Monday, August 31, 2026

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Axios reported, citing three U.S. officials, that President Donald Trump and his senior advisers are considering limited strikes in the Strait of Hormuz to prevent the Islamic Republic from rebuilding its radar and missile capabilities for attacking ships. According to the report, the plan was drawn up by U.S. Central Command over the past week and backed by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, but Trump had not approved it before this weekend’s exchange of fire with Iran. He may agree to it, however, following the latest escalation of tensions. One U.S. official said the plan’s central aim is to reduce the risk of attacks by Tehran on oil tankers, U.S. Navy vessels and U.S. Air Force aircraft. The official described the goal as “mowing the lawn.” A White House official said: “The president has every option available to him. The Iranians want to make a deal, but they’re always a day late and a dollar short.” Trump told Fox News on Monday evening that the U.S. would respond to the Republic’s attacks and “hit them hard.” @ VahidOOnLine 📡 @VahidOnline

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The General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic said in a statement on Monday that the United States was using the airspace or territory of certain Middle Eastern countries to launch attacks on Iran, and warned that it would target them. The statement came hours after U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. military would hit Iran hard with retaliatory strikes over last night’s attack on American forces in Jordan. In its statement, Iran’s General Staff said that, “while respecting the national sovereignty of its neighbors,” the Islamic Republic’s military forces would deliver a “heavier response” than last night’s attacks if U.S. strikes continued. The U.S. military said it targeted “mine-laying forces of the IRGC” on Larak Island on Sunday evening. Following the attack, the IRGC announced a missile strike on two military bases in Jordan. @ VahidHeadline 📡 @VahidOnline

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Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced in a statement on Monday, 9 Shahrivar, that Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan have agreed to establish a secretariat in Saudi Arabia under the “Mecca Joint Defense Pact.” According to the statement, the secretariat will be headed by a secretary-general from Pakistan for its first three years. Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also said that arrangements for other countries to join the pact are under consideration. @VahidOOnLine 📡 @VahidOnline

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Donald Trump, the U.S. president, posted AI-generated videos depicting an attack and explosion on Iran’s Kharg Island on Truth Social. Trump wrote: “Kharg Island is being razed to the ground!!!” The video was posted hours after CENTCOM attacked two missile launchers on Larak Island…

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U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Monday, 9 Shahrivar, on the sidelines of the G20 meeting in Asheville, U.S., that Washington would continue to exert economic pressure on Tehran, and that the effects of this pressure might become visible in the coming weeks or months. Asked when Iran’s economy might collapse, Bessent said: “The point is, we have a blockade in place and will keep up the pressure. We’ve already had some very good discussions here, and I think this could happen over the coming weeks or months.” The U.S. Treasury secretary added: “The economy doesn’t necessarily have to collapse; the Iranian government just needs to come to its senses.” The U.S. official added that Bessent would meet with his counterparts on the sidelines of the G20 meeting and work to increase economic pressure on Iran and isolate it. Referring to Iran’s attack on U.S. military bases in Jordan, Scott Bessent went on to say: “I think they’re responding militarily because they’re losing economically.” @VahidOOnLine 📡 @VahidOnline

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On Monday, 9 Shahrivar 1405, a number of job seekers in Gachsaran County gathered to protest the hiring process at the Lishter refinery. Footage published from the gathering shows police forces firing shots to disperse the protesters. Some reports also say one person was injured in the shooting. The gathering was held to protest the way workers are recruited and hired at the Lishter refinery, which recently opened. @ VahidHeadline Security forces and police have dispersed young Arab protesters demonstrating against unemployment outside the Da’bal Khazaei Sugarcane Company in Ahvaz, beating them and firing shots. In this video, a man filming says: “These young people are all hungry. No one hires us. No one values us. Every one of them chased after the young people with a Kalashnikov. We want work. The young people are hungry. We have nothing at all. We want work.” The Karoon Human Rights Organization wrote in a report on Monday, 9 Shahrivar 1405, that “the young people and families who gathered to represent residents living near the company said, as they put forward their demands, that Da’bal Khazaei Sugarcane Company operates on land covering approximately 12,000 hectares, a significant portion of which belongs to the local area and its Indigenous residents. Despite the presence of local young people with academic qualifications and various specializations, the company’s management has prioritized hiring workers from outside the area, leaving local young people without even basic employment opportunities.” @ VahidHeadline 📡 @VahidOnline

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Ejei threatened protesters with a tougher crackdown As the economic crisis deepens and the U.S. dollar approaches 210,000 tomans, the head of the Islamic Republic’s judiciary said the institution would be “more resolute than ever” in punishing “elements seeking to undermine the country’s security.” The threat came after government bodies predicted that popular protests would break out. Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei added that strengthening security and firmly confronting anti-security elements were issues on which the public and officials agreed. This approach has intensified following a written message from Mojtaba Khamenei during Government Week. In the message, Khamenei declared: “I state unequivocally that any act that harms social cohesion is forbidden.” @VahidHeadline Fars News Agency, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, published a report objecting to the presence of “a number of female students without mandatory hijab” at a meeting with the head of the Student Affairs Organization and an adviser to the Minister of Science. It called for a “firm and immediate response” from the Ministry of Science, as well as a response from security agencies and the judiciary. According to Fars, the publication of images from a meeting attended by the head of the Student Affairs Organization, an adviser to the Minister of Science, and several members of university student councils—at which a number of female students were present without mandatory hijab—“has drawn objections from a group of professors and students.” @VahidHeadline 📡 @VahidOnline

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The European Union said on Monday that it would continue working with the United States, other international partners, and the G7 “to maintain pressure on Iran and help reduce tensions and promote regional stability.” The statement said: “The European Union welcomes efforts to ensure that Iran halts its destabilizing activities and engages in peace negotiations in good faith, including through greater economic pressure, such as the U.S.-led ‘Economic Exclusion Operation.’” “Economic Exclusion Operation” is the name U.S. government officials have given to the new economic pressure campaign against the Islamic Republic. The EU statement was issued ahead of the start of the G20 summit, hosted by the United States. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Reuters that at the summit he would urge finance ministers and central bank governors from around the world to sever their economic ties with Iran—or face U.S. secondary sanctions. @ VahidHeadline 📡 @VahidOnline

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As the Iranian rial continued to decline, the US dollar topped 210,000 tomans on Monday, 9 Shahrivar. At the same time, the British pound surpassed 284,000 tomans, while the euro neared 243,000 tomans. The price of each new-design gold coin, known as the “Emami,” also exceeded 223 million tomans. @VahidOOnLine 📡 @VahidOnline

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CENTCOM post: 🚫 Claim: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claims that a supertanker struck two mines while passing through the southern route of the Strait of Hormuz and came to a complete stop. This claim is false. ✅ Fact: No ship has struck a mine in the Strait of Hormuz. This is yet another attempt by the IRGC to intimidate commercial shipping in the region by spreading disinformation. CENTCOM 📡 @VahidOnline 📡 @VahidOnline

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Donald Trump, the president of the United States, officially called the Islamic Republic of Iran a “failed country” on Monday, 9 Shahrivar, on the social network Truth Social, and called for its leaders to face international trial. Trump described the state of Iran’s economic and military institutions as “total collapse” and wrote: “Iran no longer has a navy or an air force; its currency has lost its value, the salaries of soldiers and police officers are not being paid, and inflation has reached 300 percent. Its leadership is in absolute disarray and is incapable of running the country.” The U.S. president went on to accuse Tehran of violently suppressing domestic protests, adding: “The only thing they know how to do is kill their own protesters, with the death toll now exceeding 100,000. Tehran’s officials must stand trial for crimes against humanity and war crimes.” @ VahidOOnLine 📡 @VahidOnline

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The astute Araghchi noticed something and exposed a secret that naïve America knew nothing about: In Hebrew, Netanyahu openly boasts that he deceived the U.S. government and dragged it into a war with Iran on Israel’s behalf. Netanyahu says outright, laughing, how he “influenced” America by spending 1,000 hours on U.S. television networks. But in English, he praises the U.S. president’s leadership. Snake. araghchi 📡 @VahidOnline

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The foreign and defense ministers of Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan, along with the military commanders of the three countries, held the first meeting of their defense pact, known as the Mecca Pact, in Istanbul on Sunday, 9 Shahrivar. Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey signed the agreement in the city of Mecca on Friday, 16 Mordad. According to a statement by the three countries, an armed attack on any one of them will be considered an attack on all members—a principle that bears a clear resemblance to Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, NATO. On Saturday, 17 Mordad, Hakan Fidan told the state-run Anadolu Agency that the new alliance had not been formed against Iran or any other country, and that its purpose was to provide a general commitment to supporting the security of the three member states. On Sunday, reports emerged that seven other Arab countries might join the pact. @ VahidHeadline 📡 @VahidOnline

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The UAE Ministry of Defense issued a statement before noon on Monday, 9 Shahrivar, denying media reports that Al Minhad Air Base had been targeted with a “missile.” Hours earlier, the Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran had reported a “drone” attack on the U.S. base on UAE soil. The ministry’s statement said: “The armed forces remain on high alert to respond to any potential threat in a way that preserves the sovereignty, security, and stability of the United Arab Emirates.” @VahidOOnLine Earlier: The Army’s Public Relations Office posted a video showing drones being launched and wrote that, in response to the killing of a number of IRGC forces and civilians during the U.S. midnight attack on Larak Island, “the locations where helicopters and forces were stationed” at the UAE’s Al Minhad base “were targeted with dozens of attack drones.” @VahidOOnLine 📡 @VahidOnline

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On Monday, lawyer Payam Darafshan announced that the death sentence for his client, Ali-Asghar Peyghambari, who took part in the Dey 1404 protests, had been upheld by the Supreme Court. Darafshan told the Emtedad news website: “The death sentence for Ali-Asghar Peyghambari had previously been issued by the Tehran Revolutionary Court under the law on intensifying punishments for espionage and cooperation with the Zionist regime.” This is despite the fact that, according to the lawyer, “there has been no organizational or other connection of any kind between my client and any hostile groups,” and Peyghambari had only attended the protests. @ VahidHeadline 📡 @VahidOnline

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On Monday, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced in a statement broadcast on state television in the Islamic Republic that a giant oil tanker had struck two sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz. It said the tanker had caught fire and come to a complete stop. The IRGC claimed the tanker had intended to pass “illegally” through the southern part of the Strait of Hormuz. Since the US-Israeli war with Iran began, the IRGC has claimed that ships passing through the southern part of the strait—that is, near the coast of Oman—are doing so illegally. Iran’s claim is not consistent with international law. The IRGC Navy’s statement did not identify the tanker, its crew or its owners, or say when the incident occurred. The military body also warned other military vessels that if they failed to comply with the Strait of Hormuz’s “security regulations,” they would “meet no other fate.” The IRGC statement came after fresh military clashes between the US and Iran. But the only report of an incident involving a ship in the Strait of Hormuz concerns an event that occurred hours before the US attack on Larak. @ VahidHeadline 📡 @VahidOnline

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U.S. President Donald Trump posted AI-generated videos of an attack and explosion on Iran’s Kharg Island on Truth Social. Trump wrote: “Kharg Island is being leveled!!!” The videos were posted hours after CENTCOM attacked two missile launchers on Larak Island. @ VahidOOnLine 📡 @VahidOnline

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A magnitude 3.8 earthquake struck Pardis, east of Tehran Province, at a depth of 8 kilometers. Image received: a screenshot from the National Seismological Center website 📡 @VahidOnline

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Reports of shaking in eastern Tehran Hello and greetings. An earthquake just happened. It lasted 2–3 seconds. The house shook and the window rattled. I’m in Afjeh, Lavasan. At 7:20 a.m., we felt an earthquake in eastern Tehran. Tehranpars, Tehran: a strong earthquake lasted a few seconds. It was so noticeable that I jumped out of bed. Tehran earthquake—one sudden, strong jolt, but it didn’t continue. Bro, Tehran just shook. I don’t know if it was an earthquake or something else. There was a strong but brief earthquake in southwest Tehran. There was an earthquake; Tehranpars shook. A really terrifying earthquake just now in Hakimiyeh. Hello, western Tehranpars shook. The ground shook in Tehran a few minutes ago. Was that an earthquake??? I was asleep when the earthquake hit Tehran and woke up. It was at least magnitude 4. Hello. A strong tremor was felt around Tehranpars, Tehran. Mr. Vahid, there was an earthquake in Narmak, eastern Tehran. It shook badly. It’s 7:23 on Monday morning now. Hello, Tehran, Elm-o-Sanat, Heydar Khani—an earthquake just now. Vahid, the earthquake in eastern Tehran was brief but powerful. I’m near Parchin. There was a strong tremor; it was either an earthquake or a blast wave. Hello, Pardis shook a few minutes ago. At 7:21, two strong aftershocks hit eastern Tehran. Hi, dear Vahid. Two minutes ago, Tehran time, I was sleeping on the floor… The ground shook beneath me so hard that I woke up. It was brief but intense. Yes, Vahid, there was an earthquake in eastern Tehran. It was really noticeable. Hello, I think the earthquake in Tehran lasted about one or two seconds. I’m in the west :) What you said about the east shaking convinced me. There was a strong, brief earthquake in Tehran just now. The ground shook. I’m in central Tehran, in Sabalan… I noticed it. We felt it too in southeast Tehran, in Mashiriyeh. The shaking was so strong. We’re in eastern Tehranpars, and my sister is in western Tehranpars; everyone jumped out of bed. A strong tremor in northeast Tehran woke everyone up. Eastern Tehran, Tehranpars—there was so much shaking that we jumped out of bed. Around 7:19–7:20. Look, there was no sound, but the house really shook, just like an earthquake. Everyone jumped up. Hello, I’m in Pasdaran. The house shaking woke me up. Lavasan really shook. Hello, I’m in southern Tehran, in District 17, on the fifth floor. The shaking was very clear and the building moved. We’re in Narmak. Our house shook in such a way that I woke up terrified 😭 Hello, Vahid. What do you mean, eastern Tehran? I’m in southern Mehrabad, near Yaftabad, and the house really shook. I’m in western Tehran; it was felt here too. Hello, we’re in Damavand. We felt the shaking. I’m in Yousef Abad. At 7:20, the ground shook briefly. Tehranpars shook briefly a few minutes ago. Hello, good morning. Pardis shook at 7:20. We’re in Narmak. We felt an earthquake for two or three seconds, but it was very weak. Hello, dear Vahid. I’m in Sattarkhan and felt the shaking clearly—it wasn’t only in the east. Dear Vahid, we’re in central Tehran too and felt the earthquake. It was around 7:20. Hello, our home in Sohrevardi shook quite a bit at 7:22. The fridge moved, but it lasted only a second. We’re in the city center and felt it too. It was very brief, but the ground shook badly. #TehranparsEarthquake. The shaking was very intense and the whole house moved. Hello, I’m in the southwest. The house shook so much that everyone woke up. Hello, dear Vahid. It shook in Mashiriyeh too, but it was a strange kind of shaking, unlike previous earthquakes. Vahid, it shook badly—I woke everyone up and said it was an earthquake. Here, near Imam Hossein University, it really felt like a blast wave, a single jolt. Oh, it was terrifying. It shook so badly; my hands are still trembling. Everyone jumped out of bed. We’re in Shariati-Moallem. We’re in Sheikh Bahaei Square. The ground shaking was felt here too. We all noticed it—the ground suddenly shook. At 7:20, a loud boom and ground shaking were heard and felt in Pardis. People came outside. Hello, I’m in central Tehran and noticed a slight tremor. Hello, our house in Shahr-e Rey shook badly at 7:20. We’re on the fourth floor and felt it five minutes ago. We’re in Tehranpars. There were two strong jolts, like explosions. The second was much stronger. It wasn’t an earthquake, because our chandeliers didn’t move. I don’t know if it was an explosion or shaking, but the Narmak area definitely shook at 7:20. Janatabad shook too, briefly. A strong earthquake in eastern Tehran—my bed shook badly. It lasted one second, but it moved. I was sleeping on the floor too and noticed it. We’re in Marzdaran; the whole ground shook. I’m near Zafar, too, but the chandelier isn’t moving. Hello, dear Vahid. We’re in northern Tehran. We felt the earthquake here too, but much more weakly than in eastern Tehran. Hello, at 7:26, we felt an earthquake near Khorasan Square in Tehran. It was strong enough to wake us up. Our house in Narmak shook, like a wave passed underneath us. You could clearly feel it moving. I felt a very strong impact near Resalat in eastern Tehran. It didn’t feel like an earthquake. I felt the shaking too. It was brief but strong. I’m in Pirouzi too; it shook badly around 7:20. Hello, our house is in Nirooye Havaei. It shook very briefly for a moment, but the jolt was very strong. We’re in Nirooye Havaei. The earthquake woke me up. I felt the shaking too. There were two jolts in Narmak. They were strong but brief. I thought maybe a neighbor upstairs had jumped hard onto the floor. I’ve just seen the messages. Rudehen shook too. Hello, Vahid. I’m in the east, near Elm-o-Sanat. I don’t know if it was an earthquake or what; it was like a bomb had fallen. Our house is in eastern Tehran (Hakimiyeh), and around 7:15 it shook for three seconds. I don’t know if it was an earthquake or what, but there was no sound beforehand. I was asleep; my bed rocked like a cradle and woke me up. Babaei Expressway, Tehran. Hello, Mr. Vahid. The earthquake shook Bumehen at 7:20. It was strong. I’m in Narmak; there was an earthquake and a really strong jolt. It woke me up. Hello. Tehran, northern Narmak. I woke up because of the earthquake. There was a strong jolt and sound. Hello, a strong earthquake in Narmak. The table moved a lot and things shook from the force. It woke me up. I felt it in Mirdamad too, so strongly that I jumped out of bed. We felt the earthquake in Heravi… and jumped out of bed. 7:19 a.m. In Pasdaran, the earthquake was enough to make my bed move, and I woke up/: I woke up from the shaking. It was very strange. At 7:15, Narmak, Haft Hoz. Hello, dear Vahid. I woke up from the earthquake in Hakimiyeh—both me and my family!! I noticed it clearly in Farmaniyeh too, but more than a tremor, it felt like a powerful wave. Three waves in a row—I could really feel them in the window and the wall behind me. We’re in Pasdaran, near Hosseinabad. The house really shook. Pardis shook at around 7:21. Dear Vahid, there was shaking in Afsariyeh, southeast Tehran, and it woke me up. Hello, we’re in Shian. It shook really badly. My family didn’t believe me until I checked your channel and realized it was real. 📡 @VahidOnline

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CENTCOM post, machine translation: 🚫 Claim: The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran (IRGC) recently claimed in a statement that U.S. forces’ attacks to prevent the IRGC from laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz were an “act of aggression.” This claim is completely false. ✅ Fact: U.S. forces carried out a limited, precise operation against IRGC mine-laying forces that posed an imminent threat in the Strait of Hormuz. In reality, Iran created this threat, and the U.S. military eliminated it to protect civilian mariners, commercial shipping, and the free flow of global trade. CENTCOM 📡 @VahidOnline

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U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday evening, 8 Shahrivar, that the Islamic Republic would not obtain nuclear weapons, and stressed that he did not necessarily need to sign an agreement with it to win the battle against the Iranian regime. In an interview with Fox News, President Trump said the U.S. naval blockade and financial pressure had dealt heavy blows to the Islamic Republic, and that the regime was now collapsing. He added: “At the right time, either we win or they do something; but I have no problem with simply winning. I don’t need a signature on a piece of paper.” The U.S. president called the Iranian regime “the world’s biggest state sponsor of terrorism” and said: “They cannot be allowed to have nuclear weapons, and they will not have them.” @ VahidHeadline In an interview with Fox News, U.S. President Donald Trump defended his administration’s military actions and policies toward Tehran, saying: “If I hadn’t become president, there would be no Israel left, and most likely there wouldn’t even be a Middle East.” Emphasizing that Iran’s government would have used nuclear weapons if it had obtained them, Trump added: “Countries that had remained neutral for years were immediately targeted when the fighting began. Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait were all targeted, and everyone was surprised by this. It caused Iran to completely lose their support and neutrality.” The U.S. president went on to stress the need to prevent Tehran from advancing its nuclear ambitions, saying: “If they had nuclear weapons, they would definitely fire them, and after destroying Israel and the Middle East, our next target would be us or Europe. You cannot allow them to obtain nuclear weapons, and they will never have them.” @ VahidOOnLine 📡 @VahidOnline

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At the same time, following a Fars News Agency report that U.S. drone attacks on Lark Island had been carried out “from Jordan and with support from that country’s bases,” the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ public relations office said in a statement early Monday: “In response to the attack on Lark Island, the Aerospace Force carried out a combined missile-and-drone operation, targeting technical and maintenance infrastructure and the areas where fighter jets are stationed at Jordan’s King Hussein and Al-Azraq air bases with ballistic missiles.” The statement went on to say: “Military actions will not weaken control over the Strait of Hormuz, and any attack will be met with a reciprocal response.” @VahidOOnLine Fox News, citing a U.S. source, reported that following U.S. forces’ attacks on missile launchers on Lark Island, the IRGC launched missile attacks on U.S. forces’ positions in Jordan. According to the informed source, no significant damage has been reported so far, and air defense systems have managed to intercept and destroy almost all the missiles before they hit their targets. Earlier, the IRGC said in a statement that it had targeted Jordan’s King Hussein and Al-Azraq air bases. @VahidOOnLine Reuters reported that oil prices rose by more than two percent, with Brent crude once again surpassing $90 a barrel. The increase came after U.S. forces attacked two launchers belonging to the IRGC on Lark Island. @VahidOOnLine 📡 @VahidOnline

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Over the past hour, I’ve been receiving various scattered messages about a missile launch from Khorramabad. But just now, a flood of messages came in from Khorramabad about two sounds. Many people said they were related to a missile launch, while others insist they sounded more like explosions from impacts or a failed launch. At the same time, I’m getting similar messages from Kangavar in Kermanshah. 📡 @VahidOnline