Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said on the World Day for the Prevention of Violence that the day was an opportunity to recall a "bitter reality" of US and Israeli aggression against Iran. "When the United States and the Israeli regime target the security and lives of nations through military aggression, the slaughter of civilians, and the destruction of infrastructure, we confront the most blatant form of state violence." روز جهانی مقابله با خشونت، فرصتی برای یادآوری یک واقعیت تلخ است: وقتی آمریکا و رژیم اسرائیل با تجاوز نظامی، کشتار غیرنظامیان و ویرانی زیرساخت‌ها، امنیت و زندگی ملت‌ها را هدف می‌گیرند، با عریان‌ترین شکل خشونت دولتی مواجهیم. سکوت در برابر این جنایات، همدستی با خشونت است. — Gharibabadi (@Gharibabadi) October 2, 2026 He added that "silence" from other nations when confronted with these crimes amounted to "complicity in violence." US suffered 'humiliating defeat' against Iran: IRGC commander The commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force said the United States, despite its vast resources and equipment, has been expelled from Iraq and has suffered a humiliating defeat against Iran, according to Press TV. Brigadier General Esmail Qaani made the remarks on Thursday night at the “Nasr Qarib” ceremony in Tehran, held to mark the second anniversary of the martyrdom of the leaders of the Lebanese Resistance, Press TV reported. Quds Force commander: US expelled from Iraq, suffered humiliating defeat against Iranhttps://t.co/0ZNh6caVmi — Press TV 🔻 (@PressTV) October 2, 2026 “This year’s anniversary is being observed at a time when the US, despite possessing vast resources and equipment, has been expelled from Iraq, and the Iraqi people are celebrating this victory, thanks to the resistance of the Iraqi nation and the heroes of the Resistance Front,” he said. Qaani said the Americans had imagined they could force Iran to surrender within four days, or two weeks at most, “but they encountered a reality vastly different from their calculations.” He added that remaining traces of US presence in the region must also be removed, and that signs of this process are already visible. He went on to say that Washington was downplaying the significance of its exit from Iraq in the eyes of world public opinion by raising peripheral issues, such as aircraft flights. Yemen carried out 20 strikes on Houthi targets in Taiz province, spokesperson says The military spokesperson for Yemen's internationally recognised government said on Friday that warplanes carried out 20 strikes over ​the past three hours targeting Houthi movements, personnel, vehicles and ‌military equipment in Taiz province. The strikes come amid the most serious escalation between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-aligned Houthis since a UN-brokered truce largely halted cross-border attacks ​in 2022. Unchallenged occupation of southwestern Yemen's Taiz would give the ​Houthis full control over the country's north, a tighter grip ⁠on the Red Sea coast and easier access to the south ​and the southern port city of Aden, seat of the government. The renewed ​conflict has already displaced tens of thousands of people and could reshape control in Yemen, with implications for Red Sea shipping lanes and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. US Energy Department engineer arrested over alleged support for Houthis A US Energy Department electrical engineer has been arrested for allegedly supporting Yemen’s Houthis by purchasing materials for homemade explosives and drones and traveling to Yemen, US local media reported on Friday. “Ashton Hamed Ellaboudy, 51, of Richland, Washington, was arrested Thursday and is due to make his first court appearance Friday,” CBS News reported, citing the Justice Department. Ellaboudy sought to help the Houthis enhance their communications capabilities and traveled to Yemen last September, CBS News cited the FBI as saying. “Ellaboudy used a passport issued to him when he was working at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to make his way to Oman, then bordering Yemen,” CBS News quoted the Justice Department as saying. Ellaboudy faces charges under a US law criminalizing the provision of material support to organizations designated as foreign terrorist organizations, a designation that applies to the Houthis. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison, according to the Justice Department. Japanese, Qatari premiers discuss US-Iran war at meeting in Tokyo The Japanese and Qatari prime ministers on Friday discussed the conflict between the US and Iran during a meeting in Tokyo, according to an official statement. “I expressed strong concern over the ongoing military tensions surrounding Iran and the significant disruption to the rules-based maritime order,” Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on US social media company X after meeting with Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. 本日午前、訪日中のムハンマド・カタール首相が官邸にお越し下さり、会談を行いました。 私からは、まず、ムハンマド首相が愛知県名古屋市を中心に開催中の第20回アジア競技大会閉会式の機会に訪日されたことを歓迎し、2030年の次回ドーハ大会の成功に向けて共に協力していきたい旨を申し上げました。… pic.twitter.com/KhEhjQ16At — 高市早苗 (@takaichi_sanae) October 2, 2026 Efforts to end the war, now in its seventh month, have continued since a June framework agreement, mediated by Pakistan and Qatar, aimed at reaching a final peace deal on navigation in the strategic waterway as well as Iran's nuclear program. During the war, in addition to US strikes on Iran, Tehran has also launched attacks on US military bases and energy facilities in Gulf states such as Qatar. Takaichi conveyed her “deep respect for the important role Qatar is playing as a mediator, and stated my wish to closely collaborate with Qatar toward the early stabilisation of the situation.” Al Thani spoke on the “current status” of the US-Iran talks, said Takaichi. Takaichi told Al Thani that Japan “is currently formulating a comprehensive cooperation plan aimed at enhancing the economic and energy resilience of the Gulf countries, including Qatar.” On bilateral ties, the two sides discussed economic partnership with “a desire to strengthen cooperation not only in traditional energy fields but also in various areas including investment and artificial intelligence.” “We will continue to closely collaborate with Qatar to strengthen the ‘strategic partnership’ between our two countries,” said Takaichi. Al Thani, who is also Qatar's foreign minister, also met with his Japanese counterpart Toshimitsu Motegi, according to Japan's Foreign Ministry. Motegi expressed "strong concern" over the prolonged impasse between the US and Iran, saying that the more than six-month disruption of free and safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz has had a "significant impact on the global economy." US sends additional Patriot batteries to protect Saudi, Qatari energy sites: Axios The US military has deployed two additional Patriot missile batteries to protect energy facilities in Saudi Arabia and Qatar amid preparations for possible renewed military operations against Iran, the Axios news site reported on Thursday, citing two US officials and a regional source. One battery was sent to Saudi Arabia last month to protect a key oil facility, while another was deployed to Qatar to defend a natural gas facility, according to the report. The deployments were intended to reassure both countries that Washington would protect their critical energy infrastructure if US President Donald Trump resumes major combat operations against Iran. Trump said on Thursday that he was considering renewing a bombing campaign in the coming weeks. “Now I have to make a decision: either Iran signs the deal, or it won't exist any longer,” he said. Read: Trump vows to attack Iran 'very hard' if Tehran behind Flydubai flight incident Axios reported that Saudi and Qatari leaders urged Trump in early August against launching a major attack that would include strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure, fearing retaliation against their oil and gas facilities. US officials said those appeals were a key factor in his decision to pursue economic pressure instead. The report said Washington would need Saudi permission to use the kingdom’s airspace for renewed major combat operations, but Riyadh would be unlikely to agree without assurances that its oil facilities were protected. US Central Command spokesman Captain Tim Hawkins declined to comment. Meanwhile, the US is sending additional warships, fighter jets and troops to the Middle East, Axios reported. A US official said the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier and its strike group left San Diego on Sunday and were expected to reach the region around mid-November. Officials have yet to determine whether the carrier will replace an existing deployment or increase the US presence to three carrier strike groups. The Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group, carrying thousands of Marines from the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, also departed for the region Monday and is expected to arrive by the end of November, the report said. Houthis say Saudi Arabia launches strikes on Sanaa, 3 Yemeni provinces The Yemeni Houthi group said Thursday that Saudi Arabia carried out airstrikes on the capital Sanaa and the provinces of Saada, Taiz and Amran. The Houthi-run SABA news agency said warplanes allegedly belonging to Saudi Arabia targeted Sanaa and several locations across the three provinces. The report provided no details on the sites targeted, casualties or damage. Separately, Yemen’s military said 27 airstrikes targeted Houthi positions and gathering points in the southwestern province of Taiz. Military spokesman Colonel Majid Abdullah al-Nuzaili said the strikes targeted a missile depot, command and control centres, supply and weapons sites, concentrations of Houthi fighters and military vehicles. He said the strikes destroyed dozens of military vehicles and other assets and killed or wounded a number of Houthi fighters. Brigadier General Turki al-Maliki, spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition, earlier said on US social media platform X that air defences intercepted and destroyed drones and ballistic missiles launched toward the Saudi cities of Khamis Mushait and Jazan. Al-Maliki also said the Houthis had targeted the Taiba power station in Saudi Arabia’s Medina with a drone two days earlier. US ambassador to UN accuses Iran of violating nuclear obligations The US ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz on Friday accused Iran of violating its nuclear obligations by not abandoning its nuclear program. "Iran broke the rules. They refused to abandon their nuclear ambitions. They are enriching uranium to 60%, which has no credible civilian purpose," he said. US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz has accused Iran of violating its nuclear obligations and refusing to abandon its nuclear programme. 🔴 LIVE updates: https://t.co/ni0TQDKX6b pic.twitter.com/n9SGaCwgLj — Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) October 2, 2026 Iran has repeatedly denied seeking a nuclear weapon and has maintained that its nuclear stockpile exists for peaceful purposes only. US moves 2000 marines to Middle East According to a US official's comments to Al Jazeera, the USS Theodore Roosevelt strike group and Makin Island group, both of which carry 2000 US marines total, have departed from San Diego as three aircraft carriers and two landing groups deploy around Iran. A US official tells Al Jazeera that the USS Theodore Roosevelt strike group and Makin Island group, carrying 2,000 Marines, have left San Diego as three aircraft carriers and two landing groups deploy around Iran. 🔴 Follow our LIVE coverage: https://t.co/9FRUZ7g2Pt pic.twitter.com/dgb9AHLd1R — Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) October 2, 2026 Iran urges Iraq to lift flight restrictions, restore normal air travel Iran on Thursday called for restrictions on flights between Iran and Iraq to be lifted and for normal air travel between the two countries to resume. In a statement, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said Tehran, while respecting Iraq’s national sovereignty, called for “appropriate decisions” to lift the restrictions and restore normal operations by airlines of both countries. The ministry accused the US of using sanctions and “economic terrorism” to disrupt Iran’s trade and air links with other countries. It said restrictions on Iran-Iraq air travel run counter to the interests of both countries and have caused serious difficulties for hundreds of thousands of passengers, including pilgrims, patients, students and businesspeople. The ministry said ties between Iran and Iraq are rooted in deep historical, religious, cultural and people-to-people connections, adding that transportation links should be managed through an “independent, responsible and forward-looking approach” based on their common interests. Türkiye condemns Houthi attack on civilian infrastructure serving Prophet’s Mosque in Saudi Arabia Türkiye on Thursday strongly condemned an attack by Yemen’s Houthi group on civilian infrastructure serving the Prophet’s Mosque in Saudi Arabia. “We strongly condemn the Houthis’ attack on civilian infrastructure serving the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “These provocative attacks, which threaten Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty and security and target the sacred values of the Islamic world, must end immediately and unconditionally,” it added. The ministry also reiterated Türkiye’s support for Saudi Arabia and urged restraint amid regional tensions. “We reiterate our strong support for Saudi Arabia and emphasise the need to avoid steps that would further escalate tensions in the region,” it said. OIC, Arab states condemn drone attack on Saudi Arabia's Medina power station The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and several Arab countries on Thursday condemned a drone attack on a power station in Medina, Saudi Arabia, that the Saudi-led coalition attributed to the Houthis. The statements from the organisation, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain followed a Saudi announcement that the Taiba electricity distribution station, which provides power to the Prophet's Mosque, had been targeted. The organization's General Secretariat said it "strongly condemned and denounced" the attack. It described the targeting of vital infrastructure and facilities in Medina as "a dangerous escalation and a blatant violation of the sanctity of holy sites," as well as international and humanitarian laws and norms. The organisation affirmed its full solidarity with Saudi Arabia in measures taken to protect its territory, security and stability, defend Islamic holy sites and safeguard citizens and residents. The UAE Foreign Ministry said the drone attack constituted "a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of Saudi Arabia and a threat to its security and stability." It reiterated Abu Dhabi's full solidarity with the kingdom and support for measures aimed at safeguarding its security and stability. Jordan also condemned the attack, saying it represented a "blatant violation" of Saudi sovereignty and threatened the kingdom's security, stability and territorial integrity. It also described the attack as a violation of international law and the UN Charter. Foreign Ministry spokesman Fuad Majali affirmed Jordan's "absolute solidarity" with Saudi Arabia and its support for measures taken to protect the kingdom, its institutions, citizens and residents. Kuwait said the targeting of an electrical facility serving the Prophet's Mosque was part of what it described as repeated hostile attacks against civilian infrastructure. "Such attacks constituted a violation of Saudi sovereignty, international law and international humanitarian law, while also provoking the feelings of Muslims worldwide and threatening the sanctity of Islamic holy sites," the Foreign Ministry said. Kuwait reaffirmed its full solidarity with Saudi Arabia, saying the kingdom's security was inseparable from the security of Kuwait and other Gulf Cooperation Council states. Bahrain condemned "continued attacks by the Iran-backed Houthis against Saudi Arabia." Manama said it supports Saudi Arabia in measures taken to defend its sovereignty and security under its right to self-defence. Bahrain also called on the UN Security Council to take a firm position against repeated Houthi attacks and ensure the implementation of relevant resolutions, including Resolution 2216 of 2015 and Resolution 2817 of 2026. Saudi-led coalition says it intercepted 2 ballistic missiles, 4 drones over southern Saudi Arabia The Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen’s government said on Thursday evening that it intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles and four drones over southern Saudi Arabia. In a statement, the coalition said the two ballistic missiles were intercepted and destroyed over the cities of Khamis Mushait and Jazan. Four drones were also intercepted and destroyed over Khamis Mushait, it added. The coalition said its forces would continue “taking and implementing operational measures to deter the Houthi militia.” It provided no further details about casualties or damage caused. Tanker struck by unknown projectile in Strait of Hormuz catches fire: UK maritime agency A tanker was struck by an unknown projectile while transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, causing a fire aboard the vessel, the UK Maritime Trade Operations said. The organisation said it received a third-party report of the incident at 2250PKT. UKMTO WARNING 147-26 Click here to view the full product.⤵️https://t.co/YH6hTglRNr#MaritimeSecurity #MarSec pic.twitter.com/FSfBSlOhuX — UKMTO Operations Centre (@UK_MTO) October 1, 2026 The crew was reported safe, while the extent of damage to the tanker and any environmental impact remained unknown, it said. Three UAE-linked tankers hit were on non-compliance list: PGSA Iran's Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) said on Friday that three UAE-linked tankers hit were on PGSA’s non-compliance list. "Several oil tankers have been hit in the Strait of Hormuz in recent days, three of the latest of which are owned or leased by entities in the UAE," a statement carried by IRNA read. Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) Management: Three UAE-linked tankers hit were on PGSA’s non-compliance list Several oil tankers have been hit in the Strait of Hormuz in recent days, three of the latest of which are owned or leased by entities in the UAE. pic.twitter.com/P0V397ab0Z — IRNA News Agency ☫ (@IrnaEnglish) October 1, 2026 "Investigations indicate that over the past two months, the tankers AL RUWAIS, SINBAD, and MERSIN PROSPERITY had attempted to transit the Strait of Hormuz several times." Supertanker hit, catches fire near Oman in Strait of Hormuz: report A supertanker with a capacity of 2.5 million barrels was hit Thursday in the Strait of Hormuz and caught fire, Iran’s semi-official Fars News Agency reported. The vessel was reportedly struck 8 kilometres (5 miles) off the coast of Oman while sailing on an “unauthorised route” through the waterway. No details were available about the vessel, the cause of the incident, or possible casualties.