Thursday, October 22, 2026

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U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent posted old and new satellite images of the oil terminal on Kharg Island on his X account, writing that, unlike in the past, no crude oil tankers are now visible at the terminal. On Thursday, 30 Mehr, he wrote: “Kharg Island is now nothing but a symbol of the only thing the Iranian regime can still produce: failure.” Bessent added that the U.S. “economic excommunication” campaign is cutting off the Islamic Republic’s oil revenue lifeline and restricting the funds used to support terrorism, procure equipment for its nuclear program, and fund the lavish lifestyles of senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps officials. His remarks follow comments made by the U.S. Treasury secretary on Tuesday, when he said no oil loading had been observed at Kharg Island’s facilities since August and that Iran no longer had any oil cargoes at sea. Bessent had previously said Iran had not loaded a single barrel of crude onto tankers in September—a claim also confirmed by tanker-tracking companies’ data. @ VahidHeadline 📡 @VahidOnline

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Donald Trump, the U.S. president, wrote in a post on Truth Social on Thursday, 30 Mehr, that Iran is doing everything it can to drive up oil prices before the U.S. midterm elections. He stressed that Iran is even spreading fake reports about attacks, mines, and other things, even though the volume of oil passing through the Strait of Hormuz is now greater than it was before the fighting began. Continuing his post, Trump referred to the crackdown on protests in Iran and wrote: “They continue to kill protesters and anyone else who gets in their way. This is truly an evil regime, and I just hope the people of America and the world understand just how evil they are.” The U.S. president also said that 75,000 protesters had been killed in less than seven months, adding: “It’s shocking that the world and the Democratic Party don’t seem to care about this.” In this part of his post, Trump mockingly spelled the Democratic Party’s name as “Dumocrat.” At the end of his post, Trump wrote in capital letters: “Iran must never have a nuclear weapon, and they never will have one.” @VahidOOnLine 📡 @VahidOnline

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The dollar rose again on Iran’s open market, reaching 274,000 tomans. Gold and coin prices rose at the same time, despite a decline in global gold prices—a sign that the rising exchange rate continues to put considerable pressure on Iran’s gold market. In trading on Thursday, 30 Mehr 1405, the price of one U.S. dollar on the open market reached 274,000 tomans. The dollar had previously crossed the 270,000-toman mark on 12 Mehr, but then fell to around 260,000 tomans. @ VahidHeadline 📡 @VahidOnline

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The IRGC Navy claimed it had targeted four ships while they were transferring an oil cargo in the Persian Gulf. According to a statement from the IRGC Navy’s public relations office, all four ships were hit simultaneously and are burning. The statement added that the force had tracked and pursued the ships after they passed through an “illegal route” and targeted them during a ship-to-ship oil transfer. The IRGC also claimed that three other ships struck mines west of the Strait of Hormuz last night, caught fire, and were left stranded. The statement referred to an “illegally mined passage” and accused the United States of “encouraging vessels” to travel through it. The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency said in a warning on Tuesday that a tanker had been struck by an “unknown projectile” 30 nautical miles southeast of Faw, Iraq, in the northern Persian Gulf. On 28 Mehr, the IRGC said in a separate statement that two tankers had caught fire after hitting mines south of the Strait of Hormuz, and that a third tanker had struck a mine in the same area. @VahidHeadline 📡 @VahidOnline

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu compared the Islamic Republic to the Nazis and neo-Nazis, saying the only way to stop it is to overthrow the government in Iran. Referring to the Allied defeat of the Nazi regime in World War II, he stressed that he had concluded there was no other solution for confronting the Islamic Republic. Speaking to Israel’s Channel 7 during his election campaign, Netanyahu said: “I’ve concluded that the only conceivable solution here, without a doubt, is to overthrow this fanatical regime.” He went on to cite the Allies’ actions against Nazi Germany as a historical example to explain his position, saying: “Just as the Allies went and destroyed the Nazi regime.” The Israeli prime minister also referred to Adolf Hitler’s efforts to acquire nuclear weapons, saying: “Hitler tried to get an atomic bomb, but he failed.” Netanyahu concluded by again stressing the need for regime change in Iran, saying: “The only way to stop these Nazis—or today’s neo-Nazis in Iran—is to eliminate the regime and overthrow it.” @ VahidOOnLine On Thursday, 30 Mehr, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected a Financial Times report that U.S. President Donald Trump opposed a major Israeli attack on Iran, calling it “inaccurate and biased.” Speaking to Israel’s Channel 7 television, Netanyahu said: “This report is not true. I’m not going to get into the details of correcting this biased report.” The Financial Times reported on Wednesday that Netanyahu had called for military operations against Iran to resume, but Trump opposed the move ahead of the U.S. midterm elections on 12 Aban. @ VahidOOnLine 📡 @VahidOnline

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Donald Trump: The U.S. is not negotiating with Iran; something will happen soon On Thursday, 30 Mehr, U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters, when asked whether he was negotiating with the Islamic Republic at this point: “No, I don’t think we’re negotiating with Iran. Either way, one way or another, something is going to happen. It will happen relatively soon.” Trump added: “It seems most people think this will happen after the election, and we’ll have to see what happens. But I’ll say this: What we’ve done with Iran is amazing.” The U.S. president also said: “We have a limited conflict with Iran. I think we’re dealing with the real party to this conflict there. But militarily and financially, we’re doing very well against Iran.” @VahidHeadline Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said in an interview with Drop Site that U.S. President Donald Trump had left Iran’s proposal to end the war unanswered and that negotiations had stalled. In a report on the interview, the Donya-e Eqtesad newspaper quoted Rezaei as saying: “Contrary to the show he has put on, Trump has no clear, actionable plan to end the war with Iran, and this has led to a diplomatic deadlock.” In another part of the interview, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council secretary added: “Iran’s goal is not to hold out until 2029, but to end the war on terms that reduce the likelihood of another conflict.” Rezaei also stressed that managing the Strait of Hormuz is far more important than the revenue generated by the waterway. Iran’s Supreme National Security Council secretary said the Islamabad memorandum of understanding failed because commitments were implemented in the wrong order. Rezaei went on to say that Iran still has the capability to continue missile and drone operations, and warned that, if another war breaks out, cables, data centers, and AI facilities could also be within range. He added that Iran would have a broader plan for retaliation if hostilities resumed. He further claimed that taking action against the Islamic Republic of Iran comes at a cost, and that if diplomacy can make this clear to the other side, Tehran prefers diplomacy. Rezaei nonetheless stressed that Iran has the means to continue retaliating. Rezaei also threatened: “If another war against Iran begins, given Tehran’s understanding of the patterns of U.S. troop deployments in regional countries, U.S. casualties will be ten times higher.” @VahidOOnLine 📡 @VahidOnline

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Ali Alipour, the father of Babak Alipour, an executed political prisoner, was arrested at his home in Rasht on Tuesday, 28 Mehr 1405, and transferred to the “Shahid-e Gomnam” detention center in the city. The agents also confiscated several electronic devices belonging to him and his family members. HRANA, citing a source close to the family, reported that security forces arrived at his residence at 8 a.m. to arrest Ali Alipour. No information has yet been released about the reason for his arrest or any possible charges against him. @VahidHeadline 📡 @VahidOnline

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The New York Times reported that the U.S. and Israeli militaries have prepared plans for fresh strikes on Iran after the U.S. midterm elections. However, Donald Trump’s final decision remains unclear, and there are doubts about how effective the strikes would be. In its report dated 29 Mehr, the newspaper cited U.S. officials and people familiar with the discussions as saying that planning is underway for a short but intense operation, and that the two militaries are practicing attack maneuvers by stepping up exercises and flying over Iraq. U.S. officials said that Pete Hegseth, the U.S. secretary of war, also discussed fresh strikes with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his visit to Israel this week. Sources for the report, citing the sensitivity of the military planning, declined to be identified. ▪️ The likely goal: applying pressure to secure concessions According to the report, Iran’s energy infrastructure, nuclear facilities, and missile and drone arsenals are among the potential targets. However, some officials said refineries and oil infrastructure would not be targeted, to avoid further increases in gasoline prices. Some U.S. planners believe a three-day, high-intensity operation could inflict enough economic damage to change Tehran’s position and compel it to make diplomatic concessions. That assessment has been met with skepticism. The New York Times noted that previous strikes, from Esfand to Ordibehesht, drove up energy prices and global inflation, weakened regional security, and severely depleted U.S. stocks of interceptor missiles, yet Iran’s government withstood the economic pressure. Dana Stroul, a former Pentagon official for Middle East affairs, said neither Trump nor Netanyahu has offered a convincing explanation of how further war could change the existing strategic deadlock. ▪️ Trump has previously postponed a strike at the last minute The New York Times wrote that Trump has repeatedly opposed returning to major combat operations this year. Earlier this month, after extensive preparations by the U.S. and Israeli militaries and their air forces had been placed on the highest level of alert, he decided to postpone the strike shortly before the operation was due to begin. U.S. officials said the likelihood of an operation starting this month is low, and that political considerations—including Trump’s promise not to strike before the vote—make waiting until after the U.S. midterm elections more likely. According to the report, the full deployment of the forces and equipment sought by the United States—including three aircraft carriers, thousands of Marines, fighter jets, and special operations forces—will be completed by early November. A White House official declined to comment on whether the plans exist, saying Trump continues to keep all options on the table to prevent Iran’s government from acquiring a nuclear weapon. Israel’s election could also affect decision-making Israel’s October 27 election, corresponding to 5 Aban, could complicate the plans. Experts told the New York Times that if Netanyahu loses and remains in office as head of a caretaker government, it will be more difficult for him to start a war. Some analysts have also suggested that Netanyahu could use the prospect of a joint attack with the United States to urge his rivals to form a unity or emergency government—an move that could extend his time in power. ... @VahidOOnLine 📡 @VahidOnline

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Saudi Arabia’s state news agency (SPA) reported early Thursday, 30 Mehr, citing the country’s aviation authority, that King Fahd International Airport in the city of Dammam was attacked on Wednesday night, 29 Mehr. According to the authority, the attack left one person dead and eight injured. Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation said the person killed was a resident of the country, and that the injuries sustained by the eight wounded ranged from minor to severe. All the injured were immediately taken to hospital for medical treatment. The authority added: “The attack also caused material damage, which is still being assessed and estimated. Further developments will be announced in due course.” @VahidOOnLine 📡 @VahidOnline

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The Axios website, citing Israeli and U.S. officials, reported that dozens of Israeli Air Force fighter jets flew a route resembling a possible path for an attack on Iran on Monday, 27 Mehr 1405, in an operation that continued to within close range of Iran’s border. They turned back before entering the country’s airspace. According to some U.S. officials, the operation could have led to a miscalculation and an Iranian military response, and consequently to a resumption of the war. The report said dozens of fighter jets and refueling aircraft took part in the operation. The aircraft crossed Syrian and Iraqi airspace, changed course after approaching Iran’s border, and returned to Israel. Axios wrote that the flight covered more than 800 miles from Israel and took place one week before the country’s election. The operation also coincided with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Ovda Air Base, but sources said it was not connected to Hegseth’s visit. Israeli and U.S. officials said the flight was not unusual and was intended to deter Iran. Israeli officials had informed the U.S. in advance and described it as a show-of-force exercise intended to prevent possible Iranian attacks before the election. However, some U.S. sources told Axios they had gotten the impression that Israel hoped Iran’s air defense systems would detect the fighter jets and that Iran would fire at them—an incident that could have provided Israel with a pretext to attack Iran. @VahidHeadline 📡 @VahidOnline