[This is a roundup of news articles and other materials circulating on Iran and reflects a wide variety of opinions. It does not reflect the views of the Iran Page co-editors or of Jadaliyya. You may send your own recommendations for inclusion in each roundup to Iran@Jadaliyya.com]
Crisis in the Gulf
Iran Oil Tanker Pursued by US Turns off Tracker near Syria (3 September)
"An Iranian oil tanker blacklisted and pursued by the U.S. turned off its tracking beacon off the coast of Syria, leading to renewed speculation Tuesday that its oil will end up there, despite earlier assurances it wouldn’t."
U.S. Treasury Warns Anyone Fueling Iran Tanker Risks Being Blacklisted (5 September)
"The U.S. Treasury Department on Thursday warned that anyone around the world who helps fuel Iranian vessels blacklisted by Washington runs the risk of being designated as well."
British-Iranian Relations Strained as Oil Tanker is Seen off Syria (8 September)
"Britain is seeking to establish whether Iran has sold oil to Syria in breach of written undertakings given by Tehran to authorities in Gibraltar. Iran’s foreign ministry said on Sunday that a tanker seized by British Marineson 9 July and released in August had reached its final destination 'on the Mediterranean coast' and sold its oil – without identifying the country. However, Adrian Darya, previously called Grace 1, has been seen off the coast of Syria for the past three days."
Iranian Tanker Seen Near Syria ‘Unloaded Its Cargo,’ Tehran Says (9 September)
"An Iranian tanker that Western nations sought to bar from delivering its oil has docked and unloaded its cargo on the Mediterranean coast, a spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry said."
UK Accuses Iran of Selling Oil from Seized Tanker to Syria (10 September)
"Britain has accused Iran of breaching assurances that it would not sell oil to Syria from an Iranian tanker released by authorities in Gibraltar on the condition that the 2.1m barrels it was carrying would not be sold to the 'murderous regime' of Bashar al-Assad."
Iran Says It Seized a New Vessel for Diesel Smuggling (16 September)
"Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has reportedly seized a vessel near the Strait of Hormuz for allegedly smuggling diesel fuel to the United Arab Emirates (UAE)."
Iran Says British Tanker Is Free to Go After 2 Months of Detention (23 September)
"A British-flagged tanker that Iran seized in July is now free to leave, Tehran said on Monday, more than a month after the British authorities released an Iranian tanker that had been detained off Gibraltar."
British Tanker Arrives in Dubai after 10-week Detention in Iran (27 September)
"The British-flagged Stena Impero tanker arrived at Dubai’s Port Rashid on Friday after sailing out of Iranian waters, according to Refintiv shipping data, after it was detained in July during a row with Britain that has stoked tensions in the Gulf."
War Games
Iran ‘Will Attack’ Countries Inciting Others Against It (3 September)
"A senior Revolutionary Guards Corps officer has warned that Iran will attack any country found to be inciting others against the Islamic Republic, Al-Watan Voice reported on Monday. Brigadier General Ali Shadmani is the Deputy Commander of the Corps’ Khatam Al-Anbia Headquarters."
The Secret History of the Push to Strike Iran (4 September)
"Interviews with dozens of current and former American, Israeli and European officials over several months reveal the startling details of how close the Israeli military came to attacking Iran in 2012; the extent to which the Obama administration felt required to develop its own military contingency plans in the event of such an attack, including destroying a full-size mock-up of an Iranian nuclear facility in the western desert of the United States with a 30,000-pound bomb; how Americans monitored Israel even as Israel monitored Iran, with American satellites capturing images of Israel launching surveillance drones into Iran from a base in Azerbaijan; and previously unknown details about the scope of Netanyahu’s pressure campaign to get Trump to leave the Iran deal."
With Bolton's Departure, an Iran Hawk Leaves the Chessboard (10 September)
"John Bolton’s departure from the White House removes an obstacle to the possibility of U.S.-Iranian nuclear talks, but the odds of such a dialogue leading anywhere remain low, current and former U.S. officials said on Tuesday."
Iran Rejects US Accusation Over Drone Attacks on Aramco Plants (15 September)
"Iran has dismissed accusations by the United States that Tehran was behind drone attacks that set ablaze two major Saudi Aramco oil installations, as Saudi Arabia raced to restore operations at the damaged facilities."
Hard-Liners in Iran See No Drawback to Bellicose Strategy (17 September)
"'Iranian hard-liners consider Trump’s inconsistency to be weakness,' said Ali Ansari, a professor of Iranian history at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. For Iranian hard-liners, he said, 'their policy of ‘maximum resistance’ is working.'"
Iran ‘Will Never Talk to America,’ Supreme Leader Says Ahead of UN General Assembly Meetings (17 September)
"Iran will never hold talks with America, the country’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on state television Tuesday morning, effectively killing chances for a rapprochement some had anticipated between leaders of both countries during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) meetings taking place this week and next."
Pompeo Says Saudi Attack an "Act of War" as Trump Sounds More Cautious Note (18 September)
"Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called the attack on Saudi oil facilities 'an act of war' Wednesday, as President Donald Trump announced that he's ordered new sanctions on Iran, the latest escalation in tensions between the two countries as US officials work to pin the blame on Iran."
Trump’s New National Security Adviser Is Another Iran Hawk (18 September)
"Eight days after ousting John Bolton as national security adviser, President Donald Trump named the State Department’s top hostage negotiator, Robert C. O’Brien, to the job. A former colleague of Bolton’s during the George W. Bush administration, O’Brien shares many of his hawkish views on China, Russia, and, especially, Iran, which has emerged as a central foreign policy concern since Trump left the 2015 nuclear deal negotiated by the Obama administration and installed a 'maximum pressure' policy on the Islamic Republic."
Military Strike Against Iran Would Result in 'All-Out War': Zarif (19 September)
"Any U.S. or Saudi military strike against Iran would bring 'all-out war', Tehran said on Thursday, keeping up a drumbeat of warnings to its adversaries after they accused the Islamic Republic of a strike on Saudi oil facilities."
Senior Iranian Military Adviser Threatens Broad Response to Any U.S. Move (20 September)
"Iran maintained its defiant stance against the United States in the wake of attacks on Saudi oil infrastructure claimed by a Tehran ally, saying on Friday it would resist any U.S. plots against it 'from the Mediterranean, to the Red Sea and to the Indian Ocean'."
United States Sending Troops to Bolster Saudi Defenses after Attack (20 September)
"U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday approved sending American troops to bolster Saudi Arabia’s air and missile defenses after the largest-ever attack on the kingdom’s oil facilities, which Washington has squarely blamed on Iran."
Iran Says It Will Destroy Any Aggressor (20 September)
"Iran will pursue any aggressor, even if it carries out a limited attack, and seek to destroy it, the head of the elite Revolutionary Guards said on Saturday, after attacks on Saudi oil sites which Riyadh and U.S officials blamed on Tehran."
A Year Later, Iran Finds Evaporating Sympathy at the U.N. (23 September)
"Suddenly, President Hassan Rouhani and his witty, often biting American-educated foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, are on the defensive. They are denying any Iranian involvement in the destruction of two major Saudi oil facilities, an assertion that even former Secretary of State John Kerry, who negotiated the nuclear accord four years ago and has become its biggest defender, finds far-fetched. Iran, he said, was behind the attack 'one way or the other.'"
The Urgent Search for a Cyber Silver Bullet Against Iran (23 September)
"The question circulating now through the White House, the Pentagon and Cyber Command’s operations room is whether it is possible to send a strong message of deterrence with a cyberattack without doing so much damage that it would prompt an even larger Iranian counterstrike."
Saudi Crown Prince Warns of Escalation with Iran (29 September)
"Saudi Arabia’s crown prince warned in an interview broadcast on Sunday that oil prices could spike to 'unimaginably high numbers' if the world doesn’t come together to deter Iran, but said he preferred a political solution to a military one."
Sanctions
U.S. Imposes Sanctions on Iranian Shipping Network (4 September)
"The Trump administration on Wednesday imposed sanctions on an elaborate shipping network that Iran uses to sell oil, and unveiled a $15 million reward to anyone with information that disrupts the scheme, stepping up its effort to exert pressure on the Iranian economy."
U.S. Will Sanction Whoever Purchases Iran's Oil: Official (8 September)
"The United States will continue to impose sanctions on whoever purchases Iran’s oil or conducts business with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and no oil waivers will be re-issued, a U.S. official said on Sunday."
Trump Leaves Open Possibility of Easing Iranian Sanctions to Spur Nuclear Talks (11 September)
"President Trump appeared to take a step back from his administration’s 'maximum pressure' campaign against Iran on Wednesday, leaving open the possibility of easing economic sanctions before starting new nuclear negotiations with Tehran."
Trump Flirts With $15 Billion Bailout for Iran, Sources Say (11 September)
"President Donald Trump has left the impression with foreign officials, members of his administration, and others involved in Iranian negotiations that he is actively considering a French plan to extend a $15 billion credit line to the Iranians if Tehran comes back into compliance with the Obama-era nuclear deal."
Oil Falls 2.9% Following Report Trump Discussed Easing Sanctions on Iran (11 September)
"U.S. oil prices dropped more than 2% on Wednesday after Bloomberg News reported that President Donald Trump discussed easing sanctions on Iran in order to reopen negotiations."
Trump Says He Plans to 'Substantially Increase' Sanctions on Iran (18 September)
"President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he directed Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin 'to substantially increase' U.S. sanctions on Iran following an attack on oil facilities in Saudi Arabia."
Iran, China Agree Deals Worth $400bn (18 September)
"Iran and China have signed contracts amounted to $400 billion in a new confrontation between Beijing and the US, which has imposed economic sanctions on Tehran. Iran and China signed contracts worth 400 billion dollars, Fars news agency quoted a delegates’ Member of Tehran’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Ferial Mostofi, said the contracts stipulate that the projects should be awarded to Chinese companies without tenders being issued. This comes as a result of the reluctance of international companies to bid for Iranian projects, in compliance with US sanctions imposed on Iran in August 2018."
U.S. Sanctions Iran's Central Bank, Fund after Saudi Oil Attack (20 September)
"The United States on Friday imposed another round of sanctions on Tehran, including on Iran’s central bank and a development fund, following last week’s attacks on oil facilities in Saudi Arabia that Riyadh and U.S. officials have blamed on Iran."
Iranian Students Set to Start at U.S. Universities Are Barred From Country (20 September)
"At least a dozen Iranian students who were set to begin graduate programs in engineering and computer science say their visas were abruptly canceled and they were barred from their flights to the United States this month."
Sanctions-Hit Iran Props up Economy with Bartering, Secret Deals (25 September)
"Washington’s policy of applying 'maximum pressure' on Iran with wide-ranging sanctions has shredded the country’s oil revenues, sent its economy into recession and devalued its national currency."
Khamenei Says Iran Should Give Up Hope of European Help Against U.S. Sanctions (26 September)
"Iranian Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Thursday European countries were unlikely to help Iran against U.S. sanctions, and Tehran 'should give up all hope' in that regard, according to his official website."
Domestic Politics
Iran’s ‘Blue Girl’ Wanted to Watch a Soccer Match. She Died Pursuing Her Dream. (10 September)
"Her dream was to watch a soccer match from a stadium in Iran, where women are barred from attending most sports events. So Sahar Khodayari, 29, sneaked into Azadi Stadium, Tehran’s main sporting venue. But she was arrested. Sentenced to six months in prison, she set herself on fire in front of the courthouse on Sept. 2. She died in a Tehran hospital this week from severe burns covering 90 percent of her body. Her death has sparked an outcry from Iranian and international soccer players."
Iranian Soccer Fan 'Blue Girl' Dies After Setting Herself on Fire (10 September)
"A female Iranian soccer fan who set herself on fire last week after being arrested for sneaking into a stadium dressed as a man has died from her injuries, causing widespread outrage."
Iran, China Agree Deals Worth $400bn (18 September)
"Iran and China have signed contracts amounted to $400 billion in a new confrontation between Beijing and the US, which has imposed economic sanctions on Tehran. Iran and China signed contracts worth 400 billion dollars, Fars news agency quoted a delegates’ Member of Tehran’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Ferial Mostofi, said the contracts stipulate that the projects should be awarded to Chinese companies without tenders being issued. This comes as a result of the reluctance of international companies to bid for Iranian projects, in compliance with US sanctions imposed on Iran in August 2018."
FIFA Boss Infantino Calls on Iran to Lift Stadium Ban on Women (19 September)
"FIFA President Gianni Infantino has reiterated the world football governing body's calls for Iranian women be allowed entry into its stadiums."
Nuclear Deal
France Dangles $15 Billion Bailout for Iran in Effort to Save Nuclear Deal (2 September)
"A senior Iranian delegation arrived in Paris on Monday to work out the details of a financial bailout package that France’s president, Emmanuel Macron, intends to use to compensate Iran for oil sales lost to American sanctions. In return for the money, Iran would agree to return to compliance with a 2015 nuclear accord."
Israeli PM in London to Urge Johnson to End Nuclear talks with Iran (5 September)
"Benjamin Netanyahu has met Boris Johnson in London as part of a drive to discourage world powers from dialogue with Iran."
Iran Will No Longer Honor Nuclear Deal’s Limits on Research (5 September)
"Moving further away from the 2015 nuclear agreement, Iran said Thursday it had stopped honoring the deal’s limits on research and development, a potentially important breach of the accord."
Iran Uses Advanced Centrifuges, Threatens Higher Enrichment (7 September)
"Iran on Saturday said it now uses arrays of advanced centrifuges prohibited by its 2015 nuclear deal and can enrich uranium 'much more beyond' current levels to weapons-grade material, taking a third step away from the accord while warning Europe has little time to offer it new terms."
Netanyahu Accuses Iran of Hiding Evidence of Nuclear Facility (9 September)
"Benjamin Netanyahu has unveiled what he claims was a previously undisclosed Iranian nuclear weapons facility and accused Tehran of destroying the site to hide the evidence."
Iran Commits New Breach of Fraying Nuclear Deal, Expands Enrichment - IAEA (26 September)
"Iran has committed another breach of its nuclear deal with major powers by enriching uranium with advanced centrifuges, a report by the U.N. nuclear watchdog policing that deal said on Thursday, further fraying the landmark accord."
Political Prisoners
Australian and British Bloggers Held in Iran Named (11 September)
"Two Australian citizens detained in Iran have been identified as Jolie King and Mark Firkin. Ms King, who also holds a UK passport, and Mr Firkin were blogging their travels in Asia and the Middle East They were reportedly arrested 10 weeks ago near Tehran but news of the arrest, and that of another British-Australian woman, came to light on Wednesday."
Three Australians Are Being Held in Iran, Government Says (11 September)
"Three citizens of Australia are being held in Iran, the Australian government said on Wednesday, confirming the detentions as frictions remain high between Tehran and Western nations over the imperiled 2015 accord limiting its nuclear program."
Iran Charges Three Detained Australians with Spying (17 September)
"Iran's judiciary has charged three Australian citizens with spying, according to an official cited by Iranian media. Judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili was quoted by the semi-official Tasnim and Fars news agencies as saying on Tuesday that the trio had been charged in two separate cases, confirming for the first time that Tehran was holding them. Esmaili said that two of the Australians were alleged to have used a drone to take pictures of military sites, while a third was accused of spying for another country."
Iran Detains Family Members of Women's Rights Activist Masih Alinejad (26 September)
"Iranian intelligence officials detained three of women's rights activist Masih Alinejad's family members in a move criticized by Amnesty International and the Center for Human Rights in Iran as an attempt to intimidate the US-based activist and journalist into silence."
Pompeo Has No Comment on Possibility of U.S.-Iran Prisoner Swap (26 September)
"U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declined on Thursday to discuss the possibility of a U.S.-Iranian prisoner swap after the United States deported an Iranian woman who pleaded guilty to exporting restricted U.S. technology to Iran."
Editorial/Analysis
Netanyahu's Calculus: Bombs Speak Louder than Words (3 September)
Marwan Bishara writes in Al Jazeera: “Israel has expanded its military operations in the Middle East from Palestine to Lebanon, Syria and as of last month, Iraq, allegedly carrying out multiple attacks on Iranian allies and assets. In a departure from traditional ambiguity, the Israeli government has boasted about its responsibility for the bombings and, with an utter sense of impunity, threatened more such attacks anytime, anywhere in the region. The bombast, timing, scope, and rhythm of the bombings suggest there is more to the pre-emptive attacks than immediate security consideration. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is sending a message to his own public at home ahead of the September 17 elections as well as to Iran and the United States.”
There is No Hope for Political Reform Led by Iranian Moderates (5 September)
Saeid Golkar writes in Al Jazeera: “Historically, there has indeed be political competition between moderates and hardliners in Iran. However, over the past few years, the latter had managed to consolidate their power and weakened significantly elected bodies. In this sense, the Western conservatives are right - the Islamic Republic can no longer be reformed from within. That, however, does not mean that their maximum pressure policy would work.”
We’re Not the Saudis’ Mercenaries (18 September)
Nicholas Kirstof writes in The New York Times: “We need not be Saudi Arabia’s guard dog, or lap dog. Yes, Iran is a threat to international security — but so is Saudi Arabia.”
Trump’s Week of Dithering over Iran Makes America Look Weak and Foolish (21 September)
Simon Tisdall writes in The Guardian: “All told, Trump’s misconceived Iran policy has suffered a comprehensive, very public drubbing. So will the US take a deep breath and think again? Perhaps. The harshest reality laid bare by Trump’s week of dither is that the age-old fight between Iran and Saudi Arabia is not necessarily America’s fight – and few Americans believe that murderous Saudi royal despots are worth dying for.”
Saudi Arabia Won’t Attack Iran. But It May Pay Someone Else To (22 September)
Nesrine Malik writes in The Guardian: “It is baffling, in the light of last week’s attacks on two Saudi oil facilities, that there is so much speculation about Saudi and Iran going to war. Saudi does not “go to war”: it hires proxies, and depends on US gullibility to continue the lie that it is the regional peacekeeper, and that any threat to the country destabilises the region.”
Our Family Members Are Being Held Hostage in Iran. Help Us. (25 September)
Babak Namazi and Richard Ratcliffe write in The New York Times: “Among the key purposes of the United Nations, according to its charter, is to unite the countries of the world to maintain international peace and security and to promote and protect human rights. We are joining affected families around the world to call for the release of Nazanin, Siamak, Baquer and all of Iran’s hostages in one voice. We implore world leaders to do the same.”
Will Trump’s Bluster Force His Hand on Iran? (27 September)
The editorial board of The New York Times writes: “In short, Mr. Trump has boxed himself in. He may not want war, but he has helped raise tensions to such a level that a misstep or deliberate provocation by any one of a number of players in the region could drag the United States into one. To avoid things getting worse, the administration needs first to restore a modicum of credibility with its allies and the international community.”
Persian Language Sources
فرانسه در صورت موافقت آمریکا '۱۵میلیارد دلار خط اعتباری برای نفت ایران باز میکند(3 September) '
"گزارش شده است که دولت فرانسه در صورت موافقت ایالات متحده آمریکا یک خط اعتباری ۱۵ میلیاردی برای پیش خرید نفت ایران باز خواهد کرد. خبرگزاری رویترز میگوید در صورت همراهی ایالات متحده، این خط اعتباری تا پایان سال جاری میلادی گشوده خواهد شد."
آمریکا سه سازمان و پژوهشگاه فضایی ایران را تحریم کرد(3 September)
"وزارت دارایی آمریکا در تازهترین تحریم خود علیه برنامه هستهای ایران سه سازمان و پژوهشگاه فضایی این کشور را تحریم کرده است. آمریکا میگوید این سازمان تحت پوشش تحقیقات فضایی به دنبال پیشبرد برنامههای تهران برای ساخت موشکهای بالستیک است. اتهامی که ایران آن را بارها رد کرده است".
مقامات آمریکایی لغو یا معافیت از تحریمهای ایران در برابر حفظ برجام را رد کردند (5 September)
"همزمان با اعلام تصمیم ایران به کاهش تعهدات هسته ای و تلاش فرانسه برای یافتن راهی برای حل اختلاف ایران و ایالات متحده، مقامات آمریکایی هرگونه کاهش یا معافیت از تحریمهای هستهای علیه ایران را منتفی دانستهاند".
ایران تمام تعهدات تحقیق و توسعه هستهای در برجام را متوقف میکند (6 September)
"وزارت خارجه ایران جزئیات نامه محمدجواد ظریف به فدریکا موگرینی، مسئول سیاست خارجی اتحادیه اروپا را اعلام کرده که طی آن ایران از جزئیات گام سوم عقبنشینی از تعهداتش در توافق هستهای موسوم به برجام به اتحادیه اروپا خبر داده است. اروپا از این تصمیم ایران ابراز تاسف کرده است".
ترامپ در تماس با مکرون: تحریم ایران در زمان حاضر لغو نمیشود (6 September)
"در حالیکه فرانسه در صدد اجرای طرحی برای کاهش فشار مالی بر ایران بوده، رئیس جمهوری آمریکا هرگونه اقدامی برای لغو تحریمهای ایران را مردود دانسته است. روز جمعه، ۱۵ شهریور (۶ سپتامبر)، جود دییر، سخنگوی کاخ سفید، در توییتر خود از تماس تلفنی امانوئل مکرون، رئیس جمهوری فرانسه، با دونالد ترامپ خبر داد و گفت که در این مکالمه طرح فرانسه برای حفظ توافق هستهای با ایران - برجام - مطرح شد. به گفته سخنگوی کاخ سفید، رئیس جمهوری آمریکا 'بار دیگر تاکید کرد که در این زمان، لغو تحریم ایران اتفاق نخواهد افتاد."'
نفتکش آدریان دریا 'در ساحل بندر طرطوس سوریه دیده شد (7 September) '
"تصاویر ماهوارهای منتشر شده توسط شرکت فناوری فضایی آمریکا ابرنفتکش آدریان دریا ۱ را در نزدیکی بندر طرطوس سوریه نشان میدهد. خبرگزاری رویترز گزارش کرده که این نفتکش از اوایل هفته گذشته اقدام به خاموش کردن فرستنده ردیاب خود کرده بود و به همین دلیل مسیر حرکت آن از طریق اطلاعات سایتهای ردیابی کشتیها مشخص نبود".
آمریکا تحریم های تازه ای علیه ایران، حماس و القاعده اعلام کرد (11 September)
"دولت آمریکا روز سه شنبه تحریم هایی را علیه آنچه گفت "طیف وسیعی" از گروه هایی مثل حماس و حامیان آنها از جمله بعضی اعضای سپاه پاسداران ایران است اعلام کرده است. وزارت خزانه داری آمریکا در بیانیه ای گفت که تحریم های تازه ۱۵ فرد و نهاد مرتبط با حماس، القاعده و سپاه پاسداران را هدف می گیرد".
مرگ 'دختر آبی'؛ فیفا به زودی هیاتی به ایران میفرستد (11 September)
"فیفا روز چهارشنبه اعلام کرد که "به زودی" هیاتی را به ایران میفرستد تا مساله ورود زنان به استادیومهای فوتبال را در این کشور بررسی کند. این تصمیم فیفا اندکی بعد از آن گرفته شده که یکی از زنان هوادار فوتبال در ایران، در پی خودسوزی جان خود را از دست داد".
تهران| اخراج جان بولتن از کاخ سفید نشانه صعود قوس محور مقاومت است (13 September)
"به گزارش خبرگزاری تسنیم از شهرستانهای استان تهران، حجتالاسلام والمسلمین کاظم فتاح دماوندی امام جمعه شهرستان دماوند ظهر امروز در خطبههای سیاسی عبادی نماز جمعه این هفته با بیان اینکه عزاداری محرم امسال باشکوهتر از سالهای قبل برگزار شد اظهار داشت: عاشورای امسال همه آزادیخواهان و عدالتطلبان جهان را به شبکه بینالمللی مقاومت پیوند داد حزبالله لبنان، انصارالله یمن، حشدالشعبی عراق، دفاع وطنی سوریه، فاطمیون، زینبیون و حیدریون افغانستان و پاکستان مصادیق تحقق گفتمان عاشورایی، از خودگذشتگی و ایثار هستند."
حمله پهپادی به تاسیسات نفتی عربستان؛ پومپئو ایران را مقصر دانست (14 September)
"مایک پومپئو، وزیرخارجه آمریکا ایران را مقصر حملات پهپادی به مجموعه پالایشگاهی بزرگ بقیق و میدان نفتی حقل خریص عربستان دانسته و میگوید نشانهای از این که این حملات از سو یمن شکل گرفته باشد در دست نیست. گزارش شده این حملات، تولید نفت عربستان را مختل کرده است".
آزادی نفتکش بریتانیایی توقیف شده در ایران (27 September)
"نفتکش بریتانیایی استنا ایمپرو پس از هفتاد روز توقیف، آبهای ایران را ترک کرد. این نفتکش پس از آن توقیف شد که نفتکشی ایرانی به دستور دولت بریتانیا در جبل الطارق از ادامه مسیرش بسوی سوریه بازداشته شد. ایران انکار کرده که توقیف نفتکش بریتانیایی به تلافی بوده اما نفتکش بریتانیایی را سه هفته پس از آن آزاد کرده که دولت بریتانیا نفتکش بریتانیایی را رفع توقیف کرد".
ظریف: در جنگ سایبری با آمریکا هستیم (29 September)
"وزیر خارجه ایران می گوید شرط دیدار حسن روحانی با دونالد ترامپ لغو تحریمها بوده و ایران چنین دیداری را فقط در چارچوب نشست سران گروه 'پنج به علاوه یک ' می خواسته، نه دیدار دو جانبه. محمدجواد ظریف با انتقاد از قدرت های اروپایی گفته آنها فکر می کنند راه حل مشکلاتشان این است که ما با ترامپ مذاکره کنیم. آقای ظریف همچنین تأیید کرده که ایران و آمریکا درگیر جنگ سایبری هستند".