US President Donald Trump said Washington was continuing to target Iran economically and militarily, while warning of the costs of the conflict and claiming that Tehran’s military capabilities had been severely weakened.
“We are hitting Iran very hard as you know, economically and militarily,” Trump told reporters on Monday. He praised Russia for what he described as its decision to remain on the sidelines of the war, saying President Vladimir Putin was “laying off Iran”.
“Russia’s done nothing there that we can see, and that’s very positive,” Trump said.
Speaking at a campaign rally in Kansas, Trump said the United States had been “testing” NATO when it asked the alliance for assistance in the war, arguing that Washington did not need the help despite its request.
He also claimed Iran’s navy had been destroyed and that 229 Iranian fighter jets were scattered across the country’s airfields. Trump said Iran’s first and second tiers of leadership had been eliminated and its third tier was partly depleted.
“I don’t know who the hell to negotiate with,” he said, raising questions about the prospects for renewed diplomacy even as regional and international officials pursue efforts to end the conflict.
Trump’s comments came as Iran warned that renewed US military action could trigger retaliation against regional allies and critical infrastructure. An adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba
Khamenei, Mohammad Mokhber, said Tehran would strike nine countries if Iranian military bases or petrochemical facilities were attacked again. He did not identify the countries.
IRGC spokesman Hossein Mohebbi said the United States was not in a position to launch another conflict that would bring it additional gains. He also claimed that most US bases in the region were inactive and American forces had moved hundreds of kilometres away from Iran.
Iran claims US drone downed over Strait of Hormuz
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said on Tuesday that it had intercepted and destroyed a US MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB reported that an advanced air defence system operated by the IRGC’s aerospace force, as part of the country’s integrated air defence network, had brought down the aircraft.
The claim could not be independently verified from the available reports, and no US confirmation was provided.
The Strait of Hormuz remains a major flashpoint in the conflict, with disruptions and threats to shipping raising concerns about global energy supplies and maritime safety.
Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority said it had added 122 vessels to a “non-conformity list” tracking ships that violate its protocols for transiting the waterway. More than 40 commercial vessels had been contacted, and 19 were negotiating to avoid being listed or to secure removal from the list, the authority said.
Two vessels had agreed to be removed by fulfilling their obligations, while around 30 more could be added if they failed to respond to notices.
The IRGC also threatened to target undersea communications cables running through the strait.
Spokesman Hossein Mohebbi said seven major cables passed through Hormuz and carried much of the world’s internet and commercial data.
“If the region becomes insecure for Iran, then there will be no security in the region,” he said, warning Washington against renewed attacks.
The threats have added another dimension to the conflict, extending the potential risks beyond oil shipments to global digital communications and commercial networks.
IMO says 6,000 sailors trapped in Hormuz
The International Maritime Organization’s secretary-general, Arsenio Dominguez, said about 6,000 sailors remained trapped in the Strait of Hormuz since the US-Israeli war on Iran began. He warned that vessels had come under repeated attack and that seafarers had continued to die.
Dominguez criticised shipowners who continued to transit the strait using fraudulent registrations or false flags, saying they were putting crews at risk. He called for negotiations and safety guarantees before commercial vessels resumed passage.
Russia offers nuclear cooperation as diplomatic efforts continue
Russia has offered to process Iranian uranium enriched to 60%, according to a report from Tehran, as Moscow seeks to support diplomatic efforts to end the war.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Tehran on Monday, in Moscow’s first visit to Iran since the outbreak of the wider Middle East war. Russia has presented itself as a potential mediator.
Araghchi said relations between Tehran and Moscow had never been closer. In a post on X, he said the talks covered regional and international developments, including Lebanon, Palestine, Ukraine and Yemen, as well as expanded economic and nuclear cooperation.
Russia’s proposal to process the enriched uranium could be a significant concession sought from Iran to bring Washington back to negotiations, according to the report. However, the two sides appear to differ over the order in which nuclear issues should be addressed.
Iran has reportedly excluded nuclear discussions from its seven-point proposal for peace, arguing that they should follow the lifting of sanctions and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. The United States, by contrast, insists that Iran’s nuclear programme must be a central priority in any negotiations.
Pakistan is also continuing its mediation efforts. Army chief Asim Munir was expected to arrive in Iran on Tuesday for talks with Iranian officials on resolving the conflict with Washington and addressing broader regional developments.
Pakistan has maintained contact with both sides and played a central role in earlier negotiations. The US and Iran signed an Islamabad memorandum of understanding in June that established a framework for talks towards a final agreement, but the process subsequently broke down over freedom of navigation through Hormuz.
Araghchi also discussed regional de-escalation with Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira in a telephone call. Both officials agreed on the need to promote security and stability in the Middle East, according to the Iranian minister.
Meanwhile, Chinese Premier Li Qiang condemned the US-Israeli attacks on Iran as “blatant aggression”, saying they had taken place during negotiations and without consultation with the United Nations Security Council.
Yemen fighting intensifies as death toll rises
The conflict in Yemen continued to escalate, with the death toll from a Houthi ballistic missile attack on a military training facility in Shabwa governorate rising to 58, according to the governor. More than 200 recruits were wounded, many of them in critical condition.
The attack near Ataq was described by local authorities as a terrorist act, while Yemen’s internationally recognised government pledged a firm response.
Yemen’s armed forces said they had carried out air strikes against Houthi targets in Taiz governorate, killing 129 fighters and wounding 176 over 48 hours. The military reported attacks on Houthi positions south of Taiz and a weapons storage facility west of the strategic city. The figures could not be independently verified.
The Houthis were also accused by Yemen’s government of firing ballistic missiles towards Marib, a densely populated city that hosts large numbers of people displaced by years of fighting. The city is the government’s last remaining stronghold in northern Yemen and an important oil and gas hub.
More than one million internally displaced Yemenis live in Marib, according to the report. Continued missile attacks there raise concerns about civilian safety and the risk of further displacement.
The Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen’s government said it had intercepted and destroyed a shipment of smuggled weapons off the Yemeni coast. Coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki warned the Houthis against using traditional vessels to transport military equipment by sea, saying such operations endangered civilian lives.
The coalition urged boat owners not to assist weapons smuggling, warning them that involvement could threaten their lives and property.
Oil prices ease despite regional supply risks
Oil prices slipped on Tuesday after Trump signed an executive order granting waivers on certain sanctions and tariffs affecting Russian energy exports.
Brent crude futures fell 49 cents, or 0.45%, to $109.06 a barrel as of 0010 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate crude for November delivery dropped 0.33% to $103.32, while the more active December contract fell 46 cents, or 0.47%, to $98.08.
The decline followed a surge in Brent prices to $110.70 a barrel in the previous session, its highest level since May 20.
The easing came despite continued strikes in Saudi Arabia and Yemen and concerns about potential disruptions to Middle East energy supplies. The conflict’s impact on shipping through the Strait of
Gaza and occupied West Bank face mounting pressure
The conflict’s wider regional consequences continued to be felt in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
Israeli attacks across Gaza killed at least five Palestinians, including two children killed in a drone strike in Khan Younis, according to medical sources cited in the live report.
The World Food Programme said it had reduced food assistance to 500,000 Palestinians in Gaza and 200,000 in the occupied West Bank because of a serious funding shortfall. The agency’s acting head, Carl Skau, described conditions in Gaza as “absolutely brutal” and said teams had recorded about 50 Israeli attacks a day over the previous week.
Israel’s halt to commercial shipments, including food, into Gaza has added to the difficulties facing families. In the West Bank, escalating settler attacks have damaged crops and disrupted the olive harvest, worsening food insecurity.
Amnesty International called on governments to impose targeted sanctions on Israeli officials and halt arms transfers and other cooperation that contributes to abuses against Palestinians.
Separately, Israeli forces arrested civilians during incursions into Syria’s Quneitra governorate, according to Syrian state news agency SANA. Syria’s Foreign Ministry condemned the incursions as violations of the country’s sovereignty and called for international intervention.
