Iran launched fresh attacks against US targets in the Middle East on Wednesday in retaliation for American strikes on Iranian oil tankers, dragging the foes deeper into war.
Tehran's powerful Revolutionary Guards said Wednesday they attacked 20 US vessels trying to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for the world's oil and gas that Iran has largely controlled since the war erupted.
The United States and Iran are locked in a stalemate six months into the war, with Iran maintaining a stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz and Washington pushing a campaign to choke Iran's ports and economy.
The Guards said Wednesday they pummelled a US military base in Jordan in response to US forces destroying five Iranian oil tankers the day before.
The US military said it acted after Iran targeted an American warship, the second such attack in less than a week.
Oil prices climbed to near $100 a barrel in Asian morning trade, as the flare-up threatened to further choke supply from the crude-rich Middle East.
The price of Brent crude, the benchmark international contract, rose to $99.46 per barrel, while the main US contract West Texas Intermediate was at $94.45 per barrel.
The Islamic republic also said it would target oil tankers off US-allied Kuwait and Bahrain in retaliation for the US strikes on its tankers.
Minutes later, Iran's Revolutionary Guards -- the most powerful arm of the Iranian military -- said they had struck the US air base of Al-Azraq in Jordan with missiles, state media reported.
The "punitive operation" damaged maintenance and repair facilities, deployment locations and shelters for fighter jets, according to IRNA.
Jordan's army said it shot down 18 missiles from Iran targeting the kingdom.
The strikes came after Tehran urged crews on oil tankers off Kuwait and Bahrain to leave their vessels, warning they "will be targeted", the Guards said in a statement posted on IRNA.
- US warning -
The latest round of fighting was triggered after US forces destroyed five Iranian oil tankers, with the US military saying it "directed the crews to abandon ship" before hitting the vessels.
"Iran continues to try to hit US naval ships, and for every time they do that or try to do that, they're going to lose tankers, and I think you'll see that again today," US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters on Tuesday on a visit to Colombia.
Iranian media reported Tuesday that a US missile struck a tanker off the coast of Kharg Island, adding that there were no casualties.
The chief of staff of Iran's army Ali Abdollahi had warned the Islamic republic would hit US bases in the region if Iranian oil tankers were hit.
Iran has asserted control of the Strait of Hormuz -- which normally carries around a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas -- since the start of the war in February, with traffic through the waterway virtually paralysed.
Tehran requires vessels to obtain permission and pay transit fees before using the strait.
Iran's Guards also said on Tuesday they seized "one of the most modern, unmanned" American submarine drone in the Strait of Hormuz.
The US military said that the drone had "malfunctioned", insisting it was an "older model" that did not carry any sensitive data.
Iranian state TV also said the Guards had attacked two US destroyers with ballistic missiles.
The US military did not immediately comment on the report. Source: BSS
The successful outcomes of bilateral and multilateral meetings on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session are a matter of pride for Bangladesh, said AKM Wahiduzzaman, Deputy Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations.
He made the statement at a press conference organized at the end of the Prime Minister's four-day visit to New York. During the visit, the Prime Minister held meetings with heads of state and government from various countries, discussing various issues related to Bangladesh's national interests.
Over the four days, the Prime Minister held bilateral meetings with the heads of state and government of 11 countries. In addition, the delegation participated in nearly 80 programs, including the UN General Assembly session, several high-level side events, and meetings with international organizations and key dignitaries.
The discussions focused heavily on Bangladesh's national interests, as well as trade and investment, manpower export, energy security, climate change, the Rohingya crisis, and international cooperation.
Relevant officials noted that maximum efficiency was achieved during the New York visit despite a compact delegation. Issues pertinent to Bangladesh's interests were highlighted in meetings with foreign leaders, emphasizing the enhancement of mutual cooperation.
Spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office Mahdi Amin, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humayun Kabir, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaid, and Bangladesh's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN AKM Wahiduzzaman, among other officials, were present at the New York press conference.
AKM Wahiduzzaman stated, "The successful outputs and outcomes of the bilateral and multilateral meetings on the global stage are a matter of immense pride for the country. Progress has been achieved through these discussions across various areas of Bangladesh's national interest."
Former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has lost her party name and symbol. A day after the Election Commission of India on Friday (September 18) suspended the name of the All India Trinamool Congress and its traditional 'flower and grass' symbol, it has allocated separate interim names and election symbols to the party's two rival factions. As a result, the political identity associated with the Trinamool Congress for nearly three decades has been temporarily dropped from the ballot for the upcoming West Bengal by-elections on October 6.
The Mamata Banerjee-led party has been given the name 'Mamata All India Trinamool Congress' and the 'football player' symbol. On the other hand, the Commission has allotted the name 'Democratic Trinamool Congress' and the 'envelope' symbol to the rebel party.
The Election Commission has specified that these symbols are temporary and will be applicable for the upcoming by-elections, as the dispute over control of the opposition party in West Bengal is still ongoing. The Commission said that the matter needs to be resolved under the existing law.
Following the defeat in the assembly elections in May, a rebellion broke out within the Trinamool Congress legislature party led by Ritabrata Banerjee, which later spread to Parliament and eventually led to the formation of a party name and symbol. The interim order of the commission came in the wake of this. Both groups were directed to submit three preferred names and three free symbols by 11 am on Friday. The commission later allotted these interim identities to them for the by-elections.
Mamata-led Trinamool Congress has strongly condemned the Election Commission's order to suspend the party's name and symbol as 'illegal' and 'contrary to the law'. TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee rejected the order, saying, 'We are not accepting it'. Stating that the order has many legal weaknesses, he said that the information in the order has not been presented correctly. However, he also admitted that this arrangement may have to be accepted temporarily.
On the other hand, the rival party welcomed the Election Commission's stay order, although they wanted the 'flower and grass' symbol. The leader of the rival party, West Bengal Assembly Chief Whip and TMC MLA Akhruzzaman Ansari said, "We accept the EC's order." He said, "Of course, we wanted the old symbol." However, he expressed hope that after the final verdict, their party will get the party's "official and original name and symbol." For now, the rebel party will contest the by-elections under the name 'Democratic Trinamool Congress' and with the 'envelope' symbol.
Following the defeat in the assembly elections, a power struggle began within the party's organisational and legislative structures. In June, 59 rebel MLAs elected expelled leader Ritabrata Banerjee as the Leader of the Opposition instead of the candidate nominated by Mamata's camp and secured the Speaker's recognition. This was the first split in the party's 28-year history.
Incidentally, the hand-drawn 'flower and grass' symbol of the Mamata Banerjee-led camp was at the heart of the Trinamool's political journey, formed after breaking away from the Congress in 1998. As Trinamool emerged as a major political force in West Bengal over the past 28 years, the symbol became a powerful expression of the party's grassroots identity and featured prominently on ballot papers, flags and campaign materials.
Source: India Today, The Indian Express, NDTV
A tanker caught fire after being hit in the Strait of Hormuz on Friday. The fire was later brought under control, the United Kingdom's Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said.
The maritime watchdog said, "A report was received from the Chief Safety Officer (CSO) of a ship that an unidentified object had struck a tanker. This caused the ship to catch fire. The fire has since been extinguished."
The AFP news agency reported this from Dubai.
The agency said the ship's crew is safe, but it is not yet clear whether the attack has had any impact on the environment.
Source: BSS
US President Donald Trump has claimed that the United States is now producing more "elite and sophisticated weapons" than at any time in its history. He added that these weapons are being delivered daily to US forces deployed in the Middle East and other regions.
In a post on the social media platform Truth Social, Trump wrote that he recently received a report that US weapons factories are now operating 24 hours a day. At the same time, each defense agency is building an average of four to five new large factories.
Trump also noted that the main focus of this massive production is the Patriot, THAAD system, Tomahawk and other standard missile systems.
He said the United States already has a large stockpile of these sophisticated missile systems.
