Thursday, September 17, 2026

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UKMTO: The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) has received a report of a security incident in the Strait of Hormuz, 16 nautical miles northeast of Khasab, Oman. The crew are reported safe. No environmental impact has been confirmed at the time of this report. Authorities are investigating. Vessels are advised to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity to UKMTO. UK_MTO 📡 @VahidOnline

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CBS News reported on Thursday, 26 Shahrivar, citing U.S. officials, that Islamic Republic forces had shot down at least two U.S. MQ-1 drones in recent days. The U.S. officials, who spoke to CBS News on condition of anonymity, did not specify where in the region the drones were downed or which MQ-1 models they were. The drones are designed for intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance missions, and can also carry Hellfire missiles. CBS News wrote that in the Strait of Hormuz, the drones can be used to continuously monitor the waterway, track Islamic Republic military activity, and detect threats to U.S. forces and commercial shipping. According to the U.S. Congressional Budget Office, at least 24 MQ-9 Reaper drones, worth an estimated $720 million, have been lost since the start of the U.S. war against the Islamic Republic. An MQ-4C Triton drone, worth around $150 million, has also been destroyed. @VahidOOnLine 📡 @VahidOnline

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Trump tells Axios he is approaching a major crossroads in the Iran war Machine translation: President Trump told Axios on Thursday that he is nearing a critical point in the Iran war and must decide whether to resume large-scale strikes to end the conflict. ▪️ “I have a big decision ahead of me. Do I want to go in and destroy them [the Iranian regime] or not? It’s a big decision. Anything could happen to me.” Why it matters: Although Trump has made similar threats before, his latest remarks come ahead of a planned meeting on Tuesday with leaders of six Gulf countries on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. ▪️ The meeting could shape the next phase of the war, including whether to try diplomacy again or escalate military action. If Trump wants to resume large-scale combat operations, he will need the support of his regional allies. ▪️ The president has said several times in recent days that the war will end soon. Some U.S. officials warn that the conflict has reached an unstable “neither war nor peace” stalemate. They believe that if no deal is reached by then, Trump may return to large-scale combat operations after the midterm elections. What he’s saying: Trump made clear in the interview that he wants to use the U.N. meeting to hear directly from regional allies about the next steps in the war. ▪️ Trump said: “I want to understand where they stand and how things are going for them. We’ve protected a lot of them.” ▪️ The participating countries are Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Oman. ▪️ Trump declined to say whether he would decide on the path forward before or after the midterm elections. The backstory: In early August, Trump refrained from resuming large-scale combat operations after Saudi Arabia and Qatar expressed concern that Iran might retaliate by bombing Saudi oil and gas facilities. ▪️ Since then, Trump has taken a “low-key” approach: suspending talks with Iran, launching a new economic sanctions campaign, maintaining the naval blockade of Iranian ports, and focusing the U.S. military on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and increasing oil flows to the global energy market. ▪️ The U.S. military has significantly increased the passage of oil tankers and gas carriers through the strait. However, traffic remains below prewar levels, and oil prices are still high. Where things stand: U.S. officials say Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have ordered the military to maintain its force levels in the Middle East through the end of the year, so it will be ready for a possible return to full-scale combat. ▪️ The officials say Trump needs to decide on the path forward soon, partly because the U.S. military cannot remain on standby in its current posture for much longer. One official said: “At some point, you have to decide what the end goal is.” ▪️ Trump told Axios he was very pleased that the naval blockade had prevented Iranian oil exports. He said: “Since we started, not a single ship has gone to Iran. They tried, and we blew them up.” ▪️ The president added that Iran is in direct contact with the United States and said the Iranians still want to reach a deal. The big picture: The White House is also working on a postwar strategy that calls for a regional effort to contain Iran while expanding the normalization of relations between Israel and its neighbors. ▪️ Although the plan is still in its early stages, it is intended to guide U.S. policy in the Middle East after the Iran war ends and during the final two years of Trump’s presidency. Two major events loom over the planning: Israel’s October 27 election and the U.S. midterm elections in November. What to watch: Asked whether he would meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in New York next week, Trump said: “Maybe.” Axios 📡 @VahidOnline

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday, 26 Shahrivar, at a ceremony honoring outstanding Shin Bet personnel in Jerusalem that Israel had completed most of its mission against the Islamic Republic and its allied groups, but that the mission was not yet over. He said Iran and its allies’ ability to harm Israel had been sharply reduced. Referring to Israel’s ongoing operations, Netanyahu said: “There is still work to be completed, and we will finish it.” He then stressed that Israel would destroy Hamas. Regarding the Islamic Republic, he said: “We will defeat the Iranian regime. We will topple it; it will be toppled.” He also said Israel would continue its actions against Hezbollah. The Israeli prime minister added that Iran and its allied groups had not abandoned their desire to destroy Israel, but that, in his view, their ability to achieve this goal had been severely weakened. Netanyahu made these remarks at a ceremony honoring the Shin Bet’s outstanding personnel for 2025, attended by Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Shin Bet chief David Zini. @ VahidOOnLine Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz wrote on the social media platform X that Israel’s military campaign was not over and that the country had “important objectives” to pursue against Iran and on other fronts. He said Israel would act “with military force and political acumen” to achieve them. On Thursday, 26 Shahrivar, Katz referred to Gaza and said the policy he is pursuing alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu focuses on stripping jihadist groups of their ability to hold territory, maintain infrastructure and commanders, and rebuild their strength. He added that Israel had followed this approach in Gaza, Lebanon, and the northern West Bank. The Israeli defense minister also said the country had targeted commanders of the “Palestine Corps” in Iran and would not allow Iran or any other party to rearm Hamas. He stressed that Israel would continue its operations to achieve its security objectives and prevent a repeat of an attack like the one on October 7. Katz also addressed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, saying that if he wanted to help his like-minded allies in Gaza, he could invite them to Antalya, but that he “will not set foot in Gaza.” @ VahidOOnLine 📡 @VahidOnline

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The UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran said in its latest report that there are reasonable grounds to believe the United States committed “war crimes” in two airstrikes on Iran during its war with the Islamic Republic. According to the report, the strikes killed at least 178 civilians, including women and children. In a report submitted to the UN Human Rights Council, the mission examined US and Israeli attacks on Iran on 9 Esfand 1404 and concluded that the United States carried out indiscriminate attacks in two cases, killing or injuring civilians and damaging civilian sites. According to the mission’s findings, in one case, Tomahawk missiles struck the Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School in Minab. The mission said the school was clearly identifiable and that more than 150 people, including about 120 children, were killed in the strike. In another case, the United States used precision-strike missiles to scatter tungsten pellets over a sports complex and residential area in Lamerd. The report said the attack killed 22 civilian men and women. @VahidOOnLine 📡 @VahidOnline

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Russia and China vetoed a U.S.-proposed draft resolution to extend the mandate of the Panel of Experts of the 1737 Sanctions Committee on the Islamic Republic of Iran at a United Nations Security Council meeting on Thursday, 26 Shahrivar. The meeting was held under the agenda item “Non-Proliferation” at France’s initiative; France holds the Council’s rotating presidency in September. In the vote among the Security Council’s 15 members, the resolution received 11 votes in favor, but faced explicit opposition (vetoes) from Moscow and Beijing, as well as abstentions by Pakistan and Somalia. For a resolution to pass in the Council, it must receive at least nine votes in favor, and none of the permanent members may veto it. Diplomats had previously reported that Russia and China were firmly opposed to the proposal. Moscow and Beijing argue that with the definitive expiration of Resolution 2231 on the JCPOA in October 2025, all previous sanctions mechanisms—including the 1737 Committee—have no validity or legal effect. @VahidOOnLine 📡 @VahidOnline

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(⚠️ Violence and sexual abuse) The video shows officers of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Law Enforcement Command beating and sexually abusing a teenager. The video has sparked anger among many users. Some have said, “If police do things like this in front of a camera, who knows what they do to detainees in detention centers and behind closed doors?” The East Azerbaijan police commander said the incident took place on 14 Khordad 1405 during a street fight in Tabriz. Others, noting that the video was released on the fourth anniversary of the death of Mahsa (Jina) Amini in the custody of the morality police, have pointed to the continuation of police violence in the absence of deterrent laws. After the video drew widespread attention, the East Azerbaijan provincial police commander said the officers shown in it had been given “disciplinary punishment.” Ali Mohammadi told Fars News Agency that the officers had been “punished and placed on standby,” and that “additional punitive measures” were being pursued against them. @VahidHeadline 📡 @VahidOnline

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U.S. President Donald Trump, speaking Wednesday, 25 Shahrivar as he arrived in North Carolina to attend a campaign rally for Michael Whatley, the Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate, commented on the war with Iran: “I hope we’re close to ending the war. They want to make a deal; we’ll see what happens.” Trump added that Iran “very much wants a deal.” Asked whether he had received Iran’s recent messages directly or through intermediaries, he replied: “Directly.” @ VahidOOnLine 📡 @VahidOnline