US Military Raids Iranian Island
The US military raided an Iranian island on November 3, intending to force Iran to sign an agreement before January.
The US military raided an Iranian island on November 3, intending to force Iran to sign an agreement before January.
According to Al Jazeera, the Iranian Navy stated that the US military carried out an airstrike on the morning of October 20, 2026, against the Konarak naval base in Sistan and Baluchestan Province in southeastern Iran. The US military fired two light projectiles at a 35 mm anti-aircraft gun at the base, and the attack left two Iranian soldiers injured.
According to X user @clashreport, a spokesman for Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stated on October 19, 2026, that from a technical and military perspective, the United States lacks the ability to launch another conflict. However, he also warned that as the U.S. election approaches, the American side might attempt to manufacture a military success for political purposes, and that Iran remains vigilant and will not dismiss this.
According to @clashreport, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi publicly criticized the United States, saying that the US is making an even bigger mistake by attempting to characterize the current conflict as a "clash of civilizations." Araghchi believes this is the US seeking excuses deep in history in order to escape a predicament of its own making.
According to clashreport, U.S. Vice President Vance said regarding the situation involving Iran that the U.S. military had made major mistakes in the past regarding where troops are deployed and has recognized that it can do better, and that changes have already been made. Vance said that because military security is involved, he would not disclose specific details, so as not to let the Iranian side obtain them.
According to estimates by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), the U.S. military expended approximately 1,060 to 1,500 modern Patriot interceptors during roughly seven months of conflict with Iran. This expenditure is equivalent to the total number of Patriot interceptors the U.S. military procured over about 19 years, leaving only about one-third of the pre-war stockpile of roughly 2,200 to 2,330 interceptors.
During a program on Iranian state media, political analyst Khalatian claimed that China had provided Iran with satellite images behind the scenes to assist in strikes against the U.S. military, but cut off the support after the matter was exposed in the media.
On October 3, during the Iranian state broadcaster's program "Iran Time," political analyst Mehdi Khalatian claimed that China had once provided Iran with satellite images behind the scenes to help strike U.S. forces, and that the cooperation was halted after The Wall Street Journal exposed it. The newspaper had previously cited U.S. officials as saying that the images were related to the attack on a Jordanian base on July 17 that killed 3 U.S. troops.
As of August 24, US Central Command has ordered 71 commercial vessels to change course, disabled 3 vessels, and boarded 2 vessels for inspection to ensure the enforcement of the maritime blockade against Iran.
US President Trump said on September 19 that the US-Iran conflict is entering a critical point, that he will make a major decision on whether to launch large-scale military action to completely eliminate the Iranian regime, and that he expects to meet with Gulf state leaders during the UN General Assembly next week to discuss action against Iran.
China began enforcing the 19-article Regulations on Exit and Entry Administration promulgated on July 31 starting September 15, expanding the scope of those barred from leaving the country from specific groups to all departing passengers at every port of exit, particularly affecting AI researchers and entrepreneurs, drawing widespread attention and concern at home and abroad. On September 10, officials issued a clarification saying the new rules mainly target cross-border gambling, telecom fraud, and the illicit transfer of technology. On the same day, the human rights organization Safeguard Defenders released a report noting an explosive growth in China's exit bans, with nearly 200,000 mentions of exit restrictions in Supreme People's Court rulings in 2025.
On September 9, 2026, hit by the escalation of the US-Iran conflict, international oil prices once again surged past $100 a barrel, the average US gasoline price rose 7 cents overnight to $4.22 a gallon, European natural gas prices rose in step, and markets worried that disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz would further hit global energy supplies.
In early September 2026, the US military said it had destroyed about 10 Iranian oil tankers over the past week. On September 9, Trump said these attacks were launched by the United States and that there would be more such operations.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed it hit two U.S. Navy destroyers in the Middle East, but U.S. Central Command debunked the claim, saying no U.S. Navy vessel was hit and that all of the IRGC's attacks failed; the strike was a response to Iran's failed attack on U.S. forces.
The U.S. military announced that it had crippled or destroyed five Iranian oil tankers and released strike footage.此前, Iranian opposition groups said that oil tankers near Iran's Kharg Island and the port of Jask had been hit in new strikes.