With nearly 100 people still trapped beneath the rubble, the disaster highlights the danger facing tens of thousands of Palestinians who continue living in an estimated 2000 structures heavily damaged by Israeli airstrikes across Gaza.

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The meeting followed a major Houthi offensive that seized key Red Sea coastal territory from Saudi-backed forces. Despite designating the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organisation in March 2025, the Trump administration has maintained direct contact. 

President Donald Trump stated on Saturday that the Houthis had reached out to request US non-intervention, and Vice President JD Vance confirmed ongoing direct communications on Monday. The two sides previously agreed to a May ceasefire following US airstrikes over Red Sea shipping attacks.

Separately, the US said that as of September 15, its forces redirected 103 commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz as part of its blockade against Iran, ensuring compliance with trade restrictions.

2025
Year the US designated Houthis a terror organisation

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Sharwan Kumar Warma, 36, from Rajasthan, lost his left leg in the accident last Wednesday and is currently under treatment at Hadassah Hospital in Ein Kerem, Jerusalem.

"His leg was severed from his body at the construction site itself the very moment tiles fell on him from a crane whose belt got torn midway in the air," Warma's colleagues from India informed PTI.

"He received emergency treatment at the site and was then transferred to the hospital in an unconscious state," one of them stated.

He was initially admitted to the neurosurgery department but was transferred to a general ward on Tuesday after "starting to respond and speak somewhat", his colleagues said.

An executive at the company which Warna works for told PTI that he (Warna) is "fully covered through insurance" and that the company is also involving Bituach Leumi (National Insurance) "so that he can get the best possible care".

The incident has given rise to concerns among Indian workers over the safety of workplaces and compensation in the rare scenario of workplace accidents.

The Indian embassy in Israel sent officials to check in on the worker at the hospital. "The embassy is in touch with concerned officials to make sure that the worker is looked after properly," the mission said.

Ambassadors from other nations discuss issues of foreign workers in Israel

Meanwhile, ambassadors and representatives from the Philippines, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Fiji, Singapore, Vietnam, and Nepal came together at the Philippine Embassy on Tuesday to discuss issues pertaining to foreign workers in Israel.

The group placed importance on the need for coordinated efforts to address issues consisting of safety and security, compensation, emergency re-entry visas, and workplace accidents, as well as various other concerns affecting the well-being and protection of foreign workers in Israel.

There are an estimated total of more than 40,000 Indian workers in Israel, with several thousand more workers expected to join them as the country faces a severe labour shortage.

(With PTI inputs)

She said that this instability led her to propose a new European Heatwave Plan as well as a future European firefighting fleet of aeroplanes. Currently, the EU operates a small fleet itself but coordinates a network of aircraft, water trucks and volunteers that move across the 27-nation bloc as fires ignite.

"This summer was the summer of truth. Almost no part of our continent was spared," said the EU executive during her annual State of the European Union address in Strasbourg.

"Key rivers like the Danube, the Rhine or the Garonne are disappearing before our eyes. More than 35,000 additional deaths during the heat waves. Care homes and hospitals dangerously overheated."

The extreme heat, which hit Europe exceptionally hard and early this year, appears to have led to a much higher spike in deaths than expected. Von der Leyen''s figure of 35,000 is triple the estimates of "excessive deaths" by monitoring groups in July.

The heat and humidity that broke many records during the summer would not have been possible without climate change, according to a study by the World Weather Attribution group.

"All of this is a mere preview. These were the hottest summer months ever, but probably the coolest of the years to come," von der Leyen said. "Science is clear: Europe is warming at double the global rate."

While commending those who battled blazes this summer, von der Leyen said that she''s asked emergency responders and senior firefighters to "think bigger and learn faster" to design "new capabilities" for the EU to tackle climate instability.

When she praised a Danish helicopter pilot named Rune Kyndal, who died in August while fighting fires in Greece, the assembly erupted in applause.

"Rune gave his life to save others and today, all of Europe owes him," von der Leyen said. 

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Global kickbacks against social media has put pressure on policymakers, with a rise of evidence showing negative impacts on the physical and mental health of children.

Australia last year became the first country to place a ban social media for individuals under the age of 16, leading to a wave of similar moves elsewhere.

The 27-country bloc would take a "gradual" approach, von der Leyen confirmed during her annual keynote address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France.

"Each age has its own sensitivities. And therefore, each will have its own tailored protection level," she said.

"No social media under the age of 13. No personal account under the age of 15," she said. "That means from 13 to under 15, only mini accounts, set up and supervised by parents or guardians, with limited features and time restriction to one hour a day."

"And between 15 and 18, safe design will be an obligation for the platforms."

Before she sketched out the EU's approach, von der Leyen paid tribute to a 14-year-old girl in Belgium, named Olea, who killed herself one month ago after being bullied, and whose mother she quoted as saying: "I am convinced that without these omnipresent networks, my daughter would still be here."

Von der Leyen made no mention to online games or AI chatbots, which as per to draft legislation seen by AFP would also be hit by the restrictions.

The European Commission president and tech chief Henna Virkkunen will formally present the proposed "KIDS Act", as well as the tiered age limits in Strasbourg, France on Thursday.

The EU will also ban addictive design features such as so-called infinite scrolling in instances children are concerned, according to a draft document.

If platforms break the rules, they will face fines of up to six percent of annual turnover, draft details show.

"Europe has the power to act. It is we who decide our rules, not big tech," von der Leyen stated.

"We do not have to accept addictive features," she warned, saying "platforms will have to prove that they are safe".

"It is not about our minors accessing social media. It is about when and how do we allow social media to access minors," von der Leyen added.

The "risk" is not just restricted to children, she noted. "Addictive design, for example, is harming everyone," she said, telling EU lawmakers that Europe needed more rules that will be proposed in the autumn.

Pressure from EU states 

Among those listening in the grand chamber was Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney whose country has also acted on reducing social media for under-16s.

Von der Leyen had faced pressure from member states including France, Denmark and Greece for action across the 27-nation bloc to reduce online harms for children.

The EU has sought for years to keep Big Tech in check, empowering itself with a strengthened legal armoury that it now believes is not sufficient.

The bloc has already informed Meta platforms Facebook and Instagram as well as TikTok to change their "addictive" design through its content law known as the Digital Services Act, but changes are taking longer than Brussels expects.

Digital and children's rights groups have raised concerns over how the new social media curbs will work in practice, as well as over a related age-check app the EU is preparing to roll out.

"Age verification is not a silver bullet and would raise serious privacy and data protection concerns," said European consumer organisation BEUC's Agustin Reyna.

Thursday's proposal can only become law after negotiations on a final text between EU capitals and the European Parliament, which could end up taking months.

(With inputs from AFP)

Shafts at the Al-Zaraa gold mine near the town of El-Nahud in West Kordofan began collapsing on Tuesday. By Wednesday morning, 60 bodies had been retrieved, survivors said.

“We don't know how many more are still inside,” survivor Khair al-Sayyed Jabara told AFP after an overnight rescue operation carried out by fellow miners using the same rudimentary tools they rely on for mining.

“Everyone's working very hard to retrieve the bodies or any survivors, but it's difficult. We need heavy machinery to clear the rock and soil,” he said.

Al-Amin Suleiman, another miner who was working near the edge of the Al-Zaraa mine on Tuesday, said the mine shafts were located close to one another, meaning the collapse of one could bring down others nearby.

“This is what happened here. So far, 60 bodies have been pulled out, but there are people still trapped underground since yesterday. I don't think they are alive,” Suleiman told AFP.

A large-scale rescue operation is difficult in West Kordofan, which is under the control of Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), according to the report.

Sudan’s gold rush intensifies amid ongoing war

The collapse comes amid a gold rush that has intensified since war broke out in Sudan in April 2023 between the army and the RSF. The conflict has devastated the country's already fragile economy and left many people without work, pushing them towards dangerous small-scale mining.

Gold has also been a key source of funding for both sides in the conflict, alongside foreign backing.

Artisanal and small-scale mining, carried out in decommissioned mines and unofficial mining areas such as Al-Zaraa, accounts for the majority of gold extracted in Sudan.

Even before the war, artisanal mining employed more than two million people, according to industry figures.

Sudan is one of Africa's leading gold producers and recorded a five-year high of 70 tonnes of production last year, according to official figures cited in the report. However, officials say much of the country's gold is smuggled across its borders, including through Chad, South Sudan, and Egypt, before reaching the United Arab Emirates.

The UAE has denied widespread reports that it provides arms to the RSF.

The war has also pushed nearly 20 million Sudanese into severe hunger, while people in western Sudan remain largely dependent on aid and local community networks for survival.

(With AFP inputs)

He also called on all sides to exercise restraint, saying "dialogue and diplomacy remain the only sustainable path towards peace".

Several areas along Saudi Arabia's western coast, including the holy city of Mecca, were placed on security alert on Tuesday after Saudi authorities said their air defences had intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone south of the city.

The drone was destroyed before it entered Mecca's prohibited airspace, according to Saudi authorities. The Houthis, however, denied targeting Mecca or any Islamic holy site.

The incident comes amid a broader escalation involving Saudi Arabia and the Iran-backed group, which has carried out attacks on Saudi territory in recent days and threatened maritime traffic in and around the Red Sea.

"I condemn in the strongest possible terms the dastardly and heinous attempted drone attack against the Holy Site of Makkah Al-Mukarramah," Sharif said in a statement.

He said the people of Pakistan were "saddened and perturbed" by the "outrageous act", adding that there could be no words strong enough "to capture the depth of anguish and sorrow" felt by them at the "reprehensible and unforgivable act".

Sharif praised the "extraordinary vigilance, courage and professionalism" of the Royal Saudi Armed Forces for their swift and heroic action, and called upon all parties to exercise "maximum restraint" and step back from the brink of further escalation.

"Our region has already suffered far too much from conflict. Dialogue and diplomacy remain the only sustainable path towards peace," the prime minister said.

Sharif also said Pakistan stood "unwaveringly shoulder to shoulder" with Saudi Arabia in the defence of its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The latest development follows a series of attacks on Saudi territory and critical infrastructure in recent days.

On September 12, Saudi Arabia temporarily shut its 1,200-km East-West oil pipeline after a drone attack that Saudi Arabia and Iraq said originated from Iraqi territory.

The pipeline provides an alternative route for Saudi crude exports to the Red Sea, bypassing the Strait of Hormuz, where shipping has been severely disrupted by the wider regional conflict that has been going on since February 28.

Houthi missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia on September 9 also injured at least 73 civilians, according to Saudi authorities. 

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Israel Katz, who is known for outspoken remarks, was responding to criticism from another right-wing contender ahead of October 27 elections.

Katz said 70 percent of Gaza had already been emptied of its population in the Israeli offensive launched after the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas.

He said that an October 2025 ceasefire announced by US President Donald Trump had "supreme value for all Israelis" by leading to the return of remaining hostages and ensuring "a commitment by the United States" to disarming Hamas.

"We all understand that this is not going to happen -- and the IDF is prepared, once given the directive to eliminate Hamas, to finish the job so that we can also implement the migration plan," Katz said in a statement, referring to the Israeli military.

He said earlier this month that Israel was ready to remove Palestinians from Gaza by sea and land but was waiting for the United States, which he said was discussing where the two million people would go.

US Ambassador Mike Huckabee has denied any plan to "displace people out of Gaza against their will".

Katz had described the migration plan as voluntary, saying most Palestinians wanted to leave.

Nearly all of Gaza's population has been internally displaced and most of the territory lies in rubble after the war.

The Hamas-led attack of October 7, 2023 killed 1,221 people, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures, the deadliest attack ever against Israel.

Militants also took 251 hostages to Gaza.

Israel's retaliatory military campaign in Gaza has killed more than 73,700 people, according to the territory's health ministry, which operates under Hamas authority and does not distinguish between combatants and civilians, and whose figures are considered reliable by the United Nations.

While the 11-month-old ceasefire has reduced the level of violence, Israel has still regularly carried out strikes in Gaza.

A total of 1,375 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire came into effect, according to the Gaza health ministry.

Hamas said in late July that it was ready to disarm, in what Trump hailed as a breakthrough.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected the latest stage of the plan and said there would be no Israeli withdrawal from Gaza until Hamas verifiably decommissions all weapons. 

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Coalition spokesman Turki Al Maliki said the security of the Two Holy Mosques and pilgrims is a "red line," adding that the coalition would not hesitate to take necessary measures to deter further Houthi attacks.

An official from the Houthis rejected the allegation on Wednesday.

"The claims about targeting Mecca are a worn-out lie that has been used before and no longer fools anyone," Hazem al-Assad wrote on X. 

Meanwhile, Houthis said on Tuesday that Saudi warplanes had carried out 52 airstrikes across five provinces over the past 24 hours, as cross-border hostilities between the two sides continued to escalate.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said in a statement posted on social media platform X that F-15 and Typhoon fighter jets carried out the strikes after taking off from air bases in the southwestern Saudi city of Khamis Mushait and the western city of Taif.

Sarea said the strikes hit the southwestern province of Taiz, northern Al-Jawf, central Al-Bayda, and the northern provinces of Saada and Amran. He alleged that schools, bridges, roads and other civilian infrastructure were among the targets.

Sarea said the strikes "will not go unanswered," suggesting further Houthi retaliation against Saudi Arabia.

There was no immediate comment from Saudi authorities on the Houthi claims.

Separately, Houthi-run al-Masirah TV said on Tuesday that 3 civilians, including 2 children, were killed and 2 others wounded in airstrikes on the Dhubab and Maqbanah districts of Taiz province.

The broadcaster also reported further strikes on Tuesday on a government complex in Khadir district, southeast of Taiz province, saying there were casualties without providing further details.

The strikes followed Houthi missile and drone attacks on Khamis Mushait, Abha and Taif on Monday, which the Saudi-led coalition said injured 13 civilians. The coalition vowed a "responsible and firm" response.

The cross-border escalation comes amid a Houthi offensive launched on September 3 that has shifted front lines along Yemen's Red Sea coast. The group captured the strategic port city of Mocha on September 10 before advancing into the Bab al-Mandab area and seizing Mayun Island at the heart of the strait on September 11.

Yemen's conflict erupted in late 2014 when the Houthis seized Sanaa and much of northern Yemen, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to intervene in March 2015 in support of the internationally recognised government. 

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The incident occurred late Tuesday (local time), near the crash site in Chatsworth, where an SUV had earlier collided with a Metro bus, killing at least two people.

NBC Los Angeles confirmed that its news helicopter crashed while the crew was covering the Chatsworth accident during a live shot. 

The helicopter was reportedly being used by the news organisation when the crash occurred.

The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) also confirmed the aircraft crash and reported the incident at 9151 N. Mason Avenue in Chatsworth. According to preliminary reports, the crash took place at around 7 p.m. between two commercial buildings at the location.

NBC Los Angeles also reported that attempts were being made to reach the pilot and other people who were aboard the helicopter following the crash. 

At least three people were killed in the incident, while one person was transported to a nearby hospital. The condition of the hospitalised person was not immediately known.

According to CBS News, the helicopter appeared to have come down on top of two shipping containers and several vehicles that were parked in the area. 

Several helicopters were reportedly flying over the Chatsworth site while authorities and news crews were responding to the earlier SUV-Metro bus crash when the helicopter went down.

The helicopter crash also triggered a fire. Emergency responders rushed to the scene and worked to contain the situation.

KTLA, citing preliminary information, reported that at least one person had been pulled from the wreckage. The total number of people injured in the helicopter crash was not immediately known.

A subsequent update from CBS News said the fire had been extinguished at the crash site. 

A canopy was also erected over one of the bodies as emergency personnel continued their response and recovery efforts.

The helicopter crash occurred amid the response to the separate Chatsworth SUV and Metro bus collision, which had already resulted in multiple casualties. 

The crash is being investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

Further details are awaited.

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The maritime confrontation occurred on Monday night within the waters of the Persian Gulf adjacent to the Iranian port city of Kargan, positioned close to Larak Island inside Hormozgan province. Local Iranian media outlets characterised the targeted vessels as fishing boats, disclosing that an unspecified number of fishermen remained unaccounted for following the strike.

Confirming the operation to Axios, a United States official stated that members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps utilised the boats in a concerted bid to hijack a naval drone deployed for surveillance across the vital waterway. United States Central Command spokesperson Captain Tim Hawkins corroborated the foiled seizure attempt in an official statement.

"Iranian small boats recently attempted to take possession of a U.S. unmanned surface vessel, but they were unsuccessful after CENTCOM forcefully responded," Hawkins stated. "The surface drone remains under U.S. operational control," he added.

According to the United States official referenced by Axios, an American aerial drone unleashed two missiles towards the watercraft upon detecting the seizure operation, obliterating both craft. The official confirmed that the resulting explosions eliminated the majority of individuals present on board.

Addressing the aftermath, Ahmad Nafisi, the deputy governor for security affairs in Hormozgan province, laid responsibility for the strike upon the United States military, confirming that numerous fishermen were missing as search-and-rescue teams scoured the sector, according to Iran's semi-official Mehr News Agency.

The military escalation unfolds as Washington endeavours to ensure safer passage for expanding commercial transit through the Strait of Hormuz amid a backdrop of heightened bilateral tensions. An estimated daily average of 40 commercial vessels currently navigates the critical maritime corridor under direct protection and guidance from the United States military, an official informed Axios.

Approximately 14 million barrels of crude oil transit the vital global energy chokepoint daily. Furthermore, multiple tankers carrying liquefied natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas have traversed the passage over the preceding week.

United States naval vessels currently escort commercial tankers through the strait during daylight hours, marking a shift from previous nocturnal passage protocols, while military engineering units have widened mine-cleared sectors within the central shipping lane.

The confrontation coincides with a persistent diplomatic impasse between Washington and Tehran, characterised by Iranian resistance towards dialogue despite signals from United States President Donald Trump indicating willingness to negotiate.

Mohsen Rezaei, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, rebuffed Trump's diplomatic overtures on Tuesday, issuing warnings regarding what he termed inconsistent messages originating from the American administration.

"Dont get distracted by the U.S. presidents mixed signals — from 'no negotiations' to 'were ready to talk'," Rezaei declared via a post on X.

President Trump stated on Monday that he remained open to discussions with Tehran, shifting from earlier assertions that formulating a formal pact remained premature.

Tehran has persistently outlined strict prerequisites for concluding the ongoing war and lifting the blockade enforced across the Strait of Hormuz, demanding substantial war reparations alongside the complete termination of United States sanctions.

The USD 2.8 billion package includes 40,000 of the bombs, made up of 20,000 Mk84s and 20,000 BLU-117s, according to two US officials and a person familiar with the plan who spoke Tuesday on condition of anonymity to discuss the package, which is not yet final.

Congress has been informally notified about the pending deal, most of which is to be paid for with foreign military financing - in which US taxpayer dollars are given to Israel to turn around and buy the weapons from the United States.

The proposed sale is just the latest in a series of Trump administration steps to improve Israeli's military capacity. The conflict in Gaza has left tens of thousands of Palestinians dead and has decimated the enclave. The US brokered a fragile ceasefire, but violence has continued.

The package, which was reported earlier by The Washington Post, comes as Israel has faced increasing international isolation over its war in Gaza in response to the deadly October 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas.

The sale signals that some strains in the relationship between President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, especially since the two countries launched the war against Iran in February, are not impeding the closeness of the US-Israeli alliance. Trump has had a hot-and-cold history with Netanyahu over the years and expressed some frustration with Netanyahu tied to the Iran conflict before their latest meeting in July at the White House.

In 2024, the Biden administration held off on one shipment of the bombs, but Trump lifted that hold when he took office again.

Last year, the Trump administration bypassed a normal congressional review process and approved a nearly USD 3 billion sale to Israel that included more than 35,500 of the bombs. The administration then approved a new series of arms sales to Israel totaling USD6.67 billion in January.

The 2,000-pound bombs have multiple variants, with some designed to penetrate deep, underground targets while others detonate above ground and cause widespread damage.

Though the Israeli military has offered few details about what bombs and artillery it has used in Gaza, experts analyzing strike footage and blast fragments found on-site believe the US-made bombs have been used there, targeting a tunnel network used by Hamas but also killing of people in densely populated areas.

While the heaviest fighting in Gaza has subsided since the fragile ceasefire took hold in October, Israel has continued to carry out strikes in the territory, including some overnight and into Tuesday that killed several people. That is even after Jared Kushner, Trump''s son-in-law and a key Mideast negotiator, met with Netanyahu last month in an effort to push the ceasefire deal forward and asked Israel to reduce its attacks.

Militants have carried out shooting attacks on Israeli troops, and Israel says its strikes are in response to those and other ceasefire violations.

The Hamas-led attack on southern Israel in 2023 killed around 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage. Israel''s offensive in Gaza to retaliate has killed more than 73,264 Palestinians, including those killed since the ceasefire, Gaza''s Health Ministry said.

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Organised by United States Central Command chief Adm. Brad Cooper, the high-level gathering remained unannounced by any of the participating governments. It marked the inaugural summit of its kind since the United States and Israel entered a state of war with Iran more than six months ago.

The discussions assembled senior military figures representing Israel alongside Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan, and Egypt. This diplomatic and military alignment carried heightened significance given that several of the participating Arab states maintain no formal diplomatic relations with Israel.

United States Central Command subsequently confirmed that it hosted senior military leaders representing eight nations during a scheduled conference in Germany aimed at enhancing regional security cooperation throughout the Middle East.

During the proceedings, Adm. Brad Cooper reportedly offered assurances to the commanders, stating that the US military had no plans to pull its forces out of the region despite continuous Iranian attacks targeting American bases, according to Axios.

Furthermore, he briefed the assembled delegates regarding Washington's strategies to augment maritime traffic moving through the Strait of Hormuz. Concurrently, Israel Defence Forces Chief of Staff Gen Eyal Zamir delivered a comprehensive update concerning ongoing Israeli military operations spanning multiple fronts.

Military collaboration between Israel and various Arab states has broadened steadily following the 2020 Abraham Accords, with cooperation particularly pronounced within the spheres of air and missile defence.

Throughout the war, Israel has cooperated closely with the United Arab Emirates and the United States across both defensive and offensive manoeuvres. According to Israeli officials, Israel also deployed its Iron Dome system within the UAE alongside supplying critical intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance support.

The high-level discussions unfolded against a backdrop of intensified Houthi assaults directed against Saudi Arabia alongside widening territorial control around the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.

Information obtained via a source cited by Axios indicates that Israel and Saudi Arabia, operating with the active involvement of United States Central Command, are likewise engaged in dialogues concerning potential Israeli assistance for Saudi military operations targeting the Houthis, which encompasses provisions for intelligence and surveillance support.

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"We are ready, within this position, to seek reasonable compromises, but fundamentally we have not changed our objectives -- to ensure our security, to prevent NATO's presence on our borders," Lavrov said during an ambassadorial roundtable discussion on the Ukrainian settlement.

Lavrov added that Russia welcomes the US interest in facilitating a settlement in Ukraine. "The main thing is that the United States understands the root causes of this conflict, unlike all other Western countries," he said.

Speaking of negotiation possibilities, Lavrov reaffirmed that Russia has never rejected talks and is prepared to hold talks in both a bilateral and trilateral format, Xinhua News Agency reported. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Kyiv is ready to halt certain strikes if Russia does the same.

"If our partners are ready to ensure that Russia genuinely refrains from striking our electricity system, other energy facilities, critical infrastructure, and food supply routes, then, of course, we are ready to ensure a corresponding halt to our strikes," Zelensky said on X on Monday (local time).

He said any partial ceasefire should be reliable and long-term, and should hold beyond Russia's elections scheduled for this month. At the same time, Zelensky stressed that the conflict must be brought to an end and a de-escalatory step involving critical infrastructure could be the first move toward peace.

Earlier in the day, US President Donald Trump said Ukraine and Russia have agreed to halt strikes on energy infrastructure. He said in a post on Truth Social that Ukraine had agreed not to strike Russian energy targets and "Russia has agreed to do, likewise!"

The Kremlin welcomed Trump's call on Ukraine to halt strikes on Russia's fuel-producing facilities. "Any call on Kyiv to stop attacks on civilian economic infrastructure can only be welcomed," said Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

"Any countries can use their influence on Kyiv to encourage it to show greater flexibility, which would be a significant contribution to the settlement process," Peskov said.

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Featuring a flexible mixed-line system that produces different models without major retooling, the facility outputs one robot every 10 minutes. 

With an annual capacity exceeding 10,000 units, the site will primarily make UBTECH’s Walker S and Cruzr series industrial humanoid robots.

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In a post on Truth Social on Monday, Trump asserted that Iran was eager to secure a deal “quickly and badly.” He added that Washington would decide whether or not to engage with Tehran, though he noted the US remained open to the concept.

Responding on X on Tuesday, Mohsen Rezaei, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, warned against being distracted by mixed signals from the US leadership. 

Rezaei said the broader strategic landscape surrounding regional oil markets and critical straits has fundamentally shifted. 

He asserted that damage control would not alter the trajectory of events, reiterating that no bilateral talks will be held unless Iran’s terms are fully satisfied.

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The ongoing recovery of extensive human remains in Gaza, mostly of women and children, nearly three years after Israel heavily bombed their homes, highlights the possibility that war crimes have been committed, the UN warned.

"The remains of what appears to be entire families are now being unearthed at locations that were pulverised by Israeli attacks," UN rights chief Volker Turk pointed out in a statement.

"I worry the remains recovered so far may only be the tip of the iceberg," he said, pointing to how "much of Gaza has been flattened by Israeli bombing or demolition and clearing by heavy machinery and explosives".

"Today, many areas in Gaza where the Israeli military is deployed continue to be levelled by bulldozers with no respect for the dead under the rubble," he lamented.

The rights office said it was critical that evidence of violations, including at destroyed sites, calling for "international investigators to be allowed into all parts of Gaza to assist with evidence-gathering".

It pointed out that the Palestinian Civil Defence had reported that more than 630 bodies and other human remains had been recovered from beneath destroyed buildings across Gaza since last November.

"It estimates the total number of missing under the rubble at over 8,000," it said.

Turk insisted that "every feasible effort must be taken to document and identify these victims, preserve forensic information and biological samples, record their burial locations and inform their families".

"The discovery of extensive remains under the rubble in Gaza City resurfaces (the) concerns of war crimes and other atrocity crimes," he warned.

Israel's full-scale war on Gaza, which began after a Hamas attack inside Israel on October 7, 2023, reduced much of the Palestinian territory to rubble.

The relentless Israeli bombardment and ground offensive has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians, including more than 1,350 since a ceasefire agreed last October, according to Gaza's health ministry, which is under Hamas authority.

Hamas's October 7 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,221 people, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.

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"The US has on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending the Joint Force against hostile adversary action," a US Space Force spokesperson said in a statement that did not provide specifics on the weapons.

"Space control encapsulates the mission areas required to contest and control the space domain -- employing kinetic and non-kinetic means to affect adversary capabilities," the statement said, adding that "these capabilities can be employed for offensive and defensive purposes."

Both Russia and China, the two main geopolitical rivals of the United States, pose potential threats to US interests in space.

China "develops and operates space and counterspace capabilities as part of a military modernization strategy," while Russia "views space as a warfighting domain and believes space supremacy will be a decisive factor in future conflicts," according to the US Space Force.

The militarization of space is as old as the space race itself, as soon as Sputnik was launched into orbit in 1957, Washington and Moscow began exploring ways to both arm and destroy satellites.

The biggest worry was once about nuclear weapons in space, but the superpowers and other countries signed the Outer Space Treaty in 1967, banning weapons of mass destruction in orbit.

Since then, Russia, the United States, China and India have explored ways to fight in space outside of that treaty, including by targeting rivals' satellites, which are key for military communications, surveillance and navigation.

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The Houthis have been engaged in renewed fighting with Saudi-backed government forces since Yemen's civil war reignited in July, when the group declared a maritime blockade on Riyadh and began targeting its ships in the Red Sea.

The group seized control of Yemen's Red Sea coast and the Bab al-Mandab Strait last week, which has become vital as the wider US-Iran war chokes the Strait of Hormuz, in a significant blow to Yemeni government forces.

It has also targeted the oil infrastructure of Saudi Arabia, the world's leading crude exporter, pushing oil prices above the $100 threshold.

A Houthi strike in western Yemen on Monday killed eight soldiers from government forces, according to two military sources.

The Houthis claimed a new "large-scale" attack using "dozens of ballistic missiles and drones" against the King Khalid airbase in Khamis Mushait, in southern Saudi Arabia.

A Khamis Mushait resident told AFP he heard "intense blasts" which left fires burning for a "long time".

"Honestly, we couldn't sleep at all."

The Riyadh-led coalition confirmed Tuesday there had been missile and drone attacks the previous day on Khamis Mushait, Abha and Taif, reporting 13 wounded.

Riyadh responded with more than 50 strikes, as it had the day before, according to the Houthis.

The coalition said it would deal with the attacks "firmly to protect the sovereignty of the Kingdom" and would take "all necessary operational measures to deter this... hostile and extremist approach".

Hazem al-Assad from the Houthis' politburo said the "Yemeni response will continue and escalate as long as they (Saudi Arabia) persist in their aggression against our people".

In the early hours of Tuesday, Saudi civil defence issued air-raid alerts in six regions, before lifting them.

The renewed fighting in Yemen comes as the wider regional war remains at a stalemate. But US President Donald Trump on Monday said he was open to holding talks with Iran.

"The failing Nation of Iran wants to make a deal, quickly and badly. I will determine whether or not the U.S.A. will choose to engage -- The concept of which we are open to," Trump said on his Truth Social network.

Iran's top security chief Mohsen Rezaei said on X that "there will be no negotiations until Iran's conditions are met. That is all there is to it".

Wider regional war

A proposed meeting between Gulf states and Iran over the future of Hormuz was postponed on Monday, with Tehran accusing Riyadh of using Yemen as a "pretext" to delay the talks.

Tehran has long supported the Houthis, a member of its anti-Israel "axis of resistance", including with weapons and technology, but analysts dispute the extent to which Iran is behind the renewed fighting.

"Iran does not interfere in Yemeni affairs," foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told reporters on Monday, saying the Houthis are "entirely independent actors who make their decisions based on their own interests".

Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was expected to hold talks with Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Tuesday, Cairo announced.

US media reported last week Trump had rejected a personal request from the Saudi crown prince to intervene in the war.

Forced to flee

Yemeni government forces on Sunday said they had recaptured positions in the southwestern province of Taiz from Houthi fighters and carried out airstrikes, telling the official Saba news agency they killed at least 10 gunmen.

The Saudi crown prince received US Central Command chief Admiral Brad Cooper in Jeddah on Monday to discuss "the latest developments in the region", according to Saudi news agency SPA.

The admiral travelled to Saudi Arabia on Thursday for urgent coordination meetings, according to US news site Axios.

The Houthis seized Yemen's capital Sanaa in 2014 at the outset of the civil war, driving the government to Aden in the south.

The following year, Saudi Arabia led a coalition to intervene on the side of the government, launching wave after wave of airstrikes as the conflict escalated into one of the worst humanitarian disasters in the world.

The UN's migration agency said Monday the renewed fighting in the Arab world's poorest country had forced 93,864 people to flee their homes.

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"Materials deliberately placed on the tracks have been found at several locations. This is causing track-circuit failures. It appears to be a case of sabotage," Prorail said in a statement.

 It didn''t elaborate on what material had been found on the rail lines.

There was no immediate indication of who was suspected of being behind the apparent sabotage.

National railway company NS said that train services around the central cities of Zwolle, Deventer and Amersfoort were hit hard around the morning rush hour.

"It is not yet clear how long it will take for train services to return to normal," NS said in an message to travelers.

The disruption happened on the day that the Dutch government is presenting its annual budget to parliament, an event that draws thousands of people to The Hague to watch the royal family ride through the city in horse-drawn carriages.

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In a first-of-its-kind mandatory report to Congress, the inspector said that between February 28 and June 30, Operation Epic Fury (OEF) had an estimated cost of $33.4 billion, including $22.3 billion spent on expended munitions.

"The munitions expenditure on OEF has resulted in strategic inventory shortfalls and revealed industrial base bottlenecks for munitions resupply," the report said.

OEF is the US name for its joint campaign with Israel to "destroy Iran's ability to project military power," according to US Central Command (CENTCOM).

To deal with shortfalls and delays, the Pentagon is "working to streamline procurement processes and production lead times, and to stockpile critical materials, components, and selected munitions," the report said.

Though it noted that expanding production capacities requires "significant lead time."

The shortfall is likely to cause concern among governments like Ukraine and Taiwan, who rely on weapons purchases from the United States to fight or deter much larger, hostile neighbors.

Ukraine urgently needs more interceptor missiles for US-made Patriot air defense systems in its war against Russia, while Taiwan depends on arms agreements with Washington to ward off China, which claims the self-ruled island as its own.

'Virtually unlimited' 

Trump has repeatedly brushed off concerns of depleted weapons stores during the six months of war in the Middle East, saying recently that the US has "virtually unlimited" ammunition.

On Monday he posted on his Truth Social platform that the US is producing "more Exquisite and Elite Weapons than at any time in our History."

CNN previously reported shortages of long-range guided missiles and air-defense interceptors had affected Trump's strategy in the conflict with Iran, with the US military having "nearly exhausted 80%" of its stock of THAAD interceptors.

During the first 24 hours of war against Iran, the United States struck more than 1,000 targets, CENTCOM has said, and has not returned to such large scale attacks in recent months.

The report identified losses to the American fleet, including four F-15s fighters destroyed, one F-35 fighter damaged, seven KC-135 tanker aircraft damaged and up to 30 MQ-9 Reaper drones destroyed.

It also confirmed that the US Navy's main logistics hub in the region, located in Bahrain, had been targeted by Iran with drone and ballistic missile strikes.

Hundreds of buildings and structures at US bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman, and Jordan have been damaged or destroyed by Iranian strikes during the conflict.

The report does not include those costs in its estimates, saying it is not yet clear if all the bases will be rebuilt, or who will foot the bill.

As of June 30, seven US service members had been killed in action and seven killed in non-hostile events during OEF combat operations, the report said.

An additional 417 service members were wounded in action, it added.

The US and Israel launched the war against Iran on February 28.

For decades, Western powers have accused the Islamic republic of seeking nuclear weapons, a claim that Tehran categorically denies. 

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Citizens who violate technology import and export regulations could be banned from leaving China, the State Council said.

Those who engage in illegal activities abroad could be "prohibited from leaving the country for a period of six months to three years from the date of their return to China".

China and the United States have been locked in a tech race, with both sides accusing the other in recent months of stealing the capabilities of locally developed artificial intelligence models.

The new rules, first released in July but in effect from Tuesday, were formulated to "safeguard national sovereignty, security, and development interests", the State Council said.

However, analysts warn that the travel rules give China a "wide remit".

Security and criminal activities "can be vaguely defined and easily adjusted", Chong Ja Ian from the National University of Singapore told AFP.

"The outside world will only know how it applies that remit after there are cases of implementation," he said.

Chong pointed to reports of exit bans on foreign nationals, including the recent case of US citizen Min Zin.

The US government has said the political analyst was taken into Chinese custody in Yunnan province on June 3 and was held improperly.

China refuted the accusations in August, saying Min Zin was suspected of violating Chinese law.

"The case of Min Zin is a reminder that the range of people (that China) could restrict from exiting could be quite wide -- and potentially arbitrary," Chong said.

Dylan Loh, an associate professor at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University, told AFP the travel restrictions "send a message" that China will take action to prevent "leaks in security or national interest-sensitive areas".

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The attack was carried out off the coast of the southern port city of Kargan and near Larak Island, Mehr cited Ahmad Nafisi, Hormozgan province's deputy governor for political and security affairs, as saying.

Search and rescue operations have been launched to find the fishermen, Nafisi added, noting that further details of the incident will be announced after investigation, reports Xinhua news agency, quoting Mehr.

Earlier, the Navy of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said that a super oil tanker seeking to cross the Strait of Hormuz via the "forbidden" route south of the waterway exploded and caught fire after hitting naval mines. 

In a statement on the IRGC's official news outlet, Sepah News, the navy said efforts to contain the fire on the tanker, identified as "EL GAIA," were futile, and the entire vessel was engulfed in flames.

It added that warnings had been issued about the risks of using the "illegal" route in the strategic waterway, stressing that the strait remains closed and under the control of Iran's naval forces.

Meanwhile, Iran's Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA), the body responsible for maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, warned insurance companies and classification societies against providing services to ships on its updated list of "violating" vessels.

In a post on its account on social media platform X, the PGSA said that insurance companies, protection and indemnity insurance (P&I) clubs, and classification societies "are warned to refrain from providing services to these vessels to avoid consequences arising from dealing with them."

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"The Government is unlikely to succeed on the merits of its challenge to the District Court's preliminary injunction," the court said in an unsigned order.

It added that the factors governing emergency relief did not favour lifting the injunction.

The decision does not settle whether the Postal Service has the legal authority to impose the requirements in future elections. It effectively prevents their use in the Nov. 3 midterms, when control of the House and Senate will be decided.

Nearly one-third of American voters used mail ballots in 2024, according to The Wall Street Journal. The Washington Post put the number at about one-third of voters.

The Postal Service adopted the rules in August following an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in March.

They would have required states to redesign ballot envelopes with election-mail logos, machine-readable features and specialised barcodes unique to each voter. States would also have been required to submit the designs for federal approval and upload voter names, addresses and barcode information to a new Postal Service portal.

Mailings that failed to comply would not have been accepted and would have been returned to state election authorities.

Election officials said they could not implement the changes so close to voting. North Carolina and Wisconsin had already begun mailing ballots. More than a dozen other states were preparing to send ballots by the end of the week, The New York Times reported.

About 300,000 absentee ballots had already been sent in North Carolina.

"Voting has begun," North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson said. "You don't change the rules in the middle of the election."

Election officials from both parties had urged the court to stop the requirements for the 2026 election. Republican officials in Utah and Michigan were among those who welcomed the clarity provided by the ruling.

Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas dissented. Alito said the Postal Service has "broad power to regulate the delivery of mail" and argued that the challengers had not shown that the agency clearly exceeded its authority.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh joined the majority but said the agency might have the power to adopt such regulations.

"There is at least a fair prospect that the final rule falls within the Postal Service's statutory authority," Kavanaugh wrote.

He said applying the policy this year "would be arbitrary and capricious" because state and local officials "do not have sufficient time to reasonably implement the rule before the elections."

The administration maintained that the rules were constitutional and were intended to protect election integrity. Democratic-led states and voting-rights organisations argued that the Postal Service was attempting to regulate elections, a power primarily exercised by states under the US constitutional system.

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In a series of posts on Truth Social, Trump commented on negotiations with Iran, oil prices, shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, US defence production and inflation.

Trump says Iran eager for negotiations

Trump said Tehran was seeking an agreement with the US, while indicating that Washington had not yet decided whether to enter negotiations.

"The failing Nation of Iran wants to make a deal, quickly and badly. I will determine whether or not the U.S.A. will choose to engage - The concept of which we are open to. Thank you for your attention to this matter!" Trump wrote.

Trump did not provide details of any proposed agreement or specify what conditions Iran may have put forward. He also did not give a timeline for potential negotiations between Washington and Tehran.

His remarks came amid continuing tensions between the two countries and uncertainty over the future of the military conflict involving Iran.

Trump predicts oil prices will fall after conflict

In another post, Trump attributed price increases in the US to former President Joe Biden and said oil prices were still lower than they had been during Biden's presidency.

"I hope everyone realises that price increases throughout America were caused by Sleepy Joe Biden and the Biden Administration, not by “TRUMP.” Even Oil was higher under Biden than it is right now, and we prevented Iran from having a Nuclear Weapon! With the temporary exception of Oil, prices are coming down sharply, and Oil will drop like a rock as soon as the Military Conflict with Iran is over, and that will not be long. Thank you for your attention to this matter!" he added.

Trump did not provide figures to support his comparison of oil prices or specify how quickly he expects prices to decline once the conflict ends.

Oil continues to move through Strait of Hormuz

Trump also addressed shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a major route for global energy supplies. He said crude oil was continuing to move through the strategic waterway while criticising other countries for what he described as a lack of support for the US during the crisis.

"Oil is flowing through the Hormuz Strait. The Countries of the World, which have been no help to us whatsoever, should, and will, reimburse the United States of America when this SCAM Confligration is all over. We are doing it much more for others, than we are for ourselves, and we have been for Generations!" Trump stated.

Trump did not provide details on how or under what mechanism he expects other countries to reimburse the US for its role in protecting shipping routes.

Trump claims record US weapons production

The US President also said American defence manufacturers were producing weapons at an unprecedented pace, with factories operating around the clock to supply US forces in the Middle East and elsewhere.

"I’ve just received a Report that the United States is producing more Exquisite and Elite Weapons than at any time in our History. They are being delivered on a daily basis to our Forces in the Middle East, and beyond. Our Defense Company Factories are moving 24/7, while at the same time building, on average, 4 to 5 largescale brand new Plants, each! A primary focus of this production has been Patriots, THAAD Systems, Tomahawks, and other Standard Missile Systems, of which we already have large numbers in stock," he concluded.

Trump did not provide independent figures or further details on the reported increase in production or the new plants.

Iran says American submarine was 'spoils of war'

Earlier in the day, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said an American submarine seized by Iran was "captured as spoils of war", arguing that such seizures were legitimate, Iran's IRNA News Agency reported.

Speaking about the American submarine, Baghaei said, "It was not confiscated; it was captured as spoils of war, and such spoils are legitimate."

The Iranian Revolutionary Guards had earlier in September claimed responsibility for seizing an uncrewed American submarine near the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian state media identified the equipment as a Dive-LD, a large autonomous underwater vehicle manufactured by California-based defence contractor Anduril.

The 19-foot submersible is designed for a range of operations, including mine countermeasures, seabed mapping, intelligence gathering and inspection of submerged infrastructure such as cables and pipelines, according to manufacturer specifications.

Pentagon disputes Iranian account

Announcing the seizure through state media, the Revolutionary Guards Navy said, "We trapped one of the most modern, intelligent and unmanned submarines of the terrorist American army at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz. This submersible is equipped with the latest technologies."

The Pentagon disputed the Iranian account, with a spokesperson saying that an underwater drone had suffered a technical failure more than a day before the reported seizure.

(With inputs from ANI)

"Ukraine has agreed not to hit Russian Energy targets. Russia has agreed to do, likewise!" Trump wrote on Truth Social.

No timeline or details on energy truce

Trump's announcement did not specify which energy facilities would be covered by the commitments or whether either side had agreed to any conditions. It was also unclear from the post whether the commitments had already taken effect or were intended to begin at a later date.

The US President did not describe the arrangement as a broader ceasefire and did not indicate that military operations outside attacks on energy infrastructure would stop. The announcement also did not provide details of any agreement covering other categories of targets.

Trump did not identify the people or governments involved in negotiating the reported understanding. He also did not refer to any preceding discussions that may have resulted in the commitments.

Trump links diesel prices to Russia-Ukraine war

In the same Truth Social post, Trump attributed most of the recent increase in global diesel prices to the Russia-Ukraine war rather than Iran.

"The World's Diesel price rise is mostly caused by the Russia/Ukraine War, not Iran," the US President said.

Trump did not provide figures, a timeframe or supporting data for his assessment of diesel prices. He also did not explain what prompted the comparison with Iran or provide further details about the factors he believed were responsible for the increase.

The post focused on the reported energy-related commitments and did not announce a wider agreement between Moscow and Kyiv.

Terms of reported arrangement remain unclear

The terms of the commitments could not be independently established from Trump's announcement alone. No statements from the Russian or Ukrainian governments accompanied the material available for the report, and it was not immediately clear whether both sides had publicly confirmed the understanding.

The lack of details also leaves questions over the scope of the reported arrangement, including whether it would cover attacks on electricity generation facilities, power transmission networks, oil and gas infrastructure or other energy-related sites.

Any agreement to limit attacks on energy infrastructure could have implications for civilians and essential services, given the damage caused to energy systems during the conflict.

Energy infrastructure has been repeatedly targeted

Energy infrastructure has suffered extensive damage during Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which began in February 2022. Attacks on power generation and distribution facilities have repeatedly affected electricity supplies across Ukraine, particularly during periods of intense fighting.

A United Nations Development Programme assessment has documented extensive damage to Ukraine's electricity networks and generating facilities. The damage has affected the country's ability to maintain reliable power supplies and provide essential services.

UN human rights monitors have also documented disruptions to heating, water supplies, healthcare and schooling following attacks on Ukraine's energy system.

The impact has extended beyond electricity generation, with damage to energy infrastructure affecting other essential services that depend on stable power supplies.

Ukraine and Russia have also exchanged energy strikes

UN human rights monitors have reported Ukrainian attacks on electricity and heating infrastructure in Russia's Belgorod region. Such strikes have added to concerns over the impact of attacks on energy facilities on civilian populations.

(With inputs from ANI)

The abduction took place Sunday night in Bangourain, a locality in the Noun division of the West region, when armed men stormed a family compound.

"Those who were kidnapped are members of the same family," a security source in the region told Xinhua by telephone. "The separatist terrorists invaded their compound while they were asleep and took them away at gunpoint. We have launched a manhunt to rescue the hostages and capture the terrorists."

Armed separatists are enforcing a weeklong lockdown in Cameroon's conflict-hit English-speaking Northwest and Southwest regions, leading to renewed clashes, residents and security sources said last week.

Separatist leaders announced on social media that the lockdown, which began Septmber 7, aims to disrupt the start of the new school year, Xinhua News Agency reported.

In Bamenda, the capital of the Northwest Region, residents described a tense atmosphere, with schools closed and movement severely restricted.

"We heard gunshots. People are really afraid. The streets are deserted. Shops are closed, and almost all activities have stopped," a resident, who requested anonymity, told Xinhua by phone.

In a video posted online, armed separatist fighters threatened to "kill anyone who attempts to step out" during the lockdown period.

Security officials said additional troops had been deployed to both regions to conduct day and night patrols. Last week regional authorities assured residents that security had been tightened and urged them to continue their daily activities.

The Northwest and Southwest regions have seen armed conflict since 2017, when separatists began fighting government forces to establish an independent state.

In July, seven passengers were kidnapped in Cameroon's Northwest region.

The passengers were travelling from the town of Bafoussam, the capital of the West region, to Bamenda, the capital of the Northwest, when armed men intercepted their vehicle.

Family members told local media the abductors are demanding a ransom for their release.

Ransom kidnappings are common in the English-speaking Northwest, where separatists have clashed with government forces in a push for independence.

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In a statement on the IRGC's official news outlet Sepah News, the navy said efforts to contain the fire on the tanker, identified as "EL GAIA," were futile, and the entire vessel was engulfed in flames.

It added that warnings had been issued about the risks of using the "illegal" route in the strategic waterway, stressing that the strait remains closed and under the control of Iran's naval forces.

Earlier in the day, Iran's Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA), the body responsible for maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, warned insurance companies and classification societies against providing services to ships on its updated list of "violating" vessels, Xinhua news agency reported.

In a post on its account on social media platform X, the PGSA said that insurance companies, protection and indemnity insurance (P&I) clubs, and classification societies "are warned to refrain from providing services to these vessels to avoid consequences arising from dealing with them."

Earlier this month, IRGC said that its naval forces had targeted a US unmanned surface vehicle (USV) in the Strait of Hormuz.

In a statement published on its official news outlet Sepah News, the IRGC said the Saildrone Explorer-type USV was on an "aggressive mission" and was struck at the strait's entrance.

Saildrone Explorer USVs were previously used in the region by the US Fifth Fleet and Task Force 59 headquartered in Bahrain, the IRGC said, adding that the US naval base in Bahrain had been targeted in Iranian strikes and the USVs are now used by a unit based in Khasab in Oman.

The IRGC repeated that the Strait of Hormuz is closed and under its control, warning that "any hostile presence in the strategic waterway will be targeted."

Following US-Israeli strikes on Iran on Feb. 28, Tehran restricted passage through the strategic waterway, while US forces imposed a naval blockade targeting vessels traveling to or from Iranian ports.

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His comments came after US President Donald Trump claimed in a social media post that Russia and Ukraine had agreed "not to hit" each other's energy infrastructure, though Trump did not offer further details on the purported agreement.

Russia did not immediately comment on Trump's claim. Previous efforts to broker even a partial ceasefire have repeatedly fallen apart within hours, with both sides accusing each other of violations.

Trump did not offer further details about the agreement but it comes a day after the US president called on Zelenskyy to stop targeting Russian oil refineries and other infrastructure used to produce and distribute diesel, claiming the attacks are causing a global shortage.

Diesel prices have surged in the US, and high fuel costs associated with the Iran war have become a major issue for Trump's party in upcoming congressional elections.

Trump also claimed that the rise in the price of global diesel fuel "is mostly caused by the Russian/Ukraine war" and not Iran. But restricted shipments caused by the slowdown of oil flowing through the Strait of Hormuz and damaged refining systems in Russia are causing strains in the energy market.

In his post, Zelenskyy said Ukraine has proposed that partners help secure an agreement with Russia for a ceasefire. It's not the first time Kyiv has floated the idea.

"Every day, Ukrainian energy facilities, port infrastructure, logistics, even food and pharmaceutical warehouses become targets," he said. "The war must be ended. And a de-escalation step regarding critical infrastructure could be a first step toward peace."

Zelenskyy said he "expects concrete proposals from our partners."

Trump on Sunday called on Zelenskyy to stop the strikes. Afterward, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said any call on Kyiv to stop strikes on civilian economic infrastructure "can only be welcomed".

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Judge Abul Hasnat Muhammad Zulqarnain issued the order while allowing a request by the police and directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to block the passports until further orders.

The order also covers senior PTI leader and former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser, lawmakers Shahram Khan Tarakai, Shah Ahmad, Sher Ali Arbab, Muhammad Iqbal Afridi, Dr Amjad Ali, Junaid Akbar, Shahid Khattak, Zubair Wazir, Arshad Umarzai, Zar Alam, Mian Omar and Akhtar Khan, among others. The court said the available record showed that the individuals have been named as accused in the case.

The investigating officer told the court that the accused could flee the country to evade legal proceedings and alleged that they were facing serious charges, including attacks on state institutions and promotion of terrorism.

The court noted that the accused had failed to appear before it and that those who had secured interim bail had also not yet joined the investigation. It subsequently approved the police request and ordered the FIA to keep the passports blocked until further orders.

The order comes amid heightened political activity by the PTI, which has announced a nationwide protest for September 27. Afridi, who is currently touring Punjab to mobilise support for the planned protest, separately alleged on Monday that Punjab Police had attempted to abduct him and later left him on the roadside after assaulting and mistreating him.

"Punjab Police will have to answer for this action. This is no joke," Afridi said, describing the alleged treatment of a chief minister of one province by police of another province as "unacceptable". He demanded an explanation from the Punjab government over why he was allegedly left on the roadside and mistreated.

The PTI has in recent months remained engaged in political agitation against the central government, with its supporters and leaders facing multiple cases linked to protests and alleged violence against state institutions.

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