Bandar Abbas, Iran – September 12: As tensions continue between Iran and the United States, daily life continues in Bandar Abbas, a strategic port city on the Strait of Hormuz.Iranians spend time along the city’s waterfront at sunset in Bandar Abbas, Iran, September 12, 2026. (Photo by Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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With a resumption of direct talks between the US and Iran looking no closer, the UK Maritime Trade Operations Center announced on Sunday that a ship had been struck in the Strait of Hormuz.
Britain’s Maritime Security Agency said in a post on X that it received reports late Saturday that the ship had been attacked by an unknown projectile while transiting the Channel.
UKMTO said a fire broke out on board and local authorities were on scene to assist in evacuating the crew.
Meanwhile, senior Iranian officials dismissed expectations for new talks.
Ebrahim Azizi, head of Iran’s parliament’s National Security Committee, said in a post on X: “There will be no negotiations. Negotiations are useless until Iran’s conditions are met.”
But Iran is reaching out to its neighbors, even though it has been attacking them for months in retaliation for U.S. attacks.
Iranian and Gulf diplomats told MS NOW that Iranian and Gulf officials are expected to meet in Oman’s capital Muscat on Monday to sign an agreement to establish a shipping route between Iran and Oman through the Strait of Hormuz.
The official added that there are currently no negotiations with the United States.
New Delhi, India – September 12: (—-Editorial Use Only – Credit Required – “Iranian Presidential Office/Handout” – No Marketing, No Advertising Campaigns – Distributed as a Service to Clients—-) Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian meets with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled Bin. Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) participates in the 18th BRICS Summit held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, September 12, 2026. (Photo courtesy of Iranian Presidential Office/Handout/Anadolu, via Getty Images)
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At the BRICS summit in New Delhi on Friday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran would not surrender, adding that it had resisted aggression from the United States and Israel.
“Iran has succeeded in countering Israel and the United States,” Pezeshkian said.
“We will not bow down in the face of bullying arrogance because we seek truth and justice,” he added.
Pezeshkian’s comments over the weekend came on the heels of US President Donald Trump’s assertion that if Washington had not taken military action against Iran, Iran would have annihilated Israel and the Middle East and started attacking US cities.
President Trump said Thursday: “If I had to do it again, I would do exactly what I did.”
tit-for-tat attack
In recent weeks, there have been a number of retaliatory attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Wednesday that it had destroyed 10 Iranian tankers in the past week.
CENTCOM announced on Saturday that its military had diverted 100 commercial vessels in the past 60 days since reimposing a naval blockade against Iran.
“Zero vessels have passed through the blockade without permission from the U.S. military,” CENTCOM said in a post on X.
President Trump said Saturday that the Iran war will likely end soon after the November midterm elections. He also predicted that if that happens, energy prices will fall significantly.
Asked by reporters during a visit to Ireland when the Iran war is likely to end, Trump said: “I think it will be in the near future, actually right after the midterm elections.” “Oil will collapse soon.”
Brent crude oil price, USD per barrel
Oil prices fell on Friday, but marked a sharp weekly gain after surging above $100 a barrel for the first time in months amid continued turmoil in the Middle East.
Brent crude oil futures, a global benchmark, fell 2.8% to settle at $104.61 per barrel. US West Texas Intermediate fell 2.4% to settle at $100.05 per barrel. On Thursday, Brent crude peaked at about $108 per barrel, while WTI rose above $104.
Since the United States and Israel began their war against Iran on February 28, the movement of oil and other cargo through the crucial Strait of Hormuz, which separates Iran and Oman, has slowed to a trickle, leaving ships and sailors stranded for weeks or months at a time.
Saudi Arabia relies on an East-West crude oil pipeline to bypass the Strait of Hormuz. But Saudi Arabia said Friday it had closed the facility as a precaution after multiple attacks by drones launched from Iraq.
The Saudi government said Thursday morning that drones targeted pipelines in the Riyadh and Medina areas, causing fires and some damage. Several people were reportedly injured in the attack.
