US-Iran war LIVE: Trump ‘personally’ thinks Iran behind Flydubai flight attack after Vance says US has yet to find link
US-Iran War News LIVE: US President Donald Trump said on Monday that he “personally” believed Iran was responsible for the terrorist attack last week by the Omani co-pilot on a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, although JD Vance said the US had not yet found a link. In response to questions from the White House media, Trump said: “I do. I personally do,” when asked if he believed Iran was responsible for the attack on the Flydubai flight. His remarks came just days after an Omani co-pilot on a Flydubai flight attacked flight captain Smit Machchhar with a chop ax in an attempt to bring down the plane at Ben Gurion Airport.
War in the Middle East is a focus on ASEAN’s energy security plans
Southeast Asian energy ministers meeting in Manila this week face the prospect of a prolonged Middle East war that has exposed the region’s vulnerability to imported energy. As the US-Israel war against Iran drags on, it is increasingly urgent for ASEAN to implement its proposed energy security plans and reduce its exposure to price shocks from attacks on infrastructure and shipping lanes in the Middle East. ASEAN imports more than half of its oil from the Middle East for its refineries at a time when global benchmark prices hover around $100 a barrel. The conflict has also heightened concerns about broader energy security risks, as Chinese refiners suspended exports of petroleum products until October.
Yemeni government forces drove the Houthis out of Bab el-Mandeb
On Monday, Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces began a rapid advance to retake the coast around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait as far as the town of Mocha, pushing the Iran-backed Houthis out of most of the areas they seized last month. In response, the Houthis said they attacked key locations in Saudi Arabia, including King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, the Aramco refinery in Rabigh, Abha International Airport and the Khamis Mushait military base. On Monday, government sources said Yemeni forces of the internationally recognized government, backed by heavy Saudi airstrikes, reached the outskirts of Mocha late on Monday and Houthi fighters were withdrawing to the highlands.
B-1 bombers forced out of UK base over terror threats: Trump
Donald Trump said on Monday that new threats of terrorist attacks had prompted the US to move its B-1 bombers from its UK base, contradicting US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who had previously described the move as part of a regular rotation. He told reporters: “They didn’t fly off by accident,” adding: “There were some threats and instead of tempting the enemy, we capture and defeat the enemy. But why should we leave them there? So we moved them a little bit, not too far.”
Stay tuned to this LIVE blog for all the latest updates on the US-Iran war.
