Iran has reportedly drawn up plans to target US military assets in Europe if Donald Trump escalates the conflict, as the US president claimed the Strait of Hormuz as American territory.
Tehran has considered strikes on US targets in south-eastern Europe, including Bulgaria, which last month approved the use of its Bezmer air base by US refuelling aircraft, two Iranian regime insiders told the Financial Times.
Cyprus has also been identified as a potential target, one of the insiders said. A British air base on the island was struck by a drone in March.
Iranian forces have separately examined the possibility of targeting subsea fibre-optic cables in the Strait of Hormuz if the conflict escalates, according to the sources.
It came as Trump said there were “no talks or conversation” going on or scheduled with Iran. Calling Hormuz as “New US territory” he shared a crude map of the region with a large blue circle over Hormuz.
Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates has imposed an indefinite trade embargo on Iran after it accused Tehran of firing two ballistic missiles at the country.
Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson rejected the UAE’s claims as "baseless”.
From a 230-year-old ally to a bombing target: How Trump is trying to wreck the US-Omani relationship
On Monday, President Donald Trump made yet another unprecedented and violent threat against a country in the Middle East.
But this time the target of his ire was unexpected. Oman, an American ally for almost 200 years, would be bombed “to s***” if it interfered with a potential US-Iran peace deal, Trump told a FOX News reporter.
It was not the first time that Trump had threatened Oman, previously warning the country in May to “behave” or face potential military action.
Throughout the US-Israeli war in Iran, Muscat has endured retaliatory strikes across its ports and energy infrastructure but has still taken part in negotiations towards a resolution.
The Strait of Hormuz runs between both countries and it therefore has a personal interest in progress.
South Korea minister says Trump is pressuring Seoul over Iran
South Korean foreign minister Cho Hyun said on Wednesday that US president Donald Trump's order to curb joint military drills appeared aimed in part at pressuring Seoul to support US efforts in the Iran war, alongside other unresolved issues such as investment.
Trump has ordered the Pentagon to scale down one of the major military drills between US and South Korean militaries. He has asked the drills to be shortened from 11 days to five days.
"I think President Trump's message includes pressure over several pending issues concerning the South Korean government, as well as a message to North Korea and an intention by the United States to break a stalemate in the Iran war," Cho said.
One potential source of friction could be South Korea's pledge to invest $350bn in the United States under a trade deal signed last year, Cho said.
"We could not move faster on the investment plan as we had to consider factors such as commercial viability and take legal procedures," Cho said. He cited other unexpected problems, without elaborating.
Ship traffic drops significantly in Strait of Hormuz
Ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz dropped significantly last week, with confirmed crossings falling 19.5 per cent to 95 transits.
Only three vessels made it through the waterway on Sunday, according to shipping data platform Kpler.
The ships used the Iranian-designated route through the strait, with no crossings recorded through the Omani routes.
Crossings through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait increased 6.7 per cent to 254 transits, while so-called dark transits, in which ships turn off the transponders that broadcast their location, fell from 40 to 16, Kpler said.
Iran weighs strikes on US targets in Europe - report
Iran is considering attacks on US military targets in Europe if Donald Trump escalates the conflict, according to people close to the Iranian regime.
Two regime insiders told the Financial Times that Iranian forces have assessed potential strikes against US assets in south-eastern Europe, including Bulgaria.
The country approved the use of its Bezmer air base by refuelling US aircraft last month, making it a potential target in any renewed escalation.
Cyprus, which houses a major British base, has also reportedly been considered as a possible target for retaliation.
Iran is considering attacks on US military targets in Europe if Donald Trump escalates the conflict, according to people close to the Iranian regime.
Two regime insiders told the Financial Times that Iranian forces have assessed potential strikes against US assets in south-eastern Europe, including Bulgaria.
The country approved the use of its Bezmer air base by refuelling US aircraft last month, making it a potential target in any renewed escalation.
Cyprus, which houses a major British base, has also reportedly been considered as a possible target for retaliation.
Gaza was deadliest place for aid workers in 2025, UN says
A record number of humanitarian workers were attacked last year, driven partly by increased use of armed drones, the United Nations said on Wednesday, calling the trend "appalling".
Some 907 aid workers were killed, injured or kidnapped in 2025 versus 833 the year before, according to the Aid Worker Security Database, a platform funded by Canada and Australia that compiles major security incidents affecting aid workers.
Of those, 350 were killed, down slightly from a record 387 in 2024.
United Nations secretary-general Antonio Guterres said the level of violence was appalling and urged states to respect the rules of war and hold perpetrators accountable.
"Serving others has become more dangerous than ever," he said, ahead of UN ceremonies planned for World Humanitarian Day with flags at half-staff in New York and Geneva in honour of those killed.
UN aid chief Tom Fletcher said the proliferation of cheap and adaptable armed drones in conflicts has increased the risks.
In March, drone strikes hit Goma in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, killing at least three people including a French aid worker, while aid convoys in Sudan and Ukraine have been repeatedly hit.
Gaza was by far the most deadly place for aid workers in 2025 with 186 humanitarians killed there last year, the database showed, followed by Sudan.
The UN Palestinian refugee agency has reported at least 393 staff killed there since the Israel-Gaza war began on October 7, 2023.
Hamas accuses Israel of undermining talks with new strikes
Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad have accused Israel of undermining the stalled peace process in Gaza after an airstrike killed six people.
Leaders of the groups said the strike was “in clear defiance of the mediators’ efforts to solidify the ceasefire agreement and ensure its implementation”.
Hamas called for stepped-up efforts to “put an end to these violations and compel the occupation to cease them completely.”
The Israel Defence Forces, however, said it had “struck several Hamas commanders” in the attack.
The Israel Defence Forces, however, said it had “struck several Hamas commanders” in the attack.
An Israeli plane fired two missiles at a small cafe inside the fishing harbour in western Gaza City on Tuesday.
The seaport has turned into a large displacement camp for Palestinian families during the war that began in October 2023.
A 13-year-old boy and his father were among those killed, while more than a dozen others were injured, medical officials at Gaza’s al-Shifa Hospital said.
Azerbaijan sues CNN in US over report on Israeli forces deployed during Iran war
Azerbaijan’s government has sued CNN over alleged defamation following the American network’s 5 June report that said Israel deployed elite military and intelligence personnel to Azerbaijan for operations against Iran.
The lawsuit has been filed in a US federal court, accusing CNN of “falsely reporting” that Israeli forces used Azerbaijani territory for military and intelligence operations against Iran, reported Politico.
Baku is seeking damages and a retraction, according to the court filing.
The report cited four unnamed sources to claim that Israel has sent several dozen personnel, including special operations forces and Mossad operatives, to locations near the Iranian border.
Baku denied allowing its territory to be used for such operations.
According to the report, Azerbaijan contacted CNN before filing the case and demanded a retraction, but the network declined, saying it stood by its reporting.
UAE imposes trade embargo on Iran after missile attack
The United Arab Emirates' defence ministry imposed an indefinite trade embargo on Iran after saying that two ballistic missiles launched on Tuesday were fired by Iran.
The ministry said the missiles targeted "maritime traffic" based on its assessments. Both missiles fell into the sea, it said.
“All trade, commercial exchanges and financial transactions with Iran have been halted until further notice,” it said.
"The defence ministry affirms its full readiness to deal with any threats and firmly confront anything that aims to destabilise the state's security," it added.
On Tuesday, some residents received an alert warning of a missile threat. Later, the alert was lifted, and residents were asked to resume normal activities.
The first missile fell outside the country's territorial waters, while the second fell within territorial waters, according to the ministry of defence.
Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei rejected early on Wednesday the statement by the UAE, describing it as "baseless” and a “false flag operation”.
US military official blames Biden administration after reports of dwindling weapons stockpile
US Under Secretary of War Michael Duffey has blamed the Biden administration following reports of the military’s dwindling weapons stockpile.
As the Iran war drags on, there have been multiple reports of the US military burning through long-range missiles and interceptors. US President Donald Trump has maintained that the military has “massive amounts” of munitions.
“We would always like to have more weapons than we have right now, which is why we are so focused on engaging with our industrial partners, entering these deals, and ensuring that we ramp the production of these key missiles as quickly as possible”, Duffey told Fox News.
“We are making up for lost time. The Biden Administration did not deliver — they did not focus on developing the industrial base that we need in order to ensure that we have munitions for the foreseeable future. President Trump and [US Defense] Secretary [Pete] Hegseth are delivering”, he added.
Oil prices rise for a fourth consecutive day
Oil prices extended gains for a fourth consecutive session on Wednesday, with Brent crude futures up 26 cents, or 0.29 per cent, at $91.28 a barrel as of 0.04am GMT.
US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures rose 37 cents to $85.31 a barrel.
The gains came after prices closed on Tuesday at their highest levels since 24 July, as fading hopes of a peace deal between the US and Iran fuelled concerns over supplies. Investors were also weighing conflicting statements from Washington and Tehran over the passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz.