions in the United States, Reuters reports.

Brent crude futures were up 75 cents, or 0.75pc, to $101.33 a barrel at 5pmPKT. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was up 39 cents, or 0.44pc, to $89.83.

Investors are not convinced that recent rises in supply and exports from the Middle East are sustainable, PVM analyst Tamas Varga said.

Downward pressure on prices abated because of the approaching US storm, as well as conflict in the Middle East and Ukraine, Varga said.

An adviser to the commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has told the semi-official Fars News Agency that transit routes in the Strait of Hormuz deemed illegal by Tehran, referring to the southern pathway hugging Oman’s coast, will soon be closed, Reuters reports.

Mohammadreza Naqdi says these “few routes” have been created by blasting and damaging some of the rocky passages in the strategic waterway and are used by “small boats smuggling oil and transferring it to tankers”, challenging the narrative that Gulf oil exports are regaining pre-war levels.

“The Strait of Hormuz is closed, and the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran have full control over it. This situation will continue until Iran’s legitimate demands are met,” he adds.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian says cultural and sports complexes will be closed in Iran if necessary to provide electricity and energy needed for industrial production, according to Al Jazeera.

“We must not allow the production cycle to be damaged. We will reduce the consumption of electricity, gas, gasoline, water and other energy sectors,” he told Iran’s Fars news agency. “[The] condition for resistance and standing up to the West is for everyone to endure hardship.”

The first liquefied natural gas (LNG) train under QatarEnergy’s North Field East (NFE) expansion project is ready to start operations and is expected to produce its first gas in November, Reuters reports citing two people with knowledge of the matter, which could offer Qatar a path to restoring some lost output due to Iranian attacks.

Governments supporting households and businesses grappling with high energy costs by increasing budget deficits is unsustainable, International Monetary Fund boss Kristalina Georgieva tells AFP, citing rising interest rates and borrowing costs.

“We had Covid, we had the war in Ukraine, we had then inflation shock, interest rates jumping and now we have the energy shock [over the Middle East war]. Every time, the governments came to the rescue of people and businesses by borrowing and increasing the deficit, and that just cannot go on any longer,” Georgieva says in an interview in Singapore.

World Health Organisation chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warns of a “devastating toll” in Yemen amid an escalating conflict, Anadolu reports.

“The escalating conflict in Yemen is taking a devastating toll. Nearly 1,000 people have been killed, more than 4,200 injured and almost 198,000 displaced since the latest escalation, amid outbreaks of cholera and measles,” Ghebreyesus outlines.

The WHO chief, in a post on X, says that the body’s immediate funding requirement has more than tripled from $9 million to $31m due to growing needs.

“We urgently call on donors to step up. Lives depend on humanitarian and health aid,” Tedros adds.

Washington’s “requests and ideas” about Iran’s nuclear programme are at odds with Tehran’s demands, a senior Iranian official tells Reuters when asked about US Vice President JD Vance’s comment that Tehran must cut enrichment to end the war with Washington.

“Vance’s comments are Washington’s ideas and requests … Americans are free to make requests and have ideas, but they are at odds with Iran’s demands,” the senior Iranian official, who is directly involved in indirect negotiations with the United States, says.

The official adds that no negotiations have taken place with the US about Iran’s nuclear programme and that Washington must first meet Tehran’s conditions before nuclear talks can start.

They note that US recognition of Iran’s right to nuclear enrichment is Tehran’s red line, which “it will not show flexibility on in any way. However, he added that details of enrichment can be discussed later.