Mideast live: Trump downplays report China supplied Iran with intel before deadly US base attack
· France 2414/09/2026 - 06:47
Saudi Civil Defense lifts warnings of potential danger in four cities
The Saudi Civil Defense has sent an all clear after issuing alerts for potential danger in four southern cities amid an uptick in attacks by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis.
Saudi Civil Defense had issued the alerts for the cities of Najran, Khamis Mushait, Jazan and Abha. It also later issued warnings for Khamis Mushait and Abha a second time before lifting them again.
The Houthis, who control the most populous parts of Yemen and much of the north, have been launching attacks towards Saudi Arabia since declaring a naval blockade against Riyadh in July, with strikes targeting Saudi vessels in the Red Sea.
14/09/2026 - 06:39
Hormuz shipping traffic remains below 10-day average over the weekend
Commodity vessel transits through the Strait of Hormuz fell to a single digit per day at the weekend, preliminary shiptracking data showed on Monday, well below a 10-day average of 14.
Over the weekend, four vessels exited the Gulf through the strait, including a Handysize vessel sailing in ballast, a Handy vessel carrying LPG, a Supramax carrying fertilizer and a Suezmax laden with crude or condensate.
Ten vessels entered the Gulf, including a mini-bulker carrying minor bulk commodities, a Handymax carrying grain, a Panamax carrying metals and a Supramax carrying dry bulk cargo, the data showed.
The figures exclude any vessels that might have crossed the strait with their Automatic Identification System transponders turned off to avoid detection.
14/09/2026 - 06:36
Oman postpones regional talks on Strait of Hormuz
Oman has said it had to postpone a meeting Monday in Muscat with Iran and other regional countries to discuss the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran had said foreign ministers from regional countries would meet in Oman to discuss efforts by Iran and Oman, located on the other side of the strait, to manage shipping on it. But the foreign minister of Oman, Badr Albusaidi, said on X late Sunday that the meeting had been postponed “in the interests of consensus.”
Iran and Oman agreed to postpone the talks “at the request of some regional countries,” said Mohammad Ali Bak, an official in Iran’s foreign ministry who was quoted by IRNA on X.
Saudi Arabia has submitted amendments to the Iran-Oman agreement, citing concerns that the emerging deal could have lasting implications for the Strait of Hormuz that could negatively impact other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, a Gulf official told AP on condition of anonymity.
14/09/2026 - 03:10
Trump dismisses report China entities helped Iran before attack that killed US troops
US President Donald Trump on Sunday brushed aside a report that Iran acquired satellite images of a base in Jordan from Chinese entities before an attack that killed three US troops there in July.
A recent report in the Wall Street Journal cited unnamed US officials about the attack in Jordan. Asked whether he would mention the issue at an upcoming meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump did not directly answer, and instead equated the surveillance activities of China and the United States.
"They basically do what we do," he told reporters aboard Air Force One. "When they say China spies on us, I say you're right and we spy on them too."
14/09/2026 - 01:52
Oil extends gains as Mideast tensions deepen supply fears
Oil prices rose sharply on Monday, pushing Brent crude above $107 a barrel as escalating tensions in the Middle East stoked fears of disruptions to global energy supplies.
Brent crude for November delivery gained 2.8 percent to $107.54 a barrel, while US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for October rose 2.3 percent to $102.34.
Both contracts extended last week's gains after climbing back above the $100 threshold.
The market's focus remained firmly on the Middle East, where fresh security concerns threatened key export routes.
14/09/2026 - 01:50
- 1,400 flee Yemen fighting to Djibouti
- Houthis say hit Saudi base after renewed fighting with Yemeni forces
- Vessel struck while transiting Hormuz strait
- Oman postpones regional talks on Strait of Hormuz
14/09/2026 - 01:49
Iran's nuclear chief not expected to attend IAEA General Conference, official says
The head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation is not expected to attend the annual gathering of the UN nuclear watchdog’s member nations in Vienna for the first time in years because he is banned from international travel, an official briefed on the matter said.
Mohammad Eslami’s exclusion from the IAEA conference is another sign of rapidly deteriorating relations between Iran and the West. The United States and Iran have resumed fighting, on and off, after a fragile ceasefire collapsed in July.
Austria sought a waiver of the travel ban on Eslami with the UN sanctions committee but it was not granted, the official said. The official wasn’t authorized to comment on the sensitive matter and spoke on condition of anonymity.
As host of the United Nations in Vienna, Austria can request exemptions from travel bans to enable sanctioned officials to attend international conferences at the UN.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, Reuters and AP)