US-Iran war news Highlights: When will Iran war end? Trump reveals ‘probably right after…'

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his Omani counterpart, Badr Albusaidi, spoke by phone to exchange views on recent developments in the region.

The two foreign ministers discussed “the latest regional developments and issues of mutual concern”, according to a statement posted on Araghchi’s Telegram channel.

No additional information about the conversation was disclosed.

The US military said Saturday that it has pushed back 100 commercial vessels in the past 60 days under its blockade of Iranian ports.

"ZERO ships have passed through the blockade without US forces allowing. American service members remain laser focused on this mission," US Central Command said on X.

Iran blocked the strategic Strait of Hormuz after the US and Israel launched attacks on Tehran in late February.

In response, the United States has sought to prevent ships from traveling to and from Iranian ports to deprive Tehran of revenue.

— AFP

An understanding between Iran and Oman does not provide for the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz but establishes the basis on which it could reopen, an Iranian source told the semi-official Tasnim news agency on Saturday.

The source said the arrangement would be a step towards Iran exercising sovereignty over the strait and that its reopening depended entirely on the United States meeting Tehran's conditions.

— Reuters

At least 76,000 people have been displaced in Yemen since July, with the number quadrupling in the past week as fighting flared between government forces and Iran-backed Houthi rebels, the United Nations said Saturday.

"The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is warning of a rapidly worsening displacement crisis in Yemen unfolding by the hour," the UN agency said in a statement, pointing out that "at least 76,000 people have fled their homes since July... four times last week's total, as fighting intensifies".

Iran and the United Arab Emirates signed up to a joint statement from the BRICS group of nations that called for restraint in the Middle East war on Saturday, in what was seen as a sign of diplomatic progress between the countries divided by the war.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian also met the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi on the sidelines of the first day of the New Delhi summit, in the countries' highest-level meeting since the start of the conflict.

The two leaders discussed regional and international issues, de-escalation, stability, and efforts to advance regional peace and development, the Abu Dhabi media office said on X, without referring to any resolution to the discussions.

The BRICS summit is a test of the diplomatic clout of a bloc set up in 2009 to challenge a world order dominated by the United States and its Western allies. It originally comprised Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa and expanded to include Egypt, Ethiopia and Indonesia as well as Iran and the UAE.

Summit organisers and diplomats have been focused on bridging the Iran-UAE divide, even as the United States and Iran resume tit-for-tat strikes in the six-month-old war.

Iran has launched repeated attacks on the UAE during the conflict, most recently in late August when it targeted the Al Minhad Air Base that housed U.S. forces and helicopters.

"We express deep concern over the continued escalation of tensions in Middle East/West Asia ... call for exercising maximum restraint, as well as avoiding actions that could further aggravate the situation," the joint BRICS declaration read.

It called for the protection of civilians, urged respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states, and stressed the need to protect global trade, supply chains, energy flows and maritime security.

— Reuters

Bahrain has said it will not participate in any group meeting involving Iran until diplomatic relations between the two countries are restored, according to a statement from its Foreign Ministry.

The ministry also pointed to attacks on Bahrain and the latest targeting of Saudi Arabia’s East-West oil pipeline, saying dialogue “cannot ignore the facts”.

On the Strait of Hormuz, Bahrain said any arrangement “must safeguard the right of transit passage for all ships without discrimination, fees, or permits”, it added.

The United Arab Emirates and Lebanon have become the latest countries to condemn a drone strike targeting Saudi Arabia’s East-West oil pipeline.

The UAE Foreign Ministry described the “aggressive” attack on the pipeline as a “flagrant violation” of Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian met UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on the sidelines of the BRICS summit, as the two leaders held talks in New Delhi.

Beijing has offered to mediate between the parties involved in the conflict, saying it is ready to contribute to efforts aimed at restoring peace in the turbulent Middle East.

“China is willing to work with fellow BRICS members to play a role in achieving peace and stability in the Middle East and the Gulf region,” President Xi Jinping told China’s official Xinhua news agency in New Delhi.

“The war has caused serious losses to people across the region and does not serve the common interests of the international community,” he said on the sidelines of the BRICS summit.

US President Donald Trump, speaking from Dublin, once again criticised NATO and European nations over their response to the war in Iran, calling them “very disappointing in many ways”.

“NATO didn’t want to help us with the Strait [of Hormuz], even though we don’t get any oil from the strait,” Trump said.

He also pointed to what he described as the superiority of US military equipment during the conflict, saying that “everyone’s seen the dominance of American military equipment” in Iran.

“We took out every mine. There’s no mines out there,” Trump said.

Asked whether Iran was responsible for the attack on Saudi Arabia’s key East-West oil pipeline, US President Donald Trump said, “probably, they are”.

Trump also said the Houthis “called us”, adding, “They don’t wait to fight us, they let us know”.

He described Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as his good friend and reiterated that “everything will work out fine.”

Zahra Pezeshkian, daughter of the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, visited the Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya in New Delhi.

During her visit, she explored the museum, which showcases the journeys, contributions, and legacies of India's Prime Ministers.

Videos from the museum showed Zahra Pezeshkian dressed in a black abaya as she viewed exhibits highlighting India's democratic leadership and governance.

— ANI

US President Donald Trump said he thinks the war with Iran could end after the US midterm elections in November, adding that oil prices would tumble once the conflict comes to an end.

“I think very soon. I think it’ll be probably right after the mid-terms. They’re trying to hold out as long as they can to complicate the election. But I think people are wise to it,” Trump told reporters in Dublin.

“When that happens, oil prices will come tumbling down.”

US President Donald Trump said “Everything will work out just fine” when asked whether he could help facilitate crucial shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

His comments came amid fresh concerns over Saudi Arabia following rapid advances by Houthi rebels in Yemen and strikes targeting a critical oil pipeline in the kingdom.

Speaking in Dublin after meeting Irish President Catherine Connolly, Trump made the remarks when asked about the situation in the strategically important waterway.

Iranian and Gulf Arab officials will meet in the Omani capital Muscat on Monday to sign an agreement establishing an Iran-Oman shipping route through the Hormuz Strait, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has confirmed.

The Israeli military is shelling the Kfar Reman area in southern Lebanon’s Nabatieh district, the National News Agency (NNA) reports.

Members of the Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces fire a tank during what they say to be clashes with Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis in a location given as near Al-Hazm, Yemen.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to kick off a BRICS summit in New Delhi that faces the difficult task of forging common ground, as the escalating war in the Middle East threatens fresh divisions.

Some family members of those killed on Sept. 11, 2001, used the 25th anniversary ceremony to call on President Donald Trump to hold Saudi Arabia accountable for its alleged complicity in the US’s worst terrorist attack.