US-Iran war news Highlights: Trump claims Saudi Arabia owes its survival to him

The United States is dispatching roughly 9,000 sailors and Marines aboard a group of ships to the Middle East as President Donald Trump warned that further strikes against Iran could be possible, the Associated Press reported.

The move would significantly increase the US military presence in the region as the conflict with Iran continues and diplomatic efforts remain unresolved.

According to AP, the group of ships en route to the Middle East carries more than 7,000 sailors and 2,000 Marines.

The deployment includes the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group, which recently set sail with the cruiser USS Chosin, and the USS Makin Island amphibious readiness group, comprising the USS John P. Murtha and USS Anchorage amphibious landing ships.

Washington has announced new sanctions targeting Iran’s automotive, rail, manufacturing and metals sectors.

Iran Khodro (IKCO) and SAIPA, the country’s two largest automakers, are among the companies sanctioned.

The latest action covers seven Iranian auto companies, including Niroo Motor, Iran’s largest motorcycle manufacturer.

Sanctions target international businesses linked to Iran’s auto industry, including Indonesia’s Golden Motorcycle Company and auto-parts firms in the UAE, Turkey and Hong Kong.

The measures target major Iranian railway companies, including the state-owned Islamic Republic of Iran Railway Company (RAI) and Raja Passenger Trains Company.

Sherkat-E Rah Ahan-E Khamle-O-Naghle, a private Iranian freight rail company, is also included.

UK police arrested the dual national in London on suspicion of plotting a terror attack linked to the security incident at RAF Fairford.

Counter Terrorism Policing said officers searched two properties in the UK capital as part of the investigation.

A 26-year-old British national was interviewed by police “under caution,” meaning the interview was formally recorded and could be used in a future prosecution.

US President Donald Trump said Saudi Arabia “wouldn’t be here right now” if he were not president.

Trump made a similar assertion about Israel, saying it also would not exist without his leadership.

‘They’d be wiped off the face of the planet’: Trump said Saudi Arabia and Israel would have been “wiped off the face of the planet” without US protection under his presidency.

Asked about his relationship with Saudi leaders, Trump described it as “good” and said he had done “a lot” for Saudi Arabia.

Positive remarks about Mohammed bin Salman: Trump said, “I like the crown prince,” referring to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and described their relationship as “very good.”

Trump was asked about his Saudi ties after reports that he had declined a Saudi request to join its forces in military action against the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen.

Trump also said that without him, “there wouldn’t be various other countries, also,” extending his argument beyond Saudi Arabia and Israel. (Time Magazine interview)

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly ordered the Iranian delegation attending the UN General Assembly to leave the United States immediately.

A US official told Fox News Digital that Rubio had “kicked out” the Iranian delegation, saying it had “overstayed their welcome.”

The official said the delegation was asked to leave because “the United Nations General Assembly was over.”

The Iranian diplomatic delegation arrived in New York on September 22 to attend the annual UN summit.

The delegation also held talks with a US team on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

The order comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran and follows diplomatic contacts between the two sides during the UNGA. (Fox News Digital)

US President Donald Trump has left open the possibility of renewed military strikes against Iran after the November midterm elections.

Asked whether he would resume bombing Iran after the elections, Trump told Time that it was “possible.”

When pressed for more details, Trump said: “I can’t tell you that because look, you know, you’re asking, where are you going to bomb.”

On concerns over US weapons and ammunition stockpiles, Trump said: “We have a lot of weapons.”

He acknowledged that supplies of some ammunition were lower than others, saying:

“Some forms of ammunition are a little bit lower than other forms.”

Trump added: “We have that middle grade and upper middle grade, which is very powerful, which is stronger than it’s ever been before.” (Trump made the remarks in an interview with Time magazine published Thursday)

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran would never shy away from dialogue, even as the United States had targeted Iran several times, Tasnim reported.

Iran loaded no crude oil onto tankers in September, according to preliminary tanker-tracking estimates compiled by Bloomberg, as a US naval blockade restricts the country's access to energy markets. Crude loadings fell to zero from around 250,000 barrels per day in August, marking the first such instance since the war began in February. Data providers Kpler and Vortexa also recorded zero crude loadings last month.

The Iranian mission said the delegation’s departure had been scheduled in advance and communicated to the US State Department.

“The Iranian delegation left New York on Monday evening, in accordance with the schedule that had also been communicated to the US Department of State in advance on September 17,” the mission said in a post on X.

“Having achieved nothing, the State Department has resorted to propagating baseless and worthless news,” it added.

Axios reported Wednesday, citing sources, that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his delegation to leave New York on Monday after US-Iran negotiations stalled.

“Secretary Rubio kicked out the Iranian delegation who had overstayed their welcome. The UN General Assembly was over, so it was time for them to go,” the US official told Axios.

However, Iran has denied the allegation.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi rejected British Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s assertion that Iran played a role in the RAF Fairford incident, pointing to the release on bail of five suspects and saying the UK was “barking up the wrong tree.”

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Washington faced a choice between further military action against Iran and reaching a deal with Tehran.

“We have to make that decision: We blow them up or make a deal,” Trump told reporters, as per Iran International.

Asked how he could negotiate with Iranian officials he has described as “crazy,” Trump replied: “Maybe you blow them up.”