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 Tuesday’s top developments here:

  • Completed a wave of strikes against Iranian military targets: CENTCOM
  • US treasury secretary says Hormuz will be 'worthless' in two years 
  • Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps target US Marine base in Jordan
  • UN chief calls for maximum restraint in the Middle East conflict
  • Trump warns of 'much harder' action if Iran retaliates to strikes

Bahrain issues alert of a’ potential threat,’ urges citizens to remain calm 

Published: Sept 2, 2026 | 02:29 GMT | by Web Desk

Bahrain’s Interior Ministry issued an alert of a potential threat and urged citizens and residents to remain calm, proceed to the nearest safe location. 

“Follow news through official channels for the protection of public safety,” the ministry said.




Trump says US position is ‘much better,’ denies forcing Iran into negotiations

Published: Sept 2, 2026 | 02:25 GMT | by Web Desk


President Donald Trump has said that the position US had now “much better,” refuting claims that he was trying to “force Iran to the bargaining table.”

“I couldn’t care less if they sign a worthless, to them, agreement,” he said in a post on TruthSocial. 

“I like our position now much better, with almost total control of the Hormuz Strait, and their economy totally collapsing,” the president said.  

He added that Iran was “just playing out the inevitable.”




Peru cuts ties with Iran, accusing Tehran of escalating Mideast war: foreign ministry

Published: Sept 2, 2026 | 01:39 GMT | by AFP


Peru's Foreign Ministry said it has severed diplomatic relations with Iran, accusing Tehran of inciting "an escalation of conflicts" in the Middle East and hindering maritime transit in the Strait of Hormuz.


Citing a historic pacifist stance, the Peruvian government "has made the decision to sever diplomatic relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran," the ministry said in a statement.




Turning blind eye to injustice does not contain it: Baqaei condemns US attack on wedding

Published: Sept 2, 2026 | 01:39 GMT | by Web Desk


Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei has said that turning a blind eye to injustice does not contain it while condemning a US strike on a residential home in Sirik which killed four people and wounded 50. 

In a post on X, Baqaei said that the US “catalogue of atrocities” against Iran was now complete after it attacked while families were celebrating a wedding.

“This cruelty cannot be separated from the chain of atrocities that preceded it in Minab, Lamerd, Qeshm and elsewhere nor from the strikes on military targets that were dressed in deceptive justifications,” he said, adding that it was more dangerous to normalize bombing than the bomb itself. 

He said that Tehran will respond to these “savage crimes with firmness,” calling out governments and international institutions that remain silent, or sought to justify such acts. 

Such governments and institutions “must understand that their silence is not neutrality,” he said. 

“Those who remain silent today will not be immune to its consequences tomorrow. Turning a blind eye to injustice does not contain it; it only emboldens the perpetrators,” he added.




Iran says targeted US forces at Bahrain air base: Report

Published: Sept 2, 2026 | 01:39 GMT | by AFP

Iran's army said it targeted US forces at an air base in Washington-allied Bahrain, as Tehran launched strikes targeting American interests across the Middle East.


"The Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran, several hours ago, targeted radar installations and assembly points of US terrorist forces at Sheikh Isa Air Base in Bahrain through intensive attacks carried out by suicide drones," state media reported.




Iran Guards say struck US bases in Erbil with missiles, drones: Report

Published: Sept 2, 2026 | 01:23 GMT | by AFP


Iran's Revolutionary Guards said that they struck US bases with missiles and drones in Erbil in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region, state media reported.


The Guards said they "carried out a coordinated missile and drone attack on US bases in Erbil" that destroyed a maintenance centre, warehouses and the "guidance system of a US surveillance aerostat", according to a statement carried by the state-run IRNA.




Tuesday at a glance

Published: Sept 2, 2026 | 00:00 GMT | by Web Desk


The United States and Iran on Tuesday engaged in tit-for-tat strikes as conflict escalated across the region, with Central Command saying its forces completed a wave of strikes against military targets, while Iran said it targeted a Marine base in Jordan with ballistic missiles. 


After six months of war, the two sides remain at an impasse, with Iran disrupting traffic through the strategic Strait of Hormuz and the US persisting with a counter-blockade of Iranian ports.


United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that the conflicts in the Middle East have had far-reaching effects, urging the warring parties to show maximum restraint.


The escalation comes after Washington and Tehran threatened retaliatory strikes in response to recent aggression, with US President Donald Trump warning that Tehran faced "much harder and higher" attacks if it hits back, while Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei vowed “unforgettable lessons for the American enemy.”


Both Kuwait and Jordan confirmed strikes on their territory, while AFP journalists reported that air alert sirens rang out in Bahrain as authorities called on residents to remain calm and head to the nearest safe place. 


Meanwhile, Qatar called on the US and Iran to return to negotiations, urging both parties to exercise wisdom and return to the negotiating path.


As US continued its economic pressure campaign against Iran, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said US was “probably going to announce a bank sanction this week,” and another the following week, adding that Washington received “great support around the world.”



For earlier developments, read our Sept 1 live blog here.