Escalation in the Middle East: attacks on oil tankers and military build-up

Israel and the US jointly attacked Iran on February 28th. Iran responded with counterattacks on Israel and US military bases in various states in the region.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's leader for more than three decades, was killed in the attacks. Moschtaba Khamenei, the son of Ali Khamenei, is the new political and spiritual leader of Iran.

Iran and the US agreed to a two-week ceasefire on April 8th. The US stopped its attacks on the condition that Iran opens the Strait of Hormuz. The US military has been blockading Iranian ports on the Strait of Hormuz since April 13.

On April 21, US President Donald Trump announced that he would extend the ceasefire until Iran presents a proposal to end the war.

On June 15, Iran and the US agreed on a framework agreement to end the war.

The US resumed attacks on Iran on July 7 after attacks on several tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran's currency falls to new low

The Iranian national currency continues to lose value. On the free market, the exchange rate for one euro rose to the historic mark of three million rials for the first time, as the Iranian financial portal Bonbast reports.

This drastically reduces the purchasing power of the population. The average monthly wage is said to have fallen from the equivalent of 120 euros to around 70 euros since the beginning of the year.

Iran executes protesters

The Iranian judiciary has executed another man in connection with the mass protests. As the justice-related news agency Misan announced, the death sentence against Siavasch Jamschidi was carried out this morning. According to the public prosecutor's office, Jamschidi is said to have shot at police officers during the protests at the beginning of the year - this is allegedly based on the analysis of his cell phone data.

Houthi militia reports ongoing attacks from Saudi Arabia

According to the Houthi militia, Saudi Arabia carried out 94 attacks on areas it controls in Yemen within 24 hours. A militia spokesman said there were deaths and injuries in the attacks, including on the capital Sanaa. He didn't give any numbers. The information could not be independently verified. Eyewitnesses reported violent explosions on Thursday.

Both sides had previously reported several deaths in fighting near the city of Tais in southwest Yemen. The militia said 55 of its fighters had been killed there in the past 24 hours. The AFP news agency learned from government circles that 26 government soldiers had been killed.

Maritime authorities report further attacks on oil tankers off Oman

The attacks on ships off the Strait of Hormuz oil trade route continue. According to the British Maritime Safety Authority UKMTO, a second oil tanker came under fire within a few hours. The authority reports, citing the captain, that the ship was hit on the port side by an unknown projectile. The crew is safe.

The incident reportedly occurred near the northern tip of Oman, a country bordering the Strait of Hormuz, where the Musandam enclave protrudes into the strait. The ship was less than eight kilometers from the coast at the time.

Renewed shelling of tanker in Strait of Hormuz

A ship came under fire while passing through the Strait of Hormuz. The British Maritime Safety Authority (UKMTO) said the attack caused a fire and a power outage on board. The fire has been put out and the ship is on the move again. The incident occurred on Thursday evening, according to UKMTO.

Explosions in Yemen's capital Sanaa

Fighting has broken out again in Yemen. According to eyewitnesses, several heavy explosions were heard in the capital Sanaa. Columns of smoke could also be seen near the presidential palace, it said.

The Houthi-affiliated broadcaster Al-Masirah reported on attacks by Saudi Arabia on Sanaa and the provinces of Saada, Tais and Amran. Saudi Arabia is fighting alongside the official government against the Houthi militia in Yemen.

The military alliance led by Saudi Arabia says it has also intercepted missiles over its own country. Three ballistic missiles and four drones from the Houthi militia were intercepted over the cities of Khamis Mushait and Jazan in the south of the country, the military coalition said. The measures to deter the Houthi militia are continuing, wrote the spokesman for the military coalition, Turki al-Maliki, on X.

According to reports, the US is increasing its military base in the Middle East

The Pentagon is reportedly sending a third aircraft carrier strike group and additional warships to the Middle East. The Wall Street Journal and the news portal Axios write, citing US officials, that newly deployed warships, fighter jets, marines and sailors are expected to arrive there by the end of November. According to the Wall Street Journal, the US is increasing its troops in the region by 9,000 to 10,000 soldiers. 50,000 soldiers are already stationed there.

The two media outlets unanimously reported that the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt left its home port in San Diego on Sunday. More ships, including an amphibious assault ship, left on Monday. The US aircraft carriers USS George H. W. Bush and USS George Washington are already in the Middle East.

Tanker burns after shelling in Strait of Hormuz

According to the British military, another tanker was hit by an unknown missile in the Strait of Hormuz. The ship then caught fire, said the British Navy's Maritime Trade Authority (UKMTO). The crew was safe, it said.

So far no one has claimed responsibility for the attack. However, Iranian forces regularly attack ships passing through the strait to maintain control of the waterway.

Two tankers attacked near Iran

According to authorities, two tankers came under fire in the Strait of Hormuz. Both ships were hit by unknown projectiles yesterday, the British Maritime Safety Authority said.

Iran initially did not claim responsibility for the attacks. "Military clashes occur in the Strait of Hormuz every 24 hours, but America has not responded for some time," said a spokesman for the Revolutionary Guards.

Iran bans imports of expensive cars

Iran has banned the import of luxury cars. President Massoud Peseschkian ordered the ban, Iranian media consistently reported. This is intended, among other things, to reduce the outflow of foreign currency abroad. Since the beginning of the Iran war, the country's economy has fallen further into crisis.

Iran's government warns population of energy shortages

The Iranian government has warned its own population of energy supply shortages in winter. Government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani said significant production capacity was lost as a result of the Iran war. She spoke of almost 230 million cubic meters of natural gas every day - almost a quarter of national production.

Trump denies report about possible sanctions relief for Iran

US President Donald Trump has described as a "hoax" a media report by the news portal Axios, according to which he had offered Iran sanctions relief and the release of frozen assets - in return for concrete concessions on Iran's nuclear program. Trump denied this on his online platform: “That’s untrue. I didn’t offer them anything.”

Oil prices rise after US rejection of Iran

Oil prices have risen after US President Donald Trump rejected an Iranian offer to negotiate. The North Sea Brent variety rose in price by just over one percent to $105.64 per barrel. US light oil WTI rose by 0.8 percent to 93.11 US dollars.

Trump expects talks between Iran and the USA soon

US President Donald Trump says he expects US negotiators to begin talks with Iranian representatives over the next week. He told the news portal Axios. "You want to make a deal, but it's not the deal I want to make," Trump said.

The US had previously rejected Iran's offer to negotiate on a possible reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran had transmitted its so-called seven-day plan to the US government via Qatar. According to Mike Waltz, US Ambassador to the UN, the Iranian government demanded certain preconditions, such as the easing of far-reaching sanctions and access to frozen assets. Trump described the offer as “unacceptable.”

Iran seizes US underwater drone

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard says it has seized a US underwater drone in the Strait of Hormuz. During the "coordinated, complex operation under secret service supervision," the Revolutionary Guard recovered a "sophisticated underwater drone" of the type Remus 600, according to Iranian state television. The drone was used for “espionage purposes” and is now in the hands of Iranian specialists to secure possible data.