Iran-US war latest: Tehran warns Hormuz won’t reopen until conditions met as Houthis claim major Saudi oil refinery attack

Become an Independent member to bookmark this article Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Membership today. Join today Already a member? Log in An aerial view shows ships anchored off the coast of Khasab in Oman's Musandam Governorate, near the Strait of Hormuz, on October 2, 2026. ( AFP/Getty ) On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Iran has warned that the Strait of Hormuz will remain shut until the conditions it laid out in an interim agreement in June are met, according to Nournews. Traffic has effectively come to a standstill with attacks in the vicinity of the waterway reported over the weekend. “The Americans, who say something different in the media, have recently put forward proposals through a mediator. But they must understand that the period of dragging out the process and dictating one-sided demands is over,” Iran’s parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Sunday. “The position of the Islamic Republic of Iran is completely clear and firm, and the Strait of Hormuz will not be opened until our seven conditions, based on the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, are met.” The conditions include a lifting of economic sanctions and a complete stop to all hostilities. Foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said separately on Sunday ‌that ⁠a plan put forward by Tehran could lead to the route reopening within seven days if accepted. Meanwhile, Yemen 's Houthis have claimed responsibility for carrying out a ballistic missile attack on the Aramco oil refinery in Riyadh , Saudi Arabia. The Houthis said the attack was carried out in ​retaliation for Saudi attacks on Yemen's ​ Sanaa and other provinces. Recommended What is happening with diesel – and should we be worried? Home Secretary warns UK is facing ‘serious threats’ from Iran after bomb plot charges Saudi Arabia plans major Yemen offensive against Iran-backed Houthi forces Trump sending 9,000 more troops to Middle East after threatening new strikes on Iran Key Points Houthis claim missile and drone attack on Aramco facility in Riyadh Yemeni forces claim 97 'precision' attacks against Houthis Iran says Strait of Hormuz will not reopen until conditions are met Iranian diplomats 'kicked out' of US after UN General Assembly Trump's top national security aides meet secretly at Camp David on Iran, Yemen Pinned Houthis claim missile and drone attack on Aramco facility in Riyadh Yemen's Houthi rebels have claimed responsibility for a coordinated missile and drone strike targeting a Saudi Aramco facility in the capital city of Riyadh. Witnesses reported seeing a large plume of smoke and fire rising near an Aramco installation in Riyadh earlier in the day. The Houthi military has stated the assault was launched in direct retaliation for recent Saudi coalition airstrikes against Sanaa and other Yemeni provinces. The reported strike marks a sharp escalation in cross-border targeting following claims last week of Houthi strikes against Aramco assets in Yanbu. Read more Suha Kidwai 4 October 2026 00:00 Pinned Yemeni forces claim 97 'precision' attacks against Houthis Yemeni government-aligned forces claim they conducted 97 “precision targeting operations” against the Houthis using aircraft, drones, artillery, missiles and snipers. The attacks led to “neutralising (260) elements of the militia”, Yemeni military spokesperson Brigadier General Majid Abdullah Al-Nuzaili said in a post on X. Earlier in the day, the Houthi military said it launched coordinated attacks targeting a Saudi Aramco facility in Riyadh in retaliation for recent Saudi coalition airstrikes against Sanaa and other Yemeni provinces. Read more Vishwam Sankaran 4 October 2026 04:00 Trump warns Iran of 'hard way' The US president said today that an imminent decision will be made on Iran, warning that the only question was whether Tehran would have it the “easy way or hard way”. "We have a decision that I'll make about Iran. Iran's been decimated. So the only question is, it'll either be the easy way or the hard way. We'll have it the easy way or the hard way," Trump told reporters outside the White House. ( Reuters ) “They have no money; they have no currency. Their military has been defeated, their navy is gone, their air force is gone, everything's gone," he said, adding that “one way or the other, it’s going to end very quickly”. Vishwam Sankaran 4 October 2026 09:00 In pictures: US carrier George HW Bush visits Thailand after six-month Middle East deployment The USS George H.W. Bush arrives near Phuket Deep Sea Port before docking for a rest stop following a long deployment in the Middle East, in Phuket, Thailand, October 4, 2026. ( Reuters ) The USS George H.W. Bush arrives near Phuket Deep Sea Port before docking for a rest stop following a long deployment in the Middle East, in Phuket, Thailand, October 4, 2026. ( Reuters ) Maira Butt 4 October 2026 08:25 Iran says Strait of Hormuz will not reopen until conditions are met, Nournews reports The Strait of Hormuz will not reopen until conditions set out in a June interim agreement with the US are met, Nournews reported Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bager Ghalibaf as saying on Sunday, a few days after Tehran received Washington's reply to its diplomatic proposal. “The Americans, who say something different in the media, have recently put forward proposals through a mediator. But they must understand that the period of dragging out the process and dictating one-sided demands is over,” he was quoted as saying. “The position of the Islamic Republic of Iran is completely clear and firm, and the Strait of Hormuz will not be opened until our seven conditions, based on the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, are met.” Ships are anchored off the coast of Khasab in Oman's Musandam Governorate, near the Strait of Hormuz, on October 2, 2026. ( AFP/Getty ) Maira Butt 4 October 2026 07:47 Iranian diplomats 'kicked out' of US after UN General Assembly – report Two Iranian diplomats who were part of the delegation to the UN General Assembly in New York were “kicked out” of the US yesterday, Axios reported, citing a US official. They were found still in New York “long after the UN General Assembly had passed,” despite the US State Department demanding that the entire Iranian delegation leave immediately after the session. One of the Iranian diplomats left on Friday night and the second left on Saturday, according to the US official. Vishwam Sankaran 4 October 2026 07:30 Yemen says it carried out attacks against Houthis in Sanaa Yemen's armed forces said ‌today that it was conducting strikes against the Iran-aligned Houthis in the capital, Sanaa. A Yemeni armed forces spokesperson said forces were targeting what he described ​as "vital targets", without providing further details. Yemen's Houthi-run Al ​Masirah TV reported earlier an attack that it said was carried out by Saudi Arabia on Sanaa. Vishwam Sankaran 4 October 2026 06:30 Trump says Iran has 'virtually given up' nuclear weapon plans US president Donald Trump said yesterday that Iran has been “decimated” and has “virtually given up any plans for a nuclear weapon”. Trump claimed that oil prices were currently decreasing. “Oil is coming down. Oil is right now lower, and it's been lower than it was under the Biden administration, and they did nothing about the fact that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon,” Trump told reporters as he departed the White House to attend a rally in Ohio. “By the way, Iran, as you know, has virtually given up any plans of a nuclear weapon,” he said. Vishwam Sankaran 4 October 2026 06:00 Iran executes man detained in January protests Iran has executed a detainee over the protests in January for ​allegedly firing at police, the judiciary said yesterday. The man, Siavash Jamshidi Kheirabadi, fired at least three shots at ​police on 8 January and ​was arrested two days later in Shahrekord in southwestern ​Iran, it said. He was accused of contacting people online ​to organise "anti-security" activities and seeking payment for a "mission". Vishwam Sankaran 4 October 2026 05:00 Portuguese investigate US military access to base during Iran conflict Portuguese prosecutors have opened a formal inquiry into the government's decision to allow US military flights to use Lajes Air Base in the Azores during the ongoing conflict with Iran. The prosecutor general's office confirmed the probe following a legal complaint filed by the opposition Left Bloc party, which claims allowing US transit operations violates international law. Under a 1951 bilateral treaty, Washington can utilise the strategic Atlantic hub freely during peacetime, but must secure explicit Portuguese approval once active hostilities begin. Foreign minister Paulo Rangel defended the authorisation, stating Lisbon received firm assurances from Washington that US operations would remain defensive, necessary, and proportionate. Unlike neighboring Spain, which restricted US access, Portugal's approval has ignited fierce political debate over the nation's indirect involvement in the conflict. Suha Kidwai 4 October 2026 03:00 Newer 1 / 3 Older