US has ‘virtually total control’ of Strait of Hormuz: Trump

President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the US had “virtually total control” of the Strait of Hormuz, while claiming that oil shipments through the strategically important waterway had surged to historic levels in recent days.

“We have virtually total control of the Hormuz Strait,” Trump said during a Hispanic heritage month celebration. “In fact, in the last three days, more oil has come out of the Hormuz Strait than at any time in the history of the Hormuz.”

The president reiterated that Iran’s military had been “totally wiped out,” and said the war would soon be won.

“We’re going to have that war won very quickly, one way or the other,” he said.

Pezeshkian links sustainable Gulf security to regional responsibility

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian underscored the importance of the Strait of Hormuz to regional and global security and economy, noting that a responsible approach based on preserving stability and the interests of regional countries, IRNA reported on Wednesday.

According to the Iranian news agency, Pezeshkian said that sustainable security in the Persian Gulf and its waterways depended on cooperation and responsibility among regional countries, in remarks on the occasion of World Maritime Day.

Further, the Iranian president “described the sea for Iran as more than an expanse of water, calling it a divine blessing and part of the country’s history, identity and life, as well as one of its most important resources for the present and future,” IRNA said.

He added, according to the news agency, that security and development could not be separated and that “maritime security, ports and transport routes provide the conditions for trade and economic activity, while economic development strengthens the country’s national capabilities.”

IRNA noted that, according to Pezeshkian, “Iran is seriously pursuing its responsibility to maintain security and stability in regional waterways and ensure the security of maritime shipping and trade, relying on the capabilities and experience of naval forces and all those involved in maritime affairs.”

Separately, Iran’s Deputy Chief of the Army for Coordination, Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari, noted that the sea was “a key pillar of national power, a driver of trade and the economy, and vital to energy security and the continuity of supply chains,” IRNA reported.

The Iranian news agency noted that, according to Sayyari, the United States-Israeli war imposed over the past year demonstrated the importance of Iran’s maritime capacity.

Iran says recognising its rights could pave way for ending conflict

The spokesperson of Iran’s Defence Ministry General Talaei-Nik said Tehran seeks peace while defending its rights, security, and interests.

According to Press TV, the spokesperson added that recognising Iran’s legitimate rights would pave the way for ending the ongoing conflict.

Vessel struck by ‘unknown projectile’ in Hormuz: UKMTO

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre (UKMTO) said earlier in the day that “a verified source has reported that a tanker has been struck by an unknown projectile.”

The incident was reported on Tuesday, with the UKMTO noting that authorities were investigating the report.

The centre also issued an advisory for vessels “to transit with caution” and to “report any suspicious activity to the UKMTO.”

Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi received US feedback via Qatari mediators in Doha on Tuesday on a seven-day plan aimed at building trust between Washington and Tehran, with sequencing the main sticking point, an official, who was not Iranian but was briefed on the talks, told Reuters.

Araghchi is expected to discuss the US response in Tehran on Wednesday, the official said.

Iran last week presented a seven-day proposal under which Araghchi said the Strait of Hormuz could be reopened and normal maritime passage restored if the necessary conditions were met. US President Donald Trump subsequently rejected the proposal, prompting further Qatari mediation.

The Qatari mediators conveyed the feedback they had received from Washington on Monday, meeting Araghchi and his team on their way back from the United States, the official said.

The document being circulated outlines a seven-day period of trust-building aimed at returning the two sides to an enhanced version of the memorandum of understanding agreed in June, including concrete steps on Iran’s nuclear programme, the official said, without further elaboration.

The disagreement centres on the sequencing of the steps rather than the components of the plan, the official added.

Qatar has been shuttling messages between Washington and Tehran in an effort to end the conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The June memorandum of understanding led to a brief ceasefire and included provisions on the strait and Iran’s nuclear programme.

On Wednesday, Al Jazeera reported that Tehran received a proposal from the US as diplomatic efforts to “break the deadlock” over the US-Israeli war on Iran continue, according to government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani.

IRNA reported that Araghchi has presented the proposal to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. Additionally, Fatemeh Mohajerani said that Araghchi also received the US response to the proposal to open the Strait of Hormuz from the Qatari mediator, according to Iran’s state-run news network IRIB.

China calls on US, Iran to return to Islamabad MoU, dialogue

China on Wednesday reminded the US and Iran to return to the framework of the Islamabad memorandum of understanding (MoU) and resume dialogue.

Reiterating support for ending disputes through political and diplomatic means, Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said Beijing hopes that Iran and the United States “will choose peace, recommit themselves to the Islamabad memorandum of understanding, and resume dialogue and negotiations as soon as possible.”

“Since day one of the conflict, China has been making active efforts to promote the end of the fighting and talks for peace,” he said, adding that Beijing will uphold a series of initiatives and propositions put forward by Chinese President Xi Jinping for peace and stability in the Middle East.

China will “continue working for restoring peace and tranquillity in the Middle East and Gulf region at an early date,” he added.

Iran has always emphasised ending the conflict and establishing peace

Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics spokesperson, Brigadier General Reza Talaei‑Nik, said on Wednesday that Iran has “always emphasised ending the conflict and establishing peace”, while also considering the defence of the country’s “rights, security, and interests as its responsibility,” according to IRNA​​​​​​.

“If the opposing side accepts Iran’s conditions and legitimate rights, the path to ending the conflict will be available,” he said.

Yemen army says it carried out 414 attacks on Houthi targets in 24 hours

Yemen’s army said late on Tuesday it carried out 414 attacks on Houthi targets across multiple fronts over the past 24 hours.

Military spokesman Majed al-Nuzaili said the operations targeted Houthi reinforcements and military capabilities, according to a statement carried by the official Saba news agency.

He said the attacks inflicted losses on Houthi fighters and military equipment, without providing figures.

There was no immediate comment from the Houthis on the army’s claims.

On Monday, the Defence Ministry said government forces had carried out 356 operations against Houthi targets across 10 fronts, killing or wounding 476 members of the group.

Yemen has been mired in conflict since the Houthis seized Sanaa and several provinces in 2014, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to intervene in 2015 in support of Yemen’s internationally recognised government.

Read: Iranian lawmaker says US will ‘inevitably’ leave region, Israel’s ‘days are numbered’

Fighting intensified in September, with the Houthis taking control of several key areas in Al-Hudaydah and Taiz provinces, including the strategic city of Mokha, and reaching Mayyun Island overlooking the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

Iran warns of fallout from Israel’s presence in region after Netanyahu’s UAE visit

Iran warned on Tuesday of the consequences of Israel’s presence in the region following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the United Arab Emirates.

The Foreign Ministry condemned the visit, saying it came at a “sensitive time” amid Israeli attacks on Iran and genocide in Palestine and Lebanon.

It said Israel’s presence in the region was creating a “dangerous situation” and urged regional countries to remain alert to threats to collective peace and security.

The ministry also called on states in the region not to allow their territory to be used for actions that could undermine regional stability.

Israeli media earlier reported that Netanyahu held an expanded meeting during his Sept. 27 visit to the UAE with representatives from several countries.

The reports, citing an unnamed Emirati source, said representatives from the US, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Kuwait, Bahrain, Libya, Oman and Egypt joined officials from Israel and the UAE.

US, Israel plan to create and exacerbate internal divisions in Iran: Pezeshkian

IRNA reported that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said that enemies of Iran were attempting to harm the country by fomenting and exacerbating internal divisions; therefore, public participation and the cooperation of all segments of society and various groups constitute the most vital support for overcoming threats and resolving the issues.

Saying that the current strategy of the United States and the Israeli regime is to sow and exacerbate internal divisions within the country, the President added that Iran’s hostile adversaries have realised they cannot force Iran’s surrender through war, nor by using bombs and missiles.

New weapons will be deployed if nature of conflict changes: IRGC spokesperson

Brigadier General Hossein Mohebbi, spokesperson for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), said the IRGC is developing and mass-producing new weapons to strengthen its defensive capabilities, adding that Iran would deploy them if the nature of any future conflict changes, according to IRNA.

Speaking to Yemen’s Al-Masirah network, he stated that Iran continues to arm itself and develop its military capabilities.

Mohebbi noted that Iran would deploy new weapons in any potential confrontation.

Trump can ‘neither negotiate nor fight’: Iranian security official

Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Mohsen Rezaei said Iran has conveyed its conditions to the United States, but US President Donald Trump cannot decide, IRNA reported.

“Trump is caught in a quagmire where he can neither negotiate nor fight,” Rezaei said during a Tuesday meeting in Tehran with Shahin Mustafayev, Azerbaijan’s deputy prime minister.

“Iran’s conditions have been conveyed to the United States, but Trump is unable to make a decision, and the United States, out of desperation, has resorted to an air siege in the military war,” he added.