Day 224 | US may resume strikes on Iran within three weeks

Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB reported on Thursday that several heavy explosions occurred in the southern passage of the Strait of Hormuz, citing military sources who said oil tankers may have struck sea mines in the area.

The report suggested the vessels were using routes Tehran had not authorized. It did not identify the tankers or provide details on possible casualties or damage.

The reported explosions come amid heightened tensions over maritime traffic through the strategic waterway, as Iran warns vessels against using routes it has not approved. The circumstances surrounding the reported blasts remain unclear.

Saudi Arabia’s King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh was ranked the world’s most disrupted airport by Flightradar24 early Friday, Oct 9, following an overnight report of flight disruptions.

The disruptions follow explosions reported at the airport on Thursday and claims by Yemen’s Houthi movement that it had targeted the facility with a ballistic missile. 

• Trump said media outlets misrepresented his remarks about the possibility of Iranian attacks on Los Angeles and San Diego.
• He argued that temporarily higher gasoline prices were a small price to pay to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
• In an Oct. 8 Truth Social post, he accused news outlets of portraying his comments as an invitation for Iran to attack the two cities.

US President Donald Trump on Thursday denied suggesting that Iran should bomb San Diego and Los Angeles, saying he had invoked the possibility of attacks on the two cities to argue that Americans should accept temporarily higher gasoline prices to prevent Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.

In a post on his Truth Social platform dated Oct. 8, Trump accused news outlets of misrepresenting his remarks, saying he had compared the short-term cost of higher fuel prices with the potential consequences of Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon and bombing major US cities.

"All I was doing was making a comparison between paying a little more, for a short time, for Gasoline, versus the bombing of our Major Cities," Trump wrote.

He accused what he called "Fake News" outlets of falsely portraying his comments as an invitation for Iran to attack the two California cities, adding that he loved both cities.

Trump's initial remarks, made at a rally in Grand Island, Nebraska, on Oct. 5, drew criticism from California officials and some Republicans. California Governor Gavin Newsom called the comments "deranged and dangerous," while Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said Trump's remarks could potentially compromise the city's safety.

Two suicide drones struck a camp housing a Kurdish separatist group in the Rizgari area of Khabat district in Iraq’s Erbil province, Iranian media reported on Friday, citing security sources in Iraqi Kurdistan.

The extent of the damage and whether there were any casualties were not immediately clear.

Iran has repeatedly targeted Iranian Kurdish opposition groups based in Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, accusing them of threatening its security. The groups have operated from bases in northern Iraq for decades, and the attacks have intensified during the regional war that began in February.

• The execution will be carried out by firing squad, according to a Pentagon official.
• President Donald Trump approved the execution, while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed it would be conducted publicly.
• Hasan was sentenced to death in 2013 for the 2009 Fort Hood shooting, which killed 13 people and wounded around 30 others.

The US Department of War will livestream the execution of Nidal Hasan, who was convicted of carrying out the 2009 Fort Hood shooting, by firing squad, a Pentagon official confirmed to Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Thursday.

The official said further details of the unprecedented procedure would be announced later. The US military has not carried out an execution since 1961.

The move follows US President Donald Trump’s approval of the execution. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed in a video posted by the Pentagon on X during a visit to the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier that the sentence would be carried out publicly by a firing squad, saying the operation was intended to send a clear message about the severe consequences of such acts.

According to Amnesty International, 17 public executions were recorded worldwide last year, including 11 in Iran and six in Afghanistan.

The case dates back to Nov. 5, 2009, when Hasan opened fire at the medical center at Fort Hood military base, killing 13 people, including 12 soldiers, and injuring around 30 others. He sought to prevent them from taking part in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

A military jury convicted Hasan in 2013 and sentenced him to death after evidence established that he had communicated directly online with Anwar al-Awlaki, an al-Qaeda leader who was later killed in a US airstrike in Yemen in 2011.

Read more: Trump approves firing squad execution for 2009 US military base shooter Nidal Hasan

• The US State Department is urging Americans in the Middle East to exercise heightened vigilance and prepare for flight cancellations, airspace closures and travel disruptions.
• It says Iranian-supported Houthis have attacked Saudi Arabia, including civilian airports and other infrastructure, causing civilian casualties, and that the conflict could escalate rapidly.
• The department also warns that Iran and groups backing it may target US interests worldwide, including US businesses and institutions.

The US State Department is warning Americans in the Middle East to exercise heightened vigilance, as of an early Friday statement. It cites a volatile security environment in which Iran-backed Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, including on civilian airports, could widen quickly.

The guidance tells Americans in the region to expect possible flight cancellations, airspace closures and wider travel disruptions, and urges anyone traveling to or from the region to monitor airport and airline operations. It adds that Iran and groups supportive of Tehran may target US interests overseas, including US businesses and other institutions, at locations associated with the United States anywhere in the world.

Escalation since July

The warning follows weeks of fighting that has pulled Saudi Arabia back into the Yemen conflict. The Houthis have staged a lightning offensive in recent weeks, seizing large areas of Yemen and leaving the Saudi-backed government scrambling. The Associated Press said the fighting marks a return to civil war after four years of relative calm and has opened a new front in the Iran war.

On Sept. 19, Saudi Arabia confirmed the Houthis tried to hit Riyadh with a ballistic missile, the first such attempt on the capital in this round of fighting. It was intercepted, with no casualties or damage reported. The same account said that flights at Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport were disrupted, with major delays and cancellations. Hours earlier, a fire had broken out near the airport.

The Houthis said they struck "sensitive" sites in Riyadh and an Aramco facility in Yanbu, according to military spokesman Yahya Saree, who claimed both operations used ballistic and cruise missiles and drones.

Read more: Middle East crude exports rebound past pre-war levels: Kpler

• The proposed targets include Iran’s missile and drone arsenal, energy facilities and Revolutionary Guard headquarters.
• Trump has rejected five proposals for major operations against Iran or the Houthis in recent months.

The Pentagon has drawn up plans for a three-day campaign of intense strikes against Iran targeting its missile and drone capabilities, energy facilities and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps headquarters, The New York Times reported on Thursday.

The plans have not been approved, and the exact scope and timing of any operation remain uncertain.

President Donald Trump said Thursday that the United States would not attack Iran before the Nov. 3 midterm elections, citing what he called productive discussions with Tehran. 

According to the Times, Trump has rejected five proposals in recent months for major operations against Iran or the Houthis. Some of his advisers question whether additional strikes would significantly alter Tehran's position, while others argue that a short, intense campaign could put further pressure on Iran's weakened economy.

The Pentagon has nevertheless continued preparations for possible major combat operations. Axios reported on Wednesday that US Central Command had been directed to prepare for potential operations, with energy, infrastructure and nuclear-related sites among the possible targets.

The military planning comes as diplomatic efforts remain active. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran had received Washington's response to an Iranian seven-day proposal and was reviewing it. The proposal is aimed in part at creating conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

The waterway remains one of the main flashpoints in the conflict. Iran has said it will not reopen the strait until conditions it has set are met, while the United States has sought changes to Iran's nuclear program and arrangements for maritime traffic.

Read more: US could resume strikes against Iran within three weeks: Axios

For coverage of the previous day, visit the link below.

Read more: Day 223 | Vance softens US nuclear posture on Iran