This live blog follows the latest developments across the Middle East crisis, including regional diplomacy, maritime security, ceasefire negotiations, and economic fallout.
Catch up on Sunday’s top developments here:
- US strikes Iran for first time in a month
- Iran Guards say attacked US military targets in Jordan
- Pakistan FM, army chief to attend inaugural Makkah pact meeting
- Iran supreme leader calls for unity among Muslim countries
- Gaza death toll reaches 73,454, Palestinian officials say
Tanker struck by 3 unknown projectiles near Hormuz: UKMTO
Published: Aug 31, 2026 | 23:07 GMT | by Web Desk
United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency has said that a tanker reported that it was struck by three unknown projectiles while completing an outbound transit of the Strait of Hormuz.
The incident which took place near Iman reported no casualties or environmental impact, the agency said in a post on X, adding that authorities were investigating the incident.
“Vessels are advised to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity to UKMTO,” it said.
EU’s surrender to American coercion’ against Iran evidence of incompetence: Baqaei
Published: Aug 31, 2026 | 22:57 GMT | by Web Desk
Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baqaei has said that the European Union appeared to be “surrendering its sovereignty, its laws and regulations, its values and its ethics to American coercion.”
In a post on X, Baqaei said that ender its own legislation, the European Union shall not recognise the extraterritorial application of laws adopted by third countries and regards such effects as contrary to international law.
The EU Blocking Statute expressly prohibits EU operators from complying with any requirement or prohibition based on the specified foreign statutes, he said.
“How, then, can the Union now support the most predatory and unlawful unilateral coercive measures against Iran?”
“Contrast this with 1996, when the EU resolved to act independently in defense of its sovereignty against the American sanctions regime and adopted the Blocking Statute,” he added.
He said that today it has become an “accessory to Washington’s lawless conduct.”
“The Union’s endorsement of America’s unlawful economic war constitutes a grave violation of international law, too,” he said, adding that every EU member state should be held accountable for the consequences of its contribution to this “wrongful act.”
“The European Union cannot endorse Washington’s economic terrorism against Iran while claiming to seek de-escalation and regional stability,” Baqaei said.
“The two positions are mutually exclusive. This irresponsible stance is evidence of the EU’s moral decay and political incompetence,” he added.
Hormuz in extremely good shape, US helps 30 ships pass per night: Trump
Published: Aug 31, 2026 | 20:50 GMT | by Web Desk
US President Donald Trump has said that the Strait of Hormuz was in extremely good shape with US averaging 30 ships a night through the contested waters.
“And a lot of oil is coming out. That's why you haven't seen the price of oil go like they thought it might have to go,” President Trump said while speaking to the reporters inside the Oval office.
“We've done a great job with Iran. Iran will never have a nuclear weapon,” the US president said, stating “that’s what it's all about.”
“If Iran had a nuclear weapon […] You would have no Israel right now and you'd probably have no Middle East,” he said, adding that the government would have eventually attacked the cities in the US.
Qatar condemns storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque by extremist Israeli minister, settlers
Published: Aug 31, 2026 | 19:43 GMT | by Web Desk
Qatar condemned the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque by the extremist Israeli National Security Minister and groups of settlers, Doha’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Doha considers it a flagrant violation of international law and international humanitarian law, the statement said.
“The Ministry warns that the continuation of these repeated violations and provocations would fuel cycles of violence and escalation in the region, and undermine the chances for de-escalation and stability,” the ministry said.
“It reiterates its call on the international community to take urgent action to compel Israel to cease its ongoing violations against the Palestinian people and their holy sites, and to comply with relevant international resolutions,” it added.
Gaza health officials say five killed in Israeli strikes
Published: Aug 31, 2026 | 18:04 GMT | by AFP
Israeli airstrikes killed five people around Gaza City on Monday, a local hospital and rescuers said, with the Israeli army saying it had targeted Hamas "military operatives".
Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City said on Monday morning that it had received two bodies "following an Israeli airstrike that targeted the entrance of a residential building near the municipal park in Gaza City".
Later in the day, the hospital said it received three additional bodies and several wounded "as a result of an Israeli drone strike that targeted a civilian car in the Tel al-Hawa neighbourhood, southwest of Gaza City".
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif meets Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian
Published: Aug 31, 2026 | 15:38 GMT | by Web Desk
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held a meeting with Iran President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the SCO Council of Heads of States (CHS) meeting in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic.
During the warm and cordial meeting, the two leaders reaffirmed the close and longstanding ties between Islamabad and Tehran and emphasized the need to further strengthen bilateral relations across all areas of mutual cooperation, according to a statement by the government on its X account.
The two leaders discussed strengthening bilateral relations in line with the decisions taken during President Pezeshkian’s visit to Pakistan in June this year.
Both leaders also exchanged views on the evolving regional situation.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed that Pakistan would continue its sincere efforts for regional peacebuilding. He stated that the recent visit of Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir to Tehran and his constructive engagements augured well in this regard, statement said.
The prime minister also underscored the need to build on the understandings reached under the Islamabad MoU, as it offered the only viable pathway towards enduring peace in the region, the statement said.
During the meeting, the prime minister extended an invitation to President Pezeshkian to undertake an official visit to Pakistan at his earliest convenience.
The Iranian president also invited PM Sharif to attend the forthcoming ECO Summit in Tehran in December 2026.
Separately, PM Sharif, speaking to the media on the sidelines of the SCO Summit, stated that Pakistan and Iran are brotherly and neighboring countries.
"Whenever we meet, it is a matter of great happiness and satisfaction, as it feels like two brothers coming together to exchange views on important issues,” said a statement on the government X.
"We hope that, together, we will work to promote peace in the region and help de-escalate the situation," it added.
US denies Iran's claim that oil tanker hit mines near Strait of Hormuz
Published: Aug 31, 2026 | 15:11 GMT | by AFP
The US military on Monday denied Iran's claim that an oil tanker trying to pass through the southern stretch of the Strait of Hormuz hit mines, caught fire, and came to a halt.
"No ships have hit mines in the Strait of Hormuz," US Central Command said on X. "This is yet another IRGC attempt to intimidate regional commercial shipping through disinformation," it added, referring to Iran's Revolutionary Guards.
Iran state media says two killed in US attack on island in Hormuz
Published: Aug 31, 2026 | 11:54 GMT | by AFP
The US attack on an Iranian island in the Strait of Hormuz killed two people and wounded several others, Iranian state media reported on Monday.
"During the attack on Larak Island late Sunday, two people were martyred and several others were injured. The injured in the incident are receiving medical services and their treatment is ongoing," said the official IRNA news agency, quoting Hossein Amir Teymouri, governor of nearby Qeshm Island, without specifying whether the victims were soldiers or civilians.
Iran FM accuses 'serpent' Netanyahu of tricking US into war
Published: Aug 31, 2026 | 09:45 GMT | by AFP
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a "serpent", accusing him of tricking Washington into going to war with the Islamic republic, according to AFP.
"In Hebrew, Netanyahu openly crows that he suckered the U.S. Administration into a war on Iran on behalf of Israel. Netanyahu explicitly laughs about how he 'influenced' America through 1,000 hours of airtime on U.S. networks," Araghchi said in a post on X.
"In English, he praises POTUS' leadership. Serpent," he added.
Israel continues enforced disappearance of thousands of Gaza detainees
Published: Aug 31, 2026 | 09:28 GMT | by Web Desk
Israeli authorities have continued to use enforced disappearance against thousands of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip detained during the war, with the whereabouts and fate of many still unknown, according to WAFA news agency.
In a joint statement marking the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, the groups said Israel has withheld detainees’ names, locations and health information and denied them contact with families, lawyers and human rights organizations. They said the practice amounts to a systematic policy that removes detainees from legal protections and creates conditions for torture, mistreatment and medical abuses away from oversight.
Israel signs three-billion-euro arms export deal with Greece
Published: Aug 31, 2026 | 09:00 GMT | by AFP
Israel's defense ministry announced Monday it had signed a deal with Athens worth approximately three billion euros to set up an "Achilles Shield" aerial defense system for Greece.
"Under the deal, Israel will build Greece a comprehensive, multi-layered air defence array, drawing entirely on Israeli-made systems and on the extensive operational experience Israel's defence establishment has gained during the war," the ministry said in a statement, adding that "this is the largest defence export deal in the history of Israel-Greece relations, and one of the largest in the history of the State of Israel".
UAE denies claims Iran targeted base housing US forces with missiles
Published: Aug 31, 2026 | 07:00 GMT | by AFP
The United Arab Emirates on Monday denied claims that Tehran targeted a base housing US personnel with missiles, after announcing it had intercepted an Iranian drone over its waters.
"Media reports regarding a missile attack on Al Minhad Air Base are baseless," the Emirati defence ministry said in a statement on X.
Earlier on Monday, Iran had said it targeted the base using "dozens of attack drones".
UAE says dealt with drone coming from Iran over its waters
Published: Aug 31, 2026 | 06:34 GMT | by AFP
The United Arab Emirates on Monday said it had dealt with a drone over its territorial waters coming from Iran, after Tehran claimed an attack on a US base in the Gulf country.
"The Ministry of Defense announced that the UAE Air Force responded to a UAV detected over the country's territorial waters, approaching from Iran," the ministry said in a statement on X.
Iran condemns new US attacks, says its forces acted in self-defense
Published: Aug 31, 2026 | 05:20 GMT | by AFP
Iran on Monday condemned renewed US attacks on its island of Larak and stated that strikes by Iranian forces on bases in Jordan were "legitimate defense."
In a statement, the foreign ministry said Iran "strongly condemned the American military aggression on Larak", adding that Iranian forces responded, "in accordance with the inherent right of legitimate defense".
Iran says oil tanker caught fire near Hormuz after hitting mines
Published: Aug 30, 2026 | 04:36 GMT | by AFP
Iran said Monday an oil tanker caught fire near the Strait of Hormuz after it hit two naval mines, state media reported.
"A rogue supertanker attempting to pass through the illegal route south of the Strait of Hormuz caught fire in massive fires after striking two naval mines and was brought to a complete stop," Iran's Revolutionary Guards said in a statement.
Iran says targeted US military personnel in UAE: state TV
Published: Aug 31, 2026 | 04:12 GMT | by AFP
Iran said Monday it targeted US military personnel at an air base in the United Arab Emirates, state TV reported.
Tehran "targeted the areas where US helicopters and personnel are stationed at Al Minhad Base in the UAE, using dozens of attack drones," the army said, adding that the strikes were in retaliation for a US attack on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz.
IRGC terming US strike in Hormuz as aggression ‘absolutely false’: CENTCOM
Published: Aug 31, 2026 | 01:33 GMT | by Web Desk
The United States Central Command has said that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) terming the US strike in the Strait of Hormuz an “act of aggression” was “absolutely false.”
“US forces took limited, precise action against IRGC minelaying forces posing an imminent threat in the Strait of Hormuz,” CENTCOM said in a post on X.
“In essence, Iran created the threat and the US military eliminated it to protect civilian mariners, commercial shipping, and the free flow of global commerce,” it added.
Sunday at a glance
Published: Aug 31, 2026 | 00:00 GMT | by Web Desk
Oil prices jumped around 2% on Monday, with Brent back crossing $90 a barrel, after US and Iranian forces traded strikes on Sunday. Brent crude futures crossed $90.20/ barrel up $2.22, or 2.52%, before paring gains and trading at $89.73 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate crude was at $85.41 a barrel, up $2.01, or 2.41%.
US forces struck two Iranian launchers on Iran's Larak island in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, the first known American strikes on the Gulf nation since late July. Iran's Revolutionary Guards attacked US military targets in Jordan in response, which, as per the Jordanian army, were intercepted by the country’s air defense systems,
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Chief of Defense Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir headed to Istanbul to participate in the inaugural Strategic Political and Defense Committee meeting, established under the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement.
Separately, Iranian supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei called on Muslim countries in the region to unite against the US and Israel in a written message issued six months on from the start of the Middle East war.
Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen has said that Israel would attack Iran again if Tehran attempts to revive its nuclear or ballistic-missile programs, including if Iran reaches a new agreement with the United States.
For earlier developments, read our Aug 30 live blog here.