President Donald Trump on Wednesday predicted that the war with Iran will end "immediately after" the US midterm elections in November because Tehran was trying to influence the vote but would not be able to hold out any longer in the face of US economic pressure. "I think war is going to end immediately after the election because they can't hold out any longer. They're desperate to try and affect the election," he told reporters before departing for the Republican National Convention in Dallas. Trump's war with Iran has recently entered its seventh month with no immediate end in sight. On Wednesday, Iran said it attacked 10 ships near the Strait of Hormuz after the US sank five Iranian oil tankers. The renewed fighting sent oil prices surging, with benchmark Brent crude futures breaching $100 a barrel for the first time since July. Trump's approval ratings recently sank to a record low due to frustration from voters over the Iran war and deepening cost-of-living crisis. Midterm elections, due to be held on Nov 3 this year, are typically a referendum on the occupant of the White House. Oil prices would also come down right after the election, Trump said on Wednesday, once the war is over, while acknowledging diplomatic talks are still a possibility but not preferred. "Yes, a negotiation could possibly happen, but it's not something we're looking at," Trump said. Iran threatens maritime sanctions on vessels entering new zone Earlier, Iran said that enemy and commercial vessels entering a newly designated maritime zone without Tehran’s authorisation would face sanctions, according to Iranian media reports. IRGC spokesman Hossein Mohibi said any enemy vessel or commercial ship entering the area without coordination with Iranian authorities would be placed on a sanctions list, the semi-official Fars News Agency reported. He said the measure would mean Iran would halt the provision of maritime, insurance and support services to those vessels, and that they would remain barred from receiving the services even if they later transit the Strait of Hormuz. In separate remarks by Iran’s Student News Network, Mohibi said that although the fighting with the world’s “greatest apparent powers” had ended at certain stages, “the nature of the war continues”. He claimed that the war had, for the first time, inflicted “strategic damage” directly on the US and affected its security and economic calculations. Mohibi said if the enemy wanted the situation to end, it must completely halt the war and refrain from renewed threats. He also listed several other demands, including the withdrawal of the Israeli army from Lebanon, an end to the blockade of Yemen, the release of $24 billion in frozen Iranian assets, and an end to interference in Iran’s nuclear and missile capabilities. “We have reached a point where if the enemy hits two or three of our targets, we respond firmly against 20 targets,” Mohibi said. Iran's Revolutionary Guards earlier said that the maritime restricted area would extend from Chabahar in Iran into parts of the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, with its precise coordinates to be announced. The announcement followed comments on Sunday by Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, who was quoted by state media as saying Iran would establish a restricted zone outside the Strait of Hormuz in the coming days. It also followed an incident where the IRGC said that it struck two US Navy destroyers operating in the Middle East. US CENTCOM denied the statement, saying that "No US Navy warship has been struck; all IRGC attempted attacks failed. Meanwhile, US forces have successfully destroyed 10 Iranian tankers in just the last week." 🚫 CLAIM: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) forces have claimed they struck two U.S. Navy destroyers operating in the Middle East. This is completely FALSE. ✅ FACT: No U.S. Navy warship has been struck; all IRGC attempted attacks failed. Meanwhile, U.S. forces… pic.twitter.com/yfC4OcwZ1f — U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) September 9, 2026 Separately, Saudi Arabia condemned Iran’s “continued unjustified and brutal” attacks on Jordan, according to its foreign ministry’s statement. The statement read that Saudi Arabia stood with Jordan “in all measures it takes against the Iranian aggressions”. #بيان | تعرب وزارة الخارجية عن إدانة المملكة العربية السعودية بأشد العبارات استمرار الهجمات الإيرانية الغاشمة غير المبررة على المملكة الأردنية الهاشمية الشقيقة، مجددةً تضامنها مع الأردن وشعبها الشقيق في كل ما تتخذه من إجراءات تجاه الاعتداءات الإيرانية. pic.twitter.com/ApSOVVdFrS — وزارة الخارجية 🇸🇦 (@KSAMOFA) September 9, 2026 The IRGC said it ​fired ballistic missiles at a base in Jordan used by the US military and attacked 10 ships after the US said it had destroyed ‌five Iranian oil tankers, in a sharp escalation of the six-month-old war. Increased attacks by both the US and Iran have shattered a month of relative calm, hitting military, shipping and energy assets, sending oil prices surging and drawing in regional allies in recent days. The Americans said they destroyed five Iranian oil tankers on Tuesday. The US military's Central Command posted video of the strikes, which it called a response to the IRGC targeting ​a US Navy warship twice with ballistic missiles over the previous two days. No Americans were harmed, the US said. CENTCOM forces destroyed five Iranian crude oil carriers, Sept. 8, after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targeted a U.S. Navy warship with ballistic missiles twice over the past two days. The U.S. warship successfully evaded the attempted Iranian attacks and… pic.twitter.com/Gi8a2tloN1 — U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) September 8, 2026 "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," US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters ⁠during a visit to Colombia. Iran then carried out a ballistic missile attack on a base used by US forces near Al Azraq in Jordan, according to an IRGC statement on state ​media. Although Iran said its missiles inflicted heavy damage, Jordan said its air defences intercepted 18 of the 20 Iranian missiles, with two falling in unpopulated areas, and that there were no casualties. A ​US official said Iran’s strikes in Jordan were ineffective and all American troops were accounted for. Read: Iran’s army chief says US seeking to offset battlefield setbacks through economic pressure The IRGC said it also attacked 10 ships, including two US vessels and eight oil tankers, attempting to cross a "prohibited and unsafe" area of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital energy conduit largely choked off by Iranian attacks. Iran has targeted US assets and allies in the region throughout the war, including in Jordan several times, killing at least ​two US military personnel during one strike in July. Iran has also threatened oil tankers in Kuwaiti and Bahraini ports, according to a statement carried by state media. A maritime security source ​reported a liquefied natural gas tanker was damaged in the Emirati port of Khor Fakkan, though it was unclear who was responsible. Oil prices extended gains in early trade on Wednesday, with Brent crude nearing $100 a barrel ‌on market ⁠concerns over the disruption of oil tanker traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. Recent attacks by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis on top energy producer Saudi Arabia have added to supply concerns. South Korean civic groups, politicians urge President Lee to reject US pressure on Hormuz Representatives of South Korean civic groups and political parties on Wednesday urged President Lee Jae Myung’s administration to reject US pressure to deploy Korean troops to the Strait of Hormuz. Representatives of civic, labour, religious and other organisations held a press conference outside the Sejong Centre for the Performing Arts in central Seoul, calling on Washington to withdraw its demand and Seoul to reject any deployment, a local Newsis outlet reported. The groups said sending South Korean military assets to the strategic waterway would effectively make the country a participant in the conflict. Lawmakers Kim Hyung-yeon of the Rebuilding Korea Party and Yoon Jong-oh of the Progressive Party also joined the press conference, according to Newsis. Participants later marched toward the presidential office and announced plans for another anti-deployment march on Saturday. The protest comes as Seoul weighs possible contributions to securing the Strait of Hormuz. South Korea’s Defence Ministry said Tuesday it had sent an assessment team to the United Arab Emirates to examine security conditions but stressed the mission did not presume a military deployment. US President Donald Trump in March urged South Korea and four other countries to send warships to help secure the key shipping route. Iran, meanwhile, warned Monday that any South Korean military participation in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz would have “serious consequences.” Several merchant vessels hit in Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman: UKMTO Several merchant vessels in the northern Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman were hit by disabling fire during military activity in the region, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on Wednesday. UKMTO added that it was unable to confirm any casualties or environmental impact. Saudi Arabia lifts alert in southern city a day after Houthi strikes Saudi Arabia's Civil Defence lifted an alert it had announced in the southern city of Khamis Mushait on Wednesday, a day after Houthi attacks there and in three other nearby cities wounded 73 people and set oil installations ablaze. Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis struck an airbase in Khamis Mushait and oil infrastructure in the nearby cities on Tuesday in one of the biggest attacks in Saudi Arabia since the start of the US-Israeli war on Iran in February. Saudi authorities did not provide details on the reasons behind Wednesday's alert in Khamis Mushait. Fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis has escalated in recent months, raising fears of a return to broader conflict after a UN-brokered truce in 2022 largely halted years of war. Saudi Arabia leads an Arab coalition that backs a government based in Yemen's south, which was driven from the capital Sanaa by the Houthis 12 years ago. The conflict has become a theatre in the wider regional war, with the Houthis close allies of Iran and Saudi Arabia an ally of the United States. The Houthis declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea in July, prompting the Saudi-led coalition to strike what it said were Houthi military facilities in Yemen. In recent days, Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces have launched a multi-pronged offensive on Houthi-held areas after the group attempted to advance on government positions. The government says it aims to recapture all Houthi-held territory. Houthi-run Al Masirah TV, citing the group's health ministry, said at least 21 people had been killed in Saudi strikes on Yemen's Al Jawf over the past two days. Saudi Arabia has not announced or confirmed carrying out strikes there. Saudi Arabia has described the Houthi attacks as a dangerous escalation, while the Saudi-led coalition has said it would take measures to deter further attacks. The Houthis say their strikes are in response to Saudi escalation in Yemen. Fire on vessel in Qatar brought under control amid Iran-US tensions A fire on a marine vessel in Qatar was brought under control on Wednesday with no injuries reported, the Interior Ministry said, as tensions between Iran and the US continue to escalate across the Gulf region. The ministry said civil defence teams responded to the fire at Al Wakrah port and brought it under control. No further details were immediately provided on the cause of the fire, the type of vessel involved or the extent of any damage. The incident comes amid heightened tensions between Iran and the US over the Strait of Hormuz, despite the signing of a memorandum in June that envisioned a deal to reopen the strategic waterway as a prelude to a wider peace deal. Houthis report more than 30 Saudi strikes on several regions: rebel media Yemen’s Houthis reported more than 30 Saudi strikes on several regions, a day after the rebels launched major attacks on their neighbour, injuring dozens, AFP reported. “Saudi aircraft launched 32 airstrikes on various areas across the governorates of Marib, Al-Jawf, Taiz and Hodeida over the past few hours,” the rebels’ Almasirah television said. Yemeni forces intensify strikes on Houthis along western coast Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces are intensifying their counteroffensive against the Houthis as fighting spreads across Yemen, Al Jazeera reported. The escalation follows Houthi attacks on four Saudi cities that injured 73 people, leading Riyadh to pledge retaliation. Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia On Tuesday, Houthis launched an attack on several cities in Saudi Arabia, further undermining regional stability. Read more: Iran warns US ‘economic warfare’ could trigger Gulf maritime exclusion zone The Houthi attacks wounded 73 people and set oil installations ablaze in what appeared to be a major expansion of the conflict, which began on February 28 with joint US-Israeli attacks on Iran. The Houthis, who control most of Yemen's populated areas, including the capital, have further pressured U.S. allies by ​periodically disrupting shipping on the other side of ​the Arabian Peninsula, at the entrance to ⁠the Red Sea. They said they had launched a broad operation deep into Saudi territory, using drones and missiles to strike a Saudi air base in the southern city of Khamis Mushait as well as Saudi state oil company assets in the cities of Abha, Najran and Jazan. Saudi authorities reported ​blazes at the sites and said women and children were among the wounded. Saudi Arabia has led an Arab coalition battling against the Houthis ​in Yemen for more ⁠than a decade, after the Houthis drove the Yemeni government from the capital. That war had calmed in recent years, but a ceasefire there has broken down. The wider war in the Gulf has turned into a test of wills between the U.S. and Iran, with each side hoping that economic pressure from competing blockades will force the other to yield. Washington is trying to increase the flow of oil to ⁠world markets ​by guiding ships through the Strait of Hormuz, while cutting off Iran's exports with a blockade. Central Command said the ​tankers it destroyed on Tuesday were part of a shadow network that funds the IRGC and its regional proxies. Iran has long supported an "Axis of Resistance", which includes the Palestinian group Hamas, Lebanon's Hezbollah, Iraqi ​militias and the Houthis.