The US House of Representatives voted to end the war in Iran for the third time late on Tuesday, approving a war powers resolution that would halt president Donald Trump's ability to continue military action without congressional approval.
The result – 220 votes to 204 – was similar to earlier efforts this summer, with a few more Republicans joining most Democrats voting to bring an end to the conflict. None of the resolutions have made it to the president's desk, where Trump would almost certainly veto the measure.
The vote comes as a defence department report revealed that Trump’s “Operation Epic Fury” assault on Iran cost $38bn in its first four months and has resulted in a munitions shortfall.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia said its air defences destroyed a Houthi drone south of Mecca before it entered prohibited airspace over the holy city. The coalition claimed that the drone intercepted on Tuesday evening was the second Houthi attempt to target Mecca after a ballistic missile launch in July 2017.
The Iran-backed group strongly denied targeting "Mecca or any other holy sites", calling it a "worn-out lie that has been used before".
Key Points
- Saudi coalition says Houthi drone destroyed near Mecca as holy site put on air raid alert
- Trump's Iran war cost hits $38bn
- Houthis deny targeting Mecca
- US House votes for a third time to end the Iran war
- Oil falls as US crude inventories rise despite supply concerns
- Breaking: Houthis claim to have downed Saudi F-15 fighter jet
Palestinian civil defence workers attempt to rescue those trapped beneath the rubble of collapsed building
08:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Trump's Iran war cost hits $38bn
08:14 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
The six-month-old US war against Iran has cost $38bn so far and that amount is projected to rise by $3bn a month, Congress' nonpartisan bookkeeper reported, as the Donald Trump administration searches for ways to end the conflict and reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz.
The war is expected to increase inflation by 0.5 per cent in the first three months of 2027, according to the Congressional Budget Office accounting, which totaled expenses through 1 August.
The mounting costs have strained US munitions stockpiles and driven up energy prices, raising concerns about the country's ability to respond to other potential conflicts and adding pressure on an already stretched federal budget.
The cost was close to the $37.5bn that defence secretary Pete Hegseth reported at a Senate hearing on 21 July.
Children among 11 killed in Gaza building collapse
08:10 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
At least 11 Palestinians, including children, were killed after a war-damaged building collapsed in Gaza, local officials said.
The building was damaged by Israeli shelling and strikes during the conflict, officials said. It housed 70 people.
Rescuers pulled 12 people alive out of the debris, according to reports.
China defence minister urges an end to 'provocative acts'
07:50 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Chinese defence minister Dong Jun urged nations to avoid provocative acts and curb the resurgence of regressive historical trends.
Dong's comments at the Beijing Xiangshan Forum on security come at a time of roiling regional tension in Asia since the US and Israel launched a war on Iran.
Warning that the world had arrived at a "fragile moment", Dong called for a fresher, more equal approach to resolving international tension, but offered few specifics or direct criticism of rivals.
"We must bear in mind the lessons of history and remain highly vigilant against all latent manifestations of hegemony, militarism and historical revisionism," he said in an opening speech.
Some 2,000 military officers, diplomats and academics from 100 countries are attending the three-day event set to run until Thursday, with delegates including some regional defence ministers, a senior Pentagon official, Russian academics and Taliban representatives.
US state department issues travel advisory for Saudi Arabia
07:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
The US state department has issued a travel advisory for Americans, urging them to reconsider travel to Saudi Arabia due to the ongoing conflict with Iran-backed Houthis.
The state department said Iran has launched missile and drone attacks on Saudi cities, infrastructure, airports, military bases, diplomatic sites and energy facilities.
It warned that the Houthis have threatened further attacks on the kingdom.
The state department advised US citizens to avoid travelling to areas near the Yemen border.
Houthis claim to have downed Saudi F-15 fighter jet
07:10 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
The Houthis claim to have shot down a Saudi F-15 fighter jet over the Marib governorate in Yemen, Al Jazeera reported.
The Iran-backed group's spokesperson Yahya Saree said in a statement that the US-manufactured jet was downed using a "locally manufactured surface-to-air missile".
“In the face of this brutal aggression against our country and people, the Yemeni armed forces – with God’s help and grace – were able to shoot down a Saudi F-15 fighter jet while it was conducting hostile operations in support of its military buildup in the airspace of Marib governorate,” he said in a statement.
Iranian military official says Tehran ‘fears no war'
06:55 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Iran does not fear war when it comes to safeguarding its sovereignty and security, claimed Habibollah Sayyari, the Iranian Army’s deputy commander for coordination.
Sayyari was speaking at the Beijing Xiangshan Forum on security this morning.
He said the long-term interference of external forces in the Middle East have torn apart regional unity and called on global powers to condemn the "unilateral hegemonism and law of jungle", in a reference to the US.
US defence chiefs warn of munitions shortfall as Iran war costs hit $33bn
06:45 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
President Donald Trump’s “Operation Epic Fury” assault on Iran cost $33.4bn in its first four months and has resulted in a munitions shortfall, according to a report by the Department of Defence’s inspector general.
The 44-page report to Congress states that, between 28 February and June 30, the joint US-Israeli attack on Iran saw the Trump administration spend $22.3bn on munitions alone.
The onslaught “has resulted in strategic inventory shortfalls and revealed industrial base bottlenecks for munitions resupply,” Inspector General Platte B Moring III concludes.
More here.
US defense chiefs warn of munitions shortfall as Iran war costs hit $33bn
Iran claims to down another US MQ-9 drone
06:32 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
The Iranian Revolutionary Guards this morning said they have shot down a US MQ-9 drone over Qeshm Island at around 2.29am local time.
The Guards said it was the 52nd MQ-9 drone destroyed by the Iranian forces using advanced air-defence systems.
Militias in Iraq remain defiant as the last US troops pack up to leave
06:02 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
As the end of the month approaches, Iraq faces two major deadlines: the conclusion of a decades-long US military deployment and the required disarming of non-state paramilitary groups.
With the US draw-down already in progress, officials confirm that the remaining hundreds of troops stationed in northern Iraq will depart prior to the Sept. 30 cutoff.
The government in Baghdad tied the US departure to a demand that militias give up their arms, though a majority of these factions have signaled no intention of complying. This defiance raises profound questions regarding the future stability of Iraq once American forces depart.
More here.
Iraq’s militias remain defiant as the last US troops pack up to leave
OIC condemns Iran-backed Houthi 'attacks' on Mecca
05:42 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation has condemned alleged attacks by the Iran-backed Houthis on Mecca.
The OIC said: “These attacks instil fear in innocent civilians, violate the sanctity of holy sites and mosques, and provoke the sentiments of Muslims around the world.”
Mecca was placed under an air raid alert for the first time in history on Tuesday evening. Saudi Arabia said it downed a Houthi drone near the holy city. The Houthis have denied attacking Mecca.
The OIC added: “The General Secretariat affirms that the acts committed by the Houthi terrorist militia against holy sites, mosques, and civilian infrastructure constitute terrorism that runs counter to Islamic values and to international norms, principles, and law."
India condemns Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia
05:22 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
India has expressed serious concern over Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia's civilian infrastructure and economic assets.
Indian foreign minister S Jaishankar held talks to discuss the Middle East crisis with his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud on the sidelines of the Brics summit in India, a spokesperson told reporters in Delhi."
The issue of the Houthis was also discussed. As you know, recently there was an attack on Saudi Arabia which we have condemned. We are deeply concerned also with the escalation in the situation in the Red Sea region," spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
"We have condemned the attack on the Saudi sovereign territory, including on the civilian infrastructure and economic assets. I would say that such attacks undermine regional stability and threaten freedom of navigation through the Bab-el-Mandeb," he said.
Iranian state actors targeting UK dissidents, activists and journalists with spyware
05:10 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
British intelligence has issued a warning after finding that Iranian spies have targeted dissidents with spyware that can enable tracking of their movements.
Dissidents, activists and journalists were targeted by state actors that impersonated their contacts on messaging apps to trick them into downloading spyware called Chosen Brick, the National Cyber Security Centre, part of GCHQ, warned.
The malware gave agents access to the person’s contacts, emails and social media messages as well as a device’s microphone and content on the screen.
More here.
Iranian state actors targeting dissidents and activists with spyware
Oil falls as US crude inventories rise despite supply concerns
04:50 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Oil prices fell this morning after an unexpected build in US crude inventories, while investors assessed supply risks after Saudi Arabia suspended oil loadings at its Yanbu port following an attack on its East-West pipeline to the Red Sea.
Brent crude futures fell 93 cents, or 0.86 per cent, to $107.82 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate futures were down 97 cents, or 0.92 per cent, at $104.86 a barrel.
Crude inventories rose by 7.1 million barrels in the week ended 11 September, market sources told Reuters, citing API data.
House votes for a third time to end the Iran war
04:20 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
The US House has voted to end the war in Iran for the third time, approving a war powers resolution that would halt president Donald Trump's ability to continue military action without congressional approval.
The roll call, 220-204, was similar to earlier efforts this summer, with a few more Republicans joining most Democrats voting to bring an end to the conflict. None of the resolutions have made it to the president's desk, where Trump would almost certainly veto the measure.
"Remember when Donald Trump said that this war would last just a few weeks?" said Rep Seth Moulton, who served as a Marine during the Iraq war and pushed the resolution forward.
He said it's time for Congress to "actually ask tough questions, as the Constitution directs us to do, rather than be subservient to another warmongering administration".
The action is likely the last House vote on the Iran war ahead of the midterm elections, where the conflict overseas is playing a substantial role in the political campaigns.
Houthis deny targeting Mecca
04:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Iran-backed Houthis have denied attacking the holy city of Mecca as the group escalates its conflict with Saudi Arabia in the wake of the US war on Iran.
Saudi Arabia's air defences destroyed a Houthi drone south of Mecca before it entered prohibited airspace over the holy city, a spokesperson for the Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen said this morning.
The Houthis, in a statement to Yemen’s SABA news agency, rejected the claim that their forces pose a threat to the city of Mecca or other Islamic holy sites.
“We categorically deny that there is any threat from Yemen directed at the city of Mecca or any other holy sites,” a Houthi source said.
“The claims about targeting Mecca are a worn-out lie that has been used before and no longer fools anyone,” Hazem al-Assad, from the Houthis’ politburo, wrote on X.
Saudi coalition says Houthi drone destroyed near Mecca
03:59 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Saudi Arabia's air defences destroyed a Houthi drone south of Mecca before it entered prohibited airspace over the holy city, a spokesperson for the Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen said this morning.
The drone, intercepted yesterday evening, was the second Houthi attempt to target Mecca after a ballistic missile launch in July 2017, spokesperson Turki al-Malki said in a statement, and follows a week of attacks from Iran-aligned Houthi fighters that have drawn Saudi Arabia deeper into the war.
Mecca is home to some of the holiest sites in Islam and the focal point of the annual hajj pilgrimage, and its security was a "red line," the coalition spokesperson al-Malki said in the statement.
Full report: US watchdog tallies Iran war's hit to weapons stockpiles, military bases and more
03:00 , Alex Croft
A U.S. government watchdog released its first report on the impact of the Iran war on Monday, acknowledging the military's advanced weapons shortfalls and offering the first public look at the damage to American aircraft, bases and diplomatic outposts in the Middle East.
Much of the information has been previously reported over the past six months, but the Pentagon inspector general's report offered the fullest official accounting so far of the conflict's costs in American lives, taxpayer dollars and physical damage. It included information from the watchdogs for the Defense and State departments as well as the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Read our full report here:
US watchdog tallies Iran war's hit to weapons stockpiles, military bases and more
Oil prices rise over fears of Saudi supply disruptions
02:00 , Shweta Sharma
US crude rose 1.82 per cent to $103.24 a barrel while Brent gained 1.6 per cent to $107.37.
Markets are unsettled after Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis launched a new wave of attacks on Saudi Arabia on Monday, after Riyadh blamed Iran-backed fighters in Iraq for an attack on the kingdom's east-west pipeline.
It is likely to disrupt as much as 4 per cent of global oil supply. Gulf Arab states also postponed planned talks with Iran.
"Markets are likely to remain focused on the risk that higher crude oil prices could add to inflationary pressures and, in turn, push interest rates higher," Yokoo Akihiko, an analyst at Mitsubishi UFJ Bank, said in a note.
US military rejects Iran's claim that mines blew up tanker
Wednesday 16 September 2026 00:30 , Shweta Sharma
The US military has rejected an Iranian claim that a Panama-flagged oil tanker struck naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz, saying the vessel was instead attacked by an Iranian drone.
US Central Command said the El Gaia was struck by an Iranian missile last month, which rendered the tanker “inoperable”, before it was hit again by an Iranian drone over the weekend while it was in waters off Oman.
The vessel is now being towed by a regional partner.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had claimed the tanker struck naval mines and caught fire in Hormuz.
Saudi crown prince to meet Egypt's leader
Tuesday 15 September 2026 23:00 , Alex Croft
Egypt's president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is set to roll out the red carpet for Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday, the Egyptian presidency said.
The meeting comes against the backdrop of intensified fighting between Iranian-backed Houthi rebels and Yemen's Saudi-backed government.
The two leaders will hold a bilateral meeting to discuss the Houthi offensive and developments in Iran.
The Houthi rebels’ weeklong offensive has culminated in the capture of Yemen's Red Sea coast, cementing their hold on the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, through which Saudi oil transits.
Earlier, Cairo rejected a proposal from the Houthis for direct talks to coordinate maritime traffic through the waterway and the Red Sea, according to Qatari media outlet Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.
Trump: Countries must reimburse us for securing Strait of Hormuz
Tuesday 15 September 2026 23:00 , Alex Croft
Donald Trump has demanded that the “Countries of the World” pay the US for its military action to secure the Strait of Hormuz.
"The Countries of the World, which have been no help to us whatsoever, should, and will, reimburse the United States of America when this SCAM Confligration is all over,” he wrote in a post on Truth Social.
The US president was repeating his claim that Tehran “wants to make a deal, quickly and badly”.
He added: "I will determine whether or not the U.S.A. will choose to engage - The concept of which we are open to."
Israeli strikes on southern Lebanese town kill 13 as fears of escalation mount - ICYMI
Tuesday 15 September 2026 22:00 , Alex Croft
Israeli strikes on a southern Lebanese town killed at least 13 people including six children on Monday, Lebanon's health ministry said, in one of the deadliest days of Israeli bombardment in recent weeks.
Fears of a renewed Israeli military campaign are mounting in Lebanon after days of escalating strikes despite a June ceasefire that was meant to halt fighting between the Israeli military and Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.
A woman who said she was related to at least three of the dead said one attack hit a residential building as children were getting ready for school. The Israeli military said it struck people seen transferring weapons in the area of the town, Kfar Rumman.
At the site, Reuters reporters saw children's schoolbooks strewn between chunks of concrete where the building once stood. Rescue workers with heavy machinery had worked throughout the morning to pull bodies out from underneath the rubble.
Eight-year-old Mustafa Farhat lost his grandparents and his mother in the strike, locals said. Rescue workers were still searching for his father's body on Monday morning while the boy lay in the hospital being treated for his wounds, they added.
EU condemns Houthi attack on Saudi Arabia
Tuesday 15 September 2026 21:01 , James Reynolds
The EU commission president condemned the Houthi attack against Saudi Arabia on Monday.
In comments on social media, Ursula von der Leyen said the bloc stands “in solidarity with our Gulf partners in the face of relentless attacks by Iran’s proxies”.
“We will continue working with our partners for safe, free navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and for stability in the Middle East,” she said.
Explained: What the escalating war between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis means for Trump in Iran
Tuesday 15 September 2026 20:00 , James Reynolds
Yemen’s Houthi rebels have forced a lightning offensive to the Red Sea coast, assuming control over another vital waterway in the region and threatening to expand the frozen US-Israeli conflict with Iran to the east.
By securing a position overlooking the narrow Bab el-Mandeb strait, the Iran-aligned group has opened a second pressure point, further squeezing Saudi Arabia’s oil exports already diverted from the Strait of Hormuz.
The sudden land grab over the last week has been accompanied by an aerial campaign against military instalments in southern Saudi Arabia, shifting the balance of power after more than a decade at war.
The Independent looks at what the Houthi advance means for regional stability:
What the escalating war between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis means for Trump in Iran
US imposes fresh sanctions on Russia's VTB Bank over alleged Iran ties
Tuesday 15 September 2026 19:00 , Alex Croft
The United States imposed new sanctions on Russia's VTB Bank on Monday, accusing the lender of helping Iran evade Western sanctions and warning that foreign institutions that continue doing business with Russia's second-largest bank could face additional penalties.
Already cut off from the dollar system over Russia's invasion of Ukraine, VTB now faces Iran-related sanctions that Treasury officials said could expose foreign banks and businesses that continue to deal with it to additional penalties.
Treasury said VTB had opened offices in Iran, established banking relationships with sanctioned Iranian lenders and helped build financial channels designed to facilitate trade and financial coordination between Moscow and Tehran.
The action, taken under an executive order aimed at increasing pressure on the Iranian economy, adds to US sanctions already in place against VTB Bank that were imposed in February 2022.
The Treasury said in a statement that state-controlled VTB was now "among the most comprehensively sanctioned financial institutions in the world." The Iran-related penalties would increase the risk of secondary sanctions against foreign institutions that continue to do business with VTB, the Treasury added.
"Under Operation Economic Outcast, Treasury will continue to target and disrupt those who provide material, technological, or financial support that allows the Iranian regime to sustain its terrorist enterprise,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in the statement.
"Treasury will not tolerate any support to the regime and will continue to identify, expose, and isolate Iran’s enablers," it quoted him as saying.
Turkey: Gulf attacks are harming peace efforts
Tuesday 15 September 2026 18:00 , Alex Croft
Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan has said reciprocal attacks in the Gulf are impacting peace efforts to end the US war in Iran.
Speaking at a joint press conference with his Azerbaijani counterpart in Baku, Fidan called for all attacks to stop.
Freedom of passage should be allowed in the Strait of Hormuz and the pre-war status quo shoud be re-instated, he added.
Fidan said Ankara was speaking to both Washington and Tehran in a bid to resolve the issue.
Two missing after Oman oil tanker attacked off coast
Tuesday 15 September 2026 17:00 , Alex Croft
A Panama-flagged oil tanker has been towed to an Omani port after a fire broke out in its engine room after an attack, the Oman's Maritime Security Centre.
The tanker was about 103 nautical miles northeast of Musandam when it was attacked, the centre said.
An Omani naval vessel evacuated 23 crew members, while two remain missing.
Israel carried out a strike on aid convoy in Gaza, Doctors Without Borders say
Tuesday 15 September 2026 16:09 , Alex Croft
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said Israeli forces launched a strike on a clearly identified aid convoy in besieged Gaza, injuring at least one humanitarian worker on Monday.
“An MSF bus carrying 10 humanitarian staff in Gaza City was damaged by an Israeli airstrike on a targeted vehicle just two metres away. One of our colleagues was injured in the strike,” the NGO said in a statement.
“The bus was clearly identified as an MSF vehicle, with a large MSF sticker visible on its roof. Once again, Israeli forces have shown a blatant disregard for the safety of humanitarian and medical personnel,” Doctors Without Borders added.
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe warns new envoy for detained Brits must not be an ‘excuse for government inaction’
Tuesday 15 September 2026 15:00 , Alex Croft
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has welcomed the appointment of the first ever dedicated envoy to help Britons detained abroad but warned it must not be an “excuse for the government’s inaction”.
The British-Iranian mother, who was imprisoned in Iran for six years until Britain settled a £400 million arms debt, has long called for the government to appoint a specialist to help families battling to get their loved ones home.
She said Alistair Burt’s new role was crucial to ensure families, such as those of Craig and Lindsay Foreman who are currently held in Iran, do not feel “invisible”, adding that it should not be up to relatives to be the “political force” driving efforts to secure their freedom.
Her husband, Richard Ratcliffe, led a six-year campaign - including staging a hunger strike outside the Foreign Office - to get Britain to repay the debt which led to her release.
“This is not the job of families,” she said. “This is the job of the government. They have to protect the citizens.”
Read more here:
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe warns new envoy must not be an ‘excuse’ for inaction
Oil prices rise over fears of Saudi supply disruptions
Tuesday 15 September 2026 14:29 , Alex Croft
US crude rose 1.82 per cent to $103.24 a barrel while Brent gained 1.6 per cent to $107.37.
Markets are unsettled after Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis launched a new wave of attacks on Saudi Arabia on Monday, after Riyadh blamed Iran-backed fighters in Iraq for an attack on the kingdom's east-west pipeline.
It is likely to disrupt as much as 4 per cent of global oil supply. Gulf Arab states also postponed planned talks with Iran.
Watch: US Air Force officer recalls 'free-falling' to ground with damaged parachute after plane was shot down over Iran
Tuesday 15 September 2026 14:01 , Alex Croft
Iran should not be distracted by mixed signals from Trump, Rezaei says
Tuesday 15 September 2026 13:31 , Alex Croft
Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said Iran should not be distracted by mixed signals from Donald Trump.
“Don’t get distracted by the US president’s mixed signals—from ‘no negotiations’ to ‘we’re ready to talk,’” Rezaei wrote in a post on X.
“The stakes around oil and the straits have changed. Damage control won’t stop what’s coming,” he added.
“No talks until Iran’s conditions are met. Period!”
It comes after Trump said the US was “open” to “concept” of negotiating deal with Iran
"The failing Nation of Iran wants to make a deal, quickly and badly. I will determine whether or not the U.S.A. will choose to engage -- The concept of which we are open to,” Trump said on his social media platform on Monday.
Saudi-led coalition says 13 civilians injured in Houthi attacks on three Saudi cities
Tuesday 15 September 2026 13:18 , Alex Croft
The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said on Tuesday that 13 civilians were injured in attacks by the Iran-aligned Houthis on the Saudi cities of Khamis Mushait, Abha and Taif on Monday.
In a statement posted on X, coalition spokesman Major General Turki al-Malki said the injuries ranged from minor to moderate and that seven houses and two vehicles were damaged.
He added the coalition would respond “responsibly and firmly” and take what it called necessary operational measures to deter further attacks.
