Vance: We will not talk with Iran until they stop hitting commercial vessels… they are responsible for gas prices
"Anything that could happen with Iran is on the table: economic, military, and diplomatic pressure." "We are not going to talk with the Iranians until they stop shooting at commercial ships," emphasized US Vice President Vance. The US Vice President also stressed that the reason behind high gasoline prices is that Iran is attacking vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. JD Vance stated: "For a long time, the Biden administration drained America's strategic petroleum reserves solely for the purpose of lowering the cost of gasoline and oil." "At that time, there was no international crisis, nor was any foreign country attempting to disrupt global energy markets." "The reason gasoline prices are so high right now is because the Iranians are shooting at commercial ships." Regarding Iran, JD Vance claimed: "President Trump has said that we really have two choices here: We can leave the region, but then it would be much worse for the entire world, because there would no longer be guaranteed access to oil and natural gas. The Gulf Arab states tell us that this is the worst thing that could happen, or we can accept that the Iranians will shoot at ships and do whatever it takes to ensure their efforts do not lead to a global energy crisis." Vance asserted: "We are not talking to the Iranians, and we will not talk to them until they stop shooting at commercial ships." "When you ask: 'When will this war end…' you are actually asking me a question: 'When will the Iranians stop shooting at ships?' I do not know the answer to that question. You need to ask the Iranians themselves."
Financial Times: Trump plans a more comprehensive deal with Iran
US authorities are not considering settling the conflict with Iran through a memorandum of understanding, reports the Financial Times. According to the publication, the administration of US President Donald Trump plans, instead of a memorandum, to pursue a "more comprehensive agreement," which will include terms not only for the Strait of Hormuz, but also for Tehran's nuclear program. The report states that bilateral negotiations between the US and Iran are no longer underway. However, according to anonymous diplomats, mediators have "kept channels of communication open" between Tehran and Washington and are attempting to "lay the ground" for a new deal.
IRGC: Civilian terrorism is part of the "cowardly" US military doctrine
On September 2, 2026, a wedding ceremony was underway inside a home in the town of Kouhestak in Sirik County, Hormozgan province… when a missile struck the residence, killing 5 and injuring 78 people. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) states that the US military deliberately targets civilians to sow fear and intimidation, calling such airstrikes part of the "cowardly" doctrine of the American armed forces, following a deadly attack against a wedding ceremony in southern Iran. "Today, it has become clear to the nations of the world that attacking civilians to instill fear and terror is part of the doctrine of the cowardly US military," stated the IRGC. The IRGC stated that US leaders, instead of apologizing, resorted once again to lies and are evading accountability, as in the cases of the crimes at the Minab school massacre, the attack on a sports stadium in Lamerd, and an airstrike on a residential building on the southern island of Qeshm in Iran. It emphasized that Iran possesses military capability and retaliated by killing "bloodthirsty terrorists" from CENTCOM.
Wes J. Bryant (US Pentagon): The US military deliberately targets Iranian civilians
A former senior Pentagon official stated that the United States is deliberately killing civilians in Iran, following an American missile strike that hit a wedding ceremony in the town of Kouhestak in Sirik County, Hormozgan province. Wes J. Bryant, who served as the lead for civilian harm assessments at the Pentagon and now works as a war crimes analyst, told Al Jazeera that the attack on the wedding in Kouhestak, Sirik County, exposes the true moral and legal standards of the Department of War and the Trump administration. "Is the US deliberately targeting civilians in Iran? Yes," said Wes J. Bryant. He rejected the claim by US Central Command that American forces never attack civilians, arguing that Washington "recklessly and negligently endangers and kills civilians" in its war against Iran. Wes J. Bryant said that every target location is recorded across multiple levels of the hierarchy. Comparing the wedding massacre in Hormozgan province to the February US strike on the Shajareh Tayyebeh school in Minab, he said the US military would be able "to report within hours" if a school or a wedding had been hit. Washington has yet to present transparent findings regarding the Minab massacre. No sitting American official has condemned the attack on the town of Kouhestak in Sirik County, Hormozgan province. Vice President Vance stated only that Washington is "investigating" the reports while remaining "extremely cautious" toward Iranian accounts. A CENTCOM spokesman reiterated the standard statement that the US military "never targets civilians, unlike the IRGC." President Trump described the bombing of that same night as "big and powerful."
Iran to strike oil and gas facilities, power plants, and desalination units
The United States launched a new wave of attacks against Iran recently, six months after the start of a conflict that had reached a stalemate, and in its aftermath, Iran launched missiles at what it called "American assets and equipment" in Jordan, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Iraq, highlighted Reuters. If the conflict continues to escalate or the US campaign to exert pressure on Iran's economy intensifies, Tehran has other options for retaliation. Iran could expand its attacks to Persian Gulf countries. Iran has repeatedly targeted Gulf countries and Jordan since the war began on February 28. The attacks have primarily targeted US military bases, but energy infrastructure and other targets have also been struck. Any escalation of attacks on upstream oil or gas facilities could further drive up energy prices, a move that could be politically damaging for the Trump administration and carry consequences harder to reverse than attacks on shipping. Targeting power plants and desalination facilities in this hot, arid region would also pose a major threat to US-allied Gulf monarchies, which also serve as major financial hubs for the global economy. Iran can prevent more oil from leaving the Middle East. The secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council threatened to halt oil exports, a move that has been one of Tehran's main strategic approaches during the war.
Barely 4 ships crossed the Strait of Hormuz
Maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained constrained and below normal levels, according to preliminary vessel-tracking data. Navigation data gathered by Kpler and cited by Reuters showed that four commercial vessels crossed the waterway yesterday, Thursday, September 3, compared to nine the previous day and significantly fewer than the 10-day average, which stands at approximately 15 ships. According to the data, as of 04:55 GMT, the vessels making the transit included two medium-range tankers, one Kamsarmax-class vessel, and one Handysize-class vessel. The total number of ships crossing Hormuz may shift, as certain vessels switch off their transponders during passage.
Where is Ali al-Taher in Southern Lebanon and what is its significance?
The Israeli military claimed it took control of infrastructure connected to Hezbollah on the Ali al-Taher heights in southern Lebanon. The Ali al-Taher ridge is located in southern Lebanon, in Nabatieh County on the eastern outskirts of the city of Nabatieh. This hill sits between the towns of Kafr Tibnit and Nabatieh Fuqa, north of the Litani River and approximately 15 kilometers from the Israeli border. Its elevation is roughly 600 to 700 meters above sea level. Its location is significant because it overlooks the city of Nabatieh, surrounding communication routes, and a large portion of southeastern Lebanon. The hill was named after the shrine of the Shiite scholar Ali al-Taher at its summit. In military literature, Ali al-Taher is usually not a single peak. It is part of a range of heights forming a complex with nearby elevated points. From a military perspective, any force holding this high ground gains line of sight and the ability to direct fire onto Nabatieh and the supply routes north of the Litani River. Ali al-Taher is a hill overlooking Nabatieh in southern Lebanon. It lies just north of the Litani River, near Kafr Tibnit, representing one of the highest observation points on this sector of the frontline.
www.bankingnews.gr
Readers’ Comments