Trump says Iran war could end before US midterms, revising forecast

US President Donald Trump suggested on Thursday that the war with Iran could end before the November 3 midterm elections, a day after predicting it would conclude immediately afterwards.

“I don’t know that they’re gonna be able to hold out. But it’ll get settled after the elections. Or maybe sooner,” Trump reportedly told broadcaster NewsNation over the phone, referring to mounting US economic pressure on Iran.

Trump also denied reports that Iran’s latest retaliatory strikes on a US base in Jordan damaged US aircraft in the region. “Nope… None whatsoever. No damage. No nothing.”

On Wednesday, Trump had said the war would “end immediately” after the midterms.

“I think the war will end immediately after the election because they can’t hold out any longer,” he told reporters ahead of a trip to Dallas, Texas.

🇺🇸 US President Donald Trump says US-Iran war could end before Nov. 3 midterm elections, a day after predicting it would end immediately afterward

🗣️ Trump says Iran may not be able to ‘hold out’ under mounting US economic pressure, despite White House advisers reportedly… pic.twitter.com/xM40vLzav9

— Anadolu English (@anadoluagency) September 10, 2026

His comments contrast with a Wall Street Journal report hours later that senior White House advisers had privately warned the conflict could continue through the remainder of his term.

Iran claims it struck US unmanned surveillance vessel in the Strait of Hormuz

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy claimed on Thursday that it had struck a US unmanned surveillance vessel in the Strait of Hormuz.

In a statement, the IRGC Navy identified the vessel as an unmanned US surveillance vessel named “Sildrone,” with hull number 5838.

The Iranian force did not provide details on the weapon used, the extent of damage to the vessel or when the incident occurred.

The Iranian Navy: We have struck a US unmanned vessel, with hull number 5838, at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz. pic.twitter.com/WyesLWXI47

— IRIB (Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting) (@iribnews_irib) September 10, 2026

The IRGC Navy said the Strait of Hormuz remained closed and was under its “intelligence surveillance and smart control,” warning that “any hostile movement will be targeted.”

There was no immediate comment from the US military on the claim.

Saudi-led coalition carries out airstrikes in Yemen’s Al-Hudaydah

Saudi-led coalition aircraft carried out several airstrikes on Yemen’s western Al-Hudaydah province, Yemen’s official Saba News Agency reported on Thursday.

The agency said that the Saudi-led forces targeted the districts of Al-Salif and Al-Tuhayta, as well as Kamaran Island, with several airstrikes.

The report did not provide details on possible casualties or damage caused by the strikes.

There was no immediate comment from the Saudi side on the report.

Yemen has been engulfed in conflict since the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa and several provinces in September 2014, prompting a Saudi-led Arab coalition to intervene in March 2015 in support of the internationally recognised government.

Iran suspends freight charge on foreign vessels carrying energy products to or from Iran

Iran has temporarily suspended a 10% charge on freight fees for foreign vessels carrying imported or exported oil, gas and liquid petroleum products to and from Iran, the semi-official Fars news agency reported on Thursday.

A US naval blockade has sharply disrupted the country's seaborne oil exports.

The presidential legal deputy ordered the collection to stop until the government approves and publishes a list of products subject to the charge, Fars said.

Fars said the charge had increased the cost of transporting oil, gas and liquid products, and suspending the levy could reduce transportation costs and encourage foreign fleets to carry goods to or from Iran.

'US warmongering accelerated shift of power toward east,' says senior adviser to supreme leader

Senior adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, Major General Seyyed Yahya Rahim Safavi, said that “US warmongering was the best accelerator for the transfer of the balance of power and economic geography to the east,” Iran’s Press TV reported.

US warmongering accelerated power shift toward East: Iranian military advisor https://t.co/BRBrfuqVTz

— Press TV 🔻 (@PressTV) September 10, 2026

“Pretending to have achieved victory is a sign of defeat and an acceptance of the multipolarisation of international power and security,” the report quoted him as saying.

Oman FM condemns 'brutal attacks' on Saudi Arabia in call with Saudi counterpart

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan received a phone call from his Omani counterpart Badr Albusaidi, who expressed his country’s “strong condemnation of the brutal attacks targeting civilian and economic facilities” in Saudi Arabia, according to a post on X from the Ministry's account.

🇸🇦📞🇴🇲 | Foreign Minister HH Prince @FaisalbinFarhan received a phone call from Omani Foreign Minister H.E. Sayyid @badralbusaidi. pic.twitter.com/Zupt3Kiapn

— Foreign Ministry 🇸🇦 (@KSAmofaEN) September 10, 2026

According to the post, the two ministers discussed the “latest developments in the region, the importance of ensuring the security and freedom of maritime navigation, and supporting diplomatic solutions aimed at de-escalation and enhancing regional security and stability”.

US sanctions on Tehran's aviation sector as 'act of terrorism': Iran's UN representative

Iranian representative to the UN Gholamhossein Darzi called US sanctions on 27 Iranian aviation companies and entities “an act of terrorism,” according to Press TV.

US sanctions on 27 Iranian airlines constitute 'economic terrorism': Iran's UN envoy https://t.co/0lf4geWmMN

— Press TV 🔻 (@PressTV) September 10, 2026

In a letter to the UN secretary-general and the president of the UNSC, Darzi described the measures as collective punishment and a crime against humanity.

He said the sanctions violated the UN Charter and fundamental rules of international law, adding that Iran would pursue legal avenues to hold the US accountable and seek redress.

Yemen envoy alleges Iran using Houthis to gain control of Red Sea shipping routes

Yemen’s Ambassador to Qatar Rajeh Badi accused Iran of being behind the renewed fighting in Yemen and of using the Houthi rebels to tighten its grip on Red Sea shipping routes, according to Al Jazeera.

Speaking to Al Jazeera, Badi blamed the Houthis for initiating the fighting, adding that the group was aiming to “seize strategic ground along the Red Sea”.

The Yemeni envoy contended that the relationship between Iran and the Houthis was “no longer a secret”. He claimed Tehran was “doubling down on the Houthis as its remaining lever”.

Badi remarked that Iran’s alleged grip over the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab would be “more powerful than any nuclear arsenal”.

Iran-backed Houthis take control of Yemeni Red Sea city of Mocha, sources say

Houthis have taken control of the Yemeni Red Sea city of Mocha, closing in on the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait, three Yemeni government sources told Reuters on Thursday.

The Houthis are launching attacks on the strategic Red Sea islands of Hanish, the government sources told Reuters. Government forces and their allies are relocating south to Dhubab, which sits directly on the strait, across from the island of Perim.

Control of Dhubab and the island is key to gaining hold of the strait, they said.

Yemen rebels report about 40 Saudi strikes in fresh attack

Yemen’s Houthi rebels have reported about 40 airstrikes launched by Saudi forces in a fresh salvo following attacks by the group against the kingdom, AFP reported.

BREAKING: Saudi aircraft launched 40 strikes in several districts in Yemen

🔴 LIVE updates: https://t.co/hT39Tn61wG pic.twitter.com/Ao9wWXLZlE

— Al Jazeera Breaking News (@AJENews) September 10, 2026

“The Saudi enemy’s air force conducted around 40 strikes in recent hours in the governorates of Taiz, Hodeida, Al-Jawf and Marib,” Houthi news agency Saba said.

Supply squeeze in marine fuel eases as market adapts to prolonged Hormuz disruption

A squeeze in marine fuel supply at major shipping hubs eased despite the Iran war curtailing exports out of the Strait of Hormuz, with the market working around earlier supply shocks, industry sources told the APPEC industry meet.

“We don’t see any issues with sourcing bunkers and putting it on board as of today,” said Rishi Nyati, managing director at shipping company Emarat Maritime, in a panel discussion at the conference.

There is no crunch in marine fuel, or bunkers, in major shipping hubs currently, unlike in March and April, said Nyati, although adding that refuelling costs have indeed increased.

As of this week, outright prices of mainstay very-low-sulphur (VLSFO) fuel oil in Singapore, the world’s largest bunkering hub, are up more than 60 per cent versus pre-war levels, based on data from market sources.

Several US fighter jets damaged in Iranian strikes on Jordan: CBS report

Multiple US military aircraft were damaged in Iranian strikes carried out overnight on Tuesday into Wednesday local time at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, CBS News reported, citing sources familiar with the situation.

The sources reportedly said that approximately eight F-15 fighter jets suffered minor damage but were subsequently returned to service.

An A-10 Thunderbolt, known as the Warthog, was also hit and reportedly lost a wing, according to the sources.

No US fatalities have been reported in connection with the attacks in Jordan.

Read: Trump says Iran war will end right after US midterm elections

The damage occurred after the US said Tuesday that it struck five Iranian tankers in retaliation for Iran's targeting of a US Navy vessel.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps later said it had launched attacks against eight tankers and two warships as well as the US base in Jordan.

The report also said that US forces in Jordan fired more than 30 Patriot missiles to defend against the Iranian attacks.

The strikes came as US officials have raised concerns about a rapidly shrinking supply of Patriot missiles, along with declining stocks of other precision-guided munitions.

South Korean team for Hormuz assessment returns from UAE amid US pressure for military deployment

A South Korean government team tasked with assessing the security situation near the Strait of Hormuz returned from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Thursday, as Seoul is carefully deliberating a potential military deployment amid increasing US pressure, Yonhap News reported.

The team, which included officials from the defence and foreign ministries, travelled to UAE earlier this week to conduct an on-site assessment of the overall security and operational situations near the strait.

Local media has speculated on the potential list of military assets for deployment, including the P-8A maritime patrol aircraft, a logistics support ship and explosive ordnance disposal teams -- mainly non-combat assets.

Seoul, however, is said to have ruled out the naval logistics support vessel as its operation would require dispatching more than 100 sailors.

The South Korean team is believed to have visited the Al Dhafra Air Base in Abu Dhabi, which houses a primary US military installation in the UAE, to check operational conditions for the potential P-8A deployment.

The US pressure for military deployment has posed a serious diplomatic challenge for South Korea, which has already received immediate backlash from Iran.

Seoul, nevertheless, has stressed that the team's dispatch does not mean the deployment will follow, saying that its purpose was strictly to assess the security environment and safety conditions near the strait.

Seong Ghi-hong, senior presidential secretary for public relations, reiterated on Thursday that no final decision has been made about the deployment.

"If deployment was not an option, we could have technological assistance," Seong said. "While we can consider combat or noncombat forces in the form of deployment, we could also wisely explore alternatives for contribution."

Trump says US will call Strait of Hormuz ‘Trump Strait’

US President Donald Trump said late Wednesday that the United States will now call the Strait of Hormuz the “Trump Strait,” adding that the US is “winning” its war with Iran.

“Oil (prices) will be going down as soon as we win the war with Iran, which is taking place right now. We'll win it,” Trump said during a Republican midterm convention in Dallas, Texas.

“We're winning it. We control the Hormuz Strait. I think we should call the Hormuz Strait, we should call it the Trump Strait. I should get something out of it. The Trump Strait.

Read more: IRGC announces capture of US unmanned submersible: state media

“It's going to be called -- ladies and gentlemen, I'll have an announcement -- we'll call it the Trump Strait, and I'm sure the Iranian leadership will be thrilled with that,” he said.

Trump said Iran is “falling apart,” adding that it has been “the bully of the Middle East for 51 years, and they're not the bully anymore.”

He warned that the US might target Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain “because somebody said there was a little movement at the site,” claiming that the US is aware of all movement in the area.

“We know exactly what's going on … I would advise Iran not to get cute because we will have to hit them very hard. We have no choice, right?” Trump said. “We cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon. It's very simple.”

His remarks came amid heightened tensions between Iran and the US over the Strait of Hormuz, despite a memorandum signed in June that envisioned a deal to reopen the strategic waterway as a prelude to a wider peace deal.

Hormuz shipping traffic in single digits, data shows

Vessel transits at the Strait of Hormuz fell slightly on Wednesday to seven, compared with the previous day's 12, preliminary ship-tracking data showed on Thursday, with levels also lower than the 10-day average of 14.

Out of these seven, four vessels exited and three entered, according to the data.

Some vessels could be sailing through the waterway with their transponders turned off and these are not considered in the counts.

Trump says Iran war to end after US midterm elections, threatens to attack Pickaxe Mountain

Trump said he expected the war with Iran to end after the November US midterm elections and threatened again to attack a site associated with the Islamic Republic's nuclear programme after the two sides launched their biggest wave of attacks on shipping since the start of the six-month-old war.

Tensions in the region were high, with Saudi civil defence authorities on Thursday issuing emergency alerts in the southwest city of Khamis Mushait for the fourth time in 24 hours, as clashes flared with Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis.

Brent crude prices hovered above $100 a barrel as supply routes through both the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea remained heavily disrupted.

Iran said it had attacked 10 ships near the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday after the US sank five Iranian oil tankers, the latest in a series of tit-for-tat strikes that have signalled scant chance of an imminent end to hostilities.

The war and subsequent increase in fuel prices have helped drive Trump's popularity to record lows. The president said Tehran was trying to influence the November US midterm elections, which will determine whether his Republican Party retains control of Congress.

"I think war is going to end immediately after the election because they can't hold out any longer. They're desperate to try and affect the election," Trump told reporters on Wednesday.

Trump has previously set deadlines for the war to end.

The Wall Street Journal reported later that top White House advisers, including Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, have privately warned Trump that the conflict could extend through the remainder of his presidency, which ends in January 2029. Reuters could not immediately verify the report.

Trump also said the US may hit Iran's Pickaxe ​Mountain, a heavily fortified site that hosts two deeply buried tunnel complexes near Iran's damaged Natanz uranium enrichment facility.

"We notice there's a little activity at Pickaxe. I would advise Iran not to get cute because we will have to hit them very hard," Trump said in a speech at the midterm Republican convention. Trump has been threatening strikes on Pickaxe Mountain since at least mid-July.

The US and Israel launched military strikes on Iran in February partly due to concerns over Tehran's nuclear programme.

Iran says its nuclear activities are for peaceful purposes.

In recent weeks, Washington had cited increasing success guiding tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, which carried about a fifth of oil supplies before the war. But a resumption of fighting this month appears to have set back any such gradual reopening. Just seven vessels transited the strait on Wednesday, half the 10-day average, preliminary ship-tracking data showed on Thursday.

Fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis in Yemen has also escalated in the past few days, a second theatre of war that threatens global energy supplies from the Middle East.

At least 73 people were wounded in four southern Saudi cities, including Khamis Mushait, in recent Houthi attacks on the world's largest oil exporter, the Saudi-led coalition said on Tuesday.

The militant group said it attacked an air base in the southwestern city of Khamis Mushait and oil infrastructure in nearby cities in one of the biggest attacks on Saudi Arabia since the start of the US-Israeli war on Iran in February.

Saudi civil defence authorities issued an all-clear on Thursday following another emergency alert declared in Khamis Mushait.