Escalation in the Middle East conflict: USA and Iran attack military and oil targets

Angelika Ahrens

Media: US fighter jets damaged in attack in Jordan

According to a media report, several US military aircraft were damaged in night attacks on the Muwaffaq Salti air base in Jordan. This is reported by CBS reporter Jennifer Jacobs on Platform X. An A-10 Thunderbolt aircraft was hit. Furthermore, around eight F-15 fighter jets were slightly damaged. Like that

Sarah Sendner

Report: Iran conflict could last until end of Trump's term in office

According to a newspaper report, senior advisers in the White House have warned US President Donald Trump that the conflict with Iran could last until the end of his term in office. The advisers included Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday (local time), citing US government circles. In internal discussions in the Oval Office and in the situation center, they pointed out that Tehran could continue to withstand pressure from the USA. As a result, the dispute could drag on until after Trump's presidency ends in January 2029. The White House did not immediately respond to a query from the Reuters news agency.

The advisers' assessment contrasts with Trump's public statements. The president said on Wednesday that he expected the war to end “immediately after” the US congressional elections in November. Iran is trying to influence the vote, but will not be able to maintain its resistance for much longer. Trump also admitted that diplomatic talks were still possible, but that they would not be preferred.

Angelika Ahrens

Reports of explosions in southern Iran

According to local media reports, explosions occurred in the Strait of Hormuz area in southern Iran. The state news agency Irna reported that the island of Gheschm in the strait as well as the cities of Sirik and Minab were affected, citing official sources. The explosions occurred at sea, it said. The cause of the explosions and the exact circumstances initially remained unclear.

The US military has recently attacked Iranian oil tankers several times in the Strait of Hormuz or adjacent waters. According to its own statement, it was reacting to attacks by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards on US warships in the region.

Vivian Melchert

Trump: War ends immediately after US congressional elections

US President Donald Trump says he expects the war against Iran to end “immediately after” the US midterm elections in November. The government in Tehran is trying to influence the vote, but will no longer be able to hold out, he says. After the elections on November 3rd, oil prices would also fall.

Vivian Melchert

US agency EIA raises oil price forecasts due to war in Iran

The US Energy Agency (EIA) is raising its oil price forecasts for the current and next year. The reason is the rapid decline in global inventories due to delivery failures from the Middle East as a result of the Iran war, the authority said. For the North Sea Brent variety, the EIA expects an average price of around $91 per barrel (159 liters) this year, an increase of almost five percent compared to the previous estimate for 2026. The price for the US WTI variety is expected to average $84.65 and will therefore also be almost five percent higher. The report is dated September 3rd and does not yet take into account the recent escalation in the Middle East.

Vivian Melchert

IAEA reports Iran to UN Security Council for nuclear violations

The 35-member Board of Governors of the UN Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has passed a resolution against Iran. This means the Islamic Republic will be reported to the UN Security Council for violating its nuclear non-proliferation obligations, diplomats say. It is the first time such a step has been taken in 20 years. The Iranian representation to the international organizations in Vienna criticizes the decision on Platform X as “biased” and “political”. The decision follows a resolution dated June 12 last year in which Iran was found not to be complying with its commitments. The next day, Israel and shortly afterwards the USA began bombing Iranian nuclear facilities. A second decision was required to forward it to the Security Council.

Felicitas Dahmen

Austerity measures: Iran's president proposes car-free day

In view of the threat of supply shortages, Iranian President Massoud Peseschkian has proposed a car-free weekday. The conservative-moderate head of government called for “one day a week without a car” at a cabinet meeting, the state news agency Irna reported. The approach must start with the government and state institutions before calling on the population, he said.

Vivian Melchert

Dead and injured in explosion at weapons depot in Syria

In Syria, at least 14 people were killed in an explosion at a weapons depot in the northwest of the country, according to authorities. The press department of Idlib province said eleven people were injured. The explosion occurred in the city of Sarmada. It was said that the number of operas could still increase. No reasons were given for the explosion.

According to the Syrian Defense Ministry, weapons and war material were stored in the temporary depot for further transport. Several ministry employees were also injured in the explosion.

Just a few days ago there was an explosion in a weapons depot in the town of Binnisch in Idlib, which also left people dead and injured. Civil defense and employees of the Red Crescent aid organization in Syria continued to search for survivors under the rubble on Wednesday.

Vivian Melchert

Protests against possible Hormuz deployment in South Korea

In the South Korean capital Seoul, dozens of people responded to a possible military deployment in the Strait of Hormuz. They called on the government to reject any US demand to help secure the waterway, which has been largely blocked by the Iran war. The protest participants chanted accusing the US government of putting pressure on their country to provide military aid.

The South Korean government under President Lee Jae Myung says it has sent military investigators to the Middle East to get their own picture of the security situation. However, a decision on military support had not been made, it was said from Seoul.

US President Donald Trump justified the early termination of a joint military exercise with South Korea in August by saying that the country had refused support for the US-Israeli war against Iran. He told Fox News last week that Seoul was not prepared to provide aid, even though the US itself was ensuring South Korea's security with a military presence in Asia. Iran has announced “severe consequences” if South Korea takes part in US operations in the Strait of Hormuz.

Laura Thalmeyer

Iran announces expanded maritime restricted area

Iran is expanding its maritime restricted area near the Strait of Hormuz. The new restricted area extends from the southern Iranian port city of Chabahar to parts of the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, the Revolutionary Guard said. The exact coordinates are yet to be announced. The announcement follows comments from Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Resai. According to state media, he said that Iran would set up an exclusion zone outside the Strait of Hormuz in the coming days.

Laura Thalmeyer

Bianca Hugo

Lufthansa Group will be flying to Dubai again from the end of October

The Lufthansa Group airlines will gradually resume their connections to Dubai from the end of October. In the future, up to 36 weekly flights will be offered to the United Arab Emirates, the company announced on Wednesday.

The core brand Lufthansa will begin on October 25th with five weekly connections from Munich. The route from Frankfurt follows one day later. The subsidiaries Swiss and Austrian Airlines are also resuming their flights from Zurich and Vienna. Eurowings will be flying to the emirate from Berlin, Stuttgart and Cologne/Bonn from November.

By returning to Dubai, the Lufthansa Group is once again expanding its offering in the Middle East. The security situation in the region will continue to be assessed on an ongoing basis and in close coordination with the relevant authorities, it said.

Sabrina Frangos

Iran: Revolutionary Guards attack ten ships in the Gulf

The Iranian Revolutionary Guards said they attacked two US ships and eight oil tankers in the Persian Gulf. This was in response to a US attack on five Iranian tankers, state media reported, citing a statement from the Guard. The ten ships attempted to pass through a “forbidden and unsafe” area in the Strait of Hormuz.

Miriam Braun

US military: Iranian oil tanker sunk

The US military says it sank one of the ships in its attacks on Iranian oil tankers. The tanker “M/T Riesco” was destroyed in the Gulf of Oman and is sinking, the responsible regional command Centcom announced on the X platform. It also produced a video showing a ship being hit, catching fire and then sinking bow first. The military initially did not provide any information about whether the tanker was carrying crude oil.

According to Centcom, a total of five Iranian oil tankers were attacked and “destroyed” in Tuesday’s attacks. The crew members had previously been asked to leave the ships, the US regional command said. The strike came after Iran's Revolutionary Guards previously attacked a US Navy warship with ballistic missiles. The warship was able to avoid the attacks, it was said.

Miriam Braun

Jordan: Nearly two dozen Iranian missiles intercepted

Jordan says it has successfully intercepted 20 ballistic missiles from Iran. 18 were destroyed and two others fell in remote areas, the Jordanian state news agency Petra said overnight. There were no injuries. There was no information about the targets of the attacks. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards had previously spoken of “severe rocket attacks” on the US military base Al-Asrak, according to the Fars news agency.

According to the Iranian news agency Tasnim, there were several explosions at two US bases in Jordan. There was no confirmation of this from either the US military or the Jordanian side. Iran spoke of retaliation for US military attacks on Iranian oil tankers. The US military said the attacks on the tankers were in retaliation for Iranian missile attacks on a US warship.

Miriam Braun

US destroys five Iranian oil tankers – Rubio warns Tehran

The US regional command Centcom reports the destruction of five Iranian crude oil tankers on September 8th. The military said this was in response to attempted rocket attacks. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards have twice targeted a US warship with ballistic missiles in the past two days.

The ship successfully evaded the attacks, according to Centcom. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warns Iran that the US will continue to attack Iranian oil tankers in retaliation. During a visit to Colombia, Rubio explained that every time Iran tries to hit U.S. Navy ships, the country will lose tankers.

Miriam Braun

Iranian media reports rocket attacks on Jordan

According to media reports, Iran has attacked US military bases in Jordan with a “wave of missiles”. As the pro-government broadcaster Press TV reported on Telegram that night, these were retaliatory strikes after attacks by the US military on Iranian oil tankers. According to the Iranian news agency Tasnim, there were several explosions at two US bases in Jordan. The reports could not initially be independently confirmed. The US military and the Jordanian authorities initially did not provide any information.

The US military said that night that the attacks on several Iranian tankers were in retaliation for Iranian attacks on a US warship with ballistic missiles. Iranian media had previously reported several explosions off the island of Kharg in the Persian Gulf and near the port city of Jask on the Strait of Hormuz. Charg is the main export terminal for Iranian oil in the Persian Gulf.

Sabrina Frangos

US loses underwater drone near Strait of Hormuz

Iran has captured a US underwater drone, according to state television. The Navy seized the unmanned vehicle “as loot” on Tuesday at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz, it said.

The spokesman for the US regional command Centcom, responsible for the Middle East, Tim Hawkins, admitted that the US military was no longer in possession of the Anduril Dive-LD drone. This malfunctioned during an operation in the area more than a day ago. It was a defective, older model that “neither collected sensitive data nor had secret sonar or radar equipment on board.” "It was in commercial grade condition. So we're not worried," Hawkins said.

Miriam Braun

Iran: Small Iranian tanker hit by US missile

According to the Iranian agency Tasnim, a small Iranian tanker was hit by a US missile off the island of Kharg. There were no injuries and the crew was evacuated.

Vivian Melchert

Iranian media: Explosions on Kharg Island and near Jask

Iranian media have reported several explosions on the island of Kharg in the Persian Gulf and near the port city of Jask on the Strait of Hormuz. According to the pro-government Mehr news agency, explosions were heard in various parts of Kharg island, including in the port area. Official information on the origin and cause of the explosions as well as possible damage was initially not available.

Explosions were also heard near the port city of Jask in southeastern Iran on the Strait of Hormuz, the Fars news agency reported.