The deal that US President Donald Trump signed at Versailles in June had set an ambitious 60-day deadline for ending the war. (AI generated image)US President Donald Trump was quoted on Monday as promising to “hit them hard” after Iran launched missiles overnight at two US air bases in Jordan in response to a US attack on Iran’s Larak island.
“We’re going to hit them hard. There will be a response,” a Fox News reporter quoted Trump as saying.
Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday told Russian President Vladimir Putin that “Every day of war sets humanity back; we must work toward ending hostilities,” at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. PM Modi further added that “From endless wars, we should go to the end of war.”
“We have consistently discussed the issue of Ukraine. When we met previously, you briefed me in detail on all aspects of the matter. As you know, India supports all efforts towards peace and will continue to do so,” PM Modi told Putin in Bishkek.
Meanwhile, American forces struck Iranian rocket launchers for the first time in weeks on Sunday, hitting two Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps positions on Larak Island, a US official told Reuters. The official said the strike came after IRGC units were spotted preparing to launch rockets fitted with sea mines toward the Strait of Hormuz, explaining, “Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces were observed preparing to launch rockets with sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz.”
Tehran did not wait long to answer. Within hours, Iran fired ballistic missiles at American forces based in Jordan, according to a Fox News report citing a US source, though nearly all of the incoming fire was reportedly intercepted with no major damage. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, meanwhile, said the initial US strike had left several soldiers and civilians dead or wounded and vowed that Tehran would respond, with the IRGC promising a “response and punishment” for those it holds responsible, according to state broadcaster IRIB.
Key developments:
Follow the latest world news and major international developments here. This live blog is a rolling curation of the day’s key global stories, with updates added as events unfold and the news agenda changes. The headline, introduction and Top Developments section will be refreshed throughout the day to reflect the stories that matter most at that moment.
US President Donald Trump was quoted on Monday as promising to "hit them hard" after Iran launched missiles overnight at two US air bases in Jordan in response to a US attack on Iran's Larak island.
"We're going to hit them hard. There will be a response," a Fox News reporter quoted Trump as saying.
US President Donald Trump was sending a message to Iran with his social media post about Iran's energy hub of Kharg Island being blown to smithereens, Vice President JD Vance said on Monday.
"The president likes to switch it up on social media a little bit. He would be the first to say he doesn't make announcements about military actions on social media, but I think that he's sending a message to the Iranians," Vance said when asked about Trump's post.
#watch | We have consistently discussed the issue of #ukraine. When we met previously, you briefed me in detail on all aspects of the matter. As you know, India supports all efforts towards peace and will continue to do so. Every day spent in war sets humanity back, whereas every… pic.twitter.com/Ipomfp8613
— DD News (@DDNewslive) August 31, 2026
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday told Russian President Vladimir Putin that "Every day of war sets humanity back; we must work toward ending hostilities," at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.
"We have consistently discussed the issue of Ukraine. When we met previously, you briefed me in detail on all aspects of the matter. As you know, India supports all efforts towards peace and will continue to do so. Every day spent in war sets humanity back, whereas every step taken towards peace fills humanity with new hope and enthusiasm. We must move away from endless war towards an end to the war. This is essential for the well-being of humanity. A peaceful resolution to all issues at the earliest is the call of humanity, and this is India’s message. The land of Gandhi and the land of Buddha share a single message: the path of peace. Today, I look forward to discussing these matters with you," PM Modi further said.
Always a delight to meet President Putin. Sharing my remarks during our meeting in Bishkek.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 31, 2026
https://t.co/cEHwfBsGub
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday told Russian President Vladimir Putin that "From endless wars, we should go to the end of war," during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.
❗️PM Modi & Putin Share A Warm Hug As They Meet On SCO Sidelines In Bishkek pic.twitter.com/HJ0QWaDw8Y
— RT_India (@RT_India_news) August 31, 2026
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin met on Monday at the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek, and a video of the two leaders meeting and hugging each other has surfaced.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday told Russian President Vladimir Putin that "Every day of war sets humanity back; we must work toward ending hostilities," at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.
❗️'India Is A Great Partner For Russia' - Putin Envoy Dmitriev On 🇷🇺-🇮🇳 Economic Partnership
— RT_India (@RT_India_news) August 31, 2026
"The future is in Russia-India technological cooperation" as well as pharmaceuticals, he says, adding that the 🇮🇳-🇷🇺 investment partnership will continue to bear successful joint… pic.twitter.com/odFsRlk7pL
Russian President Vladimir Putin's envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, on Monday, said that "India is a great partner for Russia" ahead of Putin's bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the sidelines of the SCO summit in Bishkek.
"The future is in Russia-India technological cooperation", as well as pharmaceuticals, he says, adding that the India-Russia investment partnership will continue to bear successful joint companies," Dmitriev was quoted as saying by RT India.
Met President Masoud Pezeshkian in Bishkek. Reiterated our commitment to strengthening India’s long standing friendship with Iran across diverse sectors. We want to expand and diversify our trade basket in the times to come.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 31, 2026
We had a discussion on the prevailing situation in… pic.twitter.com/qagQy5o108
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday told Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian that "India will continue to support all efforts aimed at ensuring lasting peace" and held discussions on the prevailing situation in the region, on the sidelines of the SCO summit.
In a post on X, PM Modi wrote, "Met President Masoud Pezeshkian in Bishkek. Reiterated our commitment to strengthening India’s long standing friendship with Iran across diverse sectors. We want to expand and diversify our trade basket in the times to come. We had a discussion on the prevailing situation in the region. India will continue to support all efforts aimed at ensuring lasting peace."
- AP
Iran President Masoud Pezeshkian on Monday told Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the sidelines of the SCO summit in Bishkek that Tehran is "seeking a negotiated solution" to the conflict with the United States.
Pezeshkian further added that "War is in no one's interest."
Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, met and held talks with Shri Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, during the first leg of his visit to Kyrgyzstan to attend and address the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit and the Shanghai Plus… pic.twitter.com/I46TvGG7dP
— Iran in India (@Iran_in_India) August 31, 2026
The Iranian Embassy in India posted a picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi meeting Iran's Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit on Monday.
In a post on X, the Iranian embassy wrote, "Dr Masoud Pezeshkian, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, met and held talks with Shri Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, during the first leg of his visit to Kyrgyzstan to attend and address the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit and the Shanghai Plus Summit."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in Bishkek on Monday, marking their first bilateral meeting amid the ongoing conflict involving Iran.
Russia sees NATO activity in the Arctic as a direct threat to its security, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday, as alliance members increase their presence in the region.
In an article published by the Russian foreign ministry, Lavrov described NATO’s military exercises in the Arctic as “aggressive” and warned that such activity increased the risk of incidents that could lead to an armed confrontation.
NATO launched its Arctic Sentry mission in February to bolster its presence in the far north. Russia has previously protested the mission and maintains a significant military presence in the Arctic.
One person was killed and around 15 others were missing or unaccounted for after a major flash flood struck the Grand Canyon, the National Park Service said Sunday. The body of a 46-year-old man was recovered near Crystal Rapids along the Colorado River. More than 60 people were airlifted from the canyon after flooding in Bright Angel Creek swept away footbridges, triggered landslides and pushed boulders into the river. The flood also damaged the park’s sole water pipeline, forcing a halt to overnight stays from Monday. Several popular tourist sites, including Phantom Ranch and Bright Angel Campground, remained closed.
A ferry carrying 267 people capsized off northern Cyprus near Kyrenia, killing at least eight people and leaving nearly 20 missing. Rescue teams, including divers from Turkey, are searching the deep waters for survivors, while authorities have detained the captain and crew for questioning according to Reuters.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said research by the EU’s foreign service suggests that disinformation surrounding the Ceuta crisis was spread by Russia and Israel.
UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash said political solutions must begin with de-escalation and the restoration of normal shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. In a post on X, Gargash said a more realistic approach was needed beyond the memorandum of understanding, which he said had failed to provide a practical and acceptable roadmap. He added that the policy of targeting Gulf states and Jordan had failed.
https://platform.x.com/widgets.jsحالة اللاحرب واللاسلم لا يمكن أن تكون حلاً مستداماً، كما أن سياسة استهداف دول الخليج العربي والأردن أثبتت فشلها. المطلوب اليوم حلول سياسية واقعية ومستدامة تعالج الأبعاد السياسية والاقتصادية للأزمة، تبدأ بتجاوز التصعيد وعودة الملاحة في مضيق هرمز إلى طبيعتها، وصولاً إلى مقاربة أكثر…
— د. أنور قرقاش (@AnwarGargash) August 31, 2026
A South Korean court sentenced Unification Church leader Hak Ja Han to two years in prison. Han is the widow of the church’s founder, Sun Myung Moon.
Drones targeted a logistics hub in Russia’s Yekaterinburg, the governor said.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is expected to hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.
The UAE Defence Ministry said its air force engaged a drone over the country’s territorial waters after it came from Iran, according to a statement. The incident comes amid heightened tensions in the Gulf as the conflict between the US and Iran escalates.
Icelanders have voted against reopening negotiations to join the European Union, with 52.8% voting “no” and 47.2% voting “yes”, according to referendum results reported by Reuters. Turnout stood at 82.5%.
The result is a setback for Prime Minister Kristrun Frostadottir’s government, which had argued that closer ties with the EU could strengthen Iceland’s position amid trade tensions and growing Arctic security concerns. Opposition to membership centred heavily on protecting the country’s fishing industry and sovereignty.
Frostadottir said the government would instead focus on strengthening Iceland’s existing relationship with the EU through the European Economic Area (EEA) agreement. “A big lesson for me and also for the government is that people are happy with the EEA agreement,” she said.
The referendum ends the government’s push to restart EU accession talks, which Iceland first opened in 2009 before a Eurosceptic government halted the process in 2013. An EU diplomat described the result as “a clear setback for Brussels,” Reuters reported.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered the suspension of eight officials and directed criminal proceedings against those found responsible for a hospital fire that killed 14 newborns at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad.
An interim inquiry found that the nursery had no fire alarm or sprinkler system, while the hospital lacked adequate fire-emergency procedures and staff training, according to AP. Investigators also found that emergency services were called six minutes after the fire began, with responders arriving 15 minutes after the call. Sharif said, “Those guilty of criminal negligence deserve no leniency.”
The eight officials include PIMS's executive director, senior hospital administrators, doctors, the security chief and the head of the Capital Development Authority's emergency services. The government has also ordered action against the private company responsible for hospital security and approved compensation of 5 million Pakistani rupees for each bereaved family.
North Korea’s Foreign Ministry said its policy toward the United States “has not changed at all”, state-run KCNA reported on Monday. Pyongyang also said repeated US calls for denuclearisation would not weaken its status as a nuclear-armed state
The United States and Iran traded attacks overnight into Monday, marking their first major military escalation in more than a month and raising fears that the conflict could intensify again. The US said it struck two Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island after detecting preparations to launch sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps later said it launched missile and drone strikes against two US air bases in Jordan in retaliation. Jordan said its air defences intercepted and destroyed eight missiles that entered its airspace.
The exchange comes as tensions over the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial route for global energy supplies, remain high. The US has said it is determined to keep the waterway open, while Iran has linked maritime access to wider negotiations with Washington and regional security issues.
The latest strikes also come amid stalled US-Iran talks and a recent shift by the Trump administration towards applying greater economic pressure and sanctions on Tehran rather than carrying out military action. Brent crude prices rose 2.8% to $90.57 a barrel following the US strikes.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed it shot down a US MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iran's Mehr News Agency.
Iran's energy hub of Kharg Island is being blown to smithereens, US President Donald Trump said on Sunday in a one-line social media post accompanied by an AI-generated video clip.
There was no other evidence that the Iranian energy hub was under attack. The White House and the U.S. Defense Department did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment outside regular business hours.
There was no immediate response to Trump's post on Iranian media.
"Kharg Island being blown to smithereens!!! President DJT," Trump said on social media, but gave no further details.
Reuters confirmed that an accompanying video clip showing dramatic explosions was most likely synthetically-generated, using software that detects AI-manipulated imagery.
Attacking Kharg, which handled 90% of Iran's oil exports before the war launched by US and Israeli attacks on February 28, would severely disrupt its energy trade and put huge pressure on its economy.
Iran responded to an earlier US attack on rocket launchers on its island of Larak, about 660 km (410 miles) east of Kharg, with an assault on two US bases in Jordan, Iranian media said.
U.S. President Donald Trump posted an AI generated video of Kharg Island being blown up. pic.twitter.com/N3SsWTYswl
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) August 31, 2026
At least 20 people are missing or unaccounted for after flash floods overwhelmed a remote area of the Grand Canyon, including a historic lodge near the bottom of the site, park officials said Sunday afternoon.
The National Park Service is asking for information about anyone who may have been hiking or backpacking along Bright Angel Creek in Arizona, as well as campers with plans to stay at Phantom Ranch or the Bright Angel Campground.
Officials are also trying to track down travelers who might have been stranded along the North Kaibab Trail.
At least 20 people unaccounted for after flash flooding at Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona - officials pic.twitter.com/he0VNiRsLd
— BNO News (@BNONews) August 30, 2026
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) says it has attacked the US military in Jordan in response to the strike on Larak Island.
In a statement shared by Iranian news agencies, the IRGC said the combined missile and drone operation, which it called “Punishment of the Aggressor”, hit the King Hussein and Al Azraq bases.
It said the strikes “destroyed the technical and repair infrastructure, as well as the enemy fighter deployment sites”, inflicting significant damage.
“Aggression and crimes will not solve the enemy’s desperation in attempting to weaken the Islamic Republic’s control over the Strait of Hormuz, and every attack will be met with even more devastating responses,” the statement said.
US forces struck Iranian rocket launchers on the Strait of Hormuz in their first military action in a month on Sunday, breaking a lull in fighting during an intermittent war that has lasted more than six months. Iran swiftly vowed to retaliate for what it called a deadly attack.
Forces with the Revolutionary Guard Corps were observed preparing to launch rockets with sea mines into the strait, according to Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for the US Central Command. The US military last week completed clearing sea mines from the strait's international shipping routes.
Google Maps has changed the name of "Lake Ontario" to "Lake America" for US users to reflect President Donald Trump's executive order renaming the lake, according to a Google statement.
Trump announced on Thursday that he was changing the name of the smallest of the five Great Lakes, part of an escalating trade feud with Canada that has prompted the two countries to impose reciprocal tariffs on billions of dollars in goods.
The president's order affects the US Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), which sets the standards for official US maps. It does not have any impact on Canadian naming conventions or how the rest of the world refers to the lake.
"Since we update Google Maps to reflect name changes in official government sources, which is GNIS for the US, people using Maps in the U.S. will see 'Lake America,' those in Canada will continue to see 'Lake Ontario,' and those outside of the US and Canada will see both names," Google said in a blog post issued on Saturday.
Oil prices jumped more than 2 percent, with Brent back above $90 a barrel, after US forces struck two Iranian launchers on Iran’s Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday.
Brent crude futures climbed $2.22, or 2.52 percent, to $90.32 a barrel by 22:02 GMT while US West Texas Intermediate crude was at $85.41 a barrel, up $2.01, or 2.41 percent.
The Trump administration plans to impose sanctions on another bank this week in an effort to clamp down on Iran transactions, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Sunday.
Bessent spoke with The Associated Press ahead of Group of 20 meetings in Asheville, North Carolina, where he will meet individually with his counterparts from the world's major and developing economies to encourage participation in the economic isolation of Iran.
Jordan’s armed forces say they intercepted eight missiles that entered their airspace on Monday.
The statement comes after Iran’s IRGC said it launched attacks on US military positions in Jordan following a US attack on Larak Island.
The number of visible commodity vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz dropped to five per day over the weekend, shipping data showed on Monday, as companies tread cautiously amid continued attacks on ships.
The actual number of ships passing the strait could be higher as some vessels have switched off their automatic identification system to evade attacks.
A missile attack killed two people and injured another 16 in the city of Belgorod close to the Russian border with Ukraine on Sunday evening, acting governor Alexander Shuvayev said on the Telegram messaging app.
He said two were killed after Ukraine hit a commercial facility, with the attack also causing fires in seven warehouses in the city.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) says it has attacked the US military in Jordan in retaliation for a strike on Larak Island.
In a statement shared by Iranian news agencies, the IRGC said the combined missile and drone operation, which it called “Punishment of the Aggressor”, hit the King Hussein and Al Azraq bases.
It said the strikes “destroyed the technical and repair infrastructure, as well as the enemy fighter deployment sites”, inflicting significant damage.
“Aggression and crimes will not solve the enemy’s desperation in attempting to weaken the Islamic Republic’s control over the Strait of Hormuz, and every attack will be met with even more devastating responses,” the statement said.
US Central Command says it has redirected 83 commercial vessels, disabled three and boarded two since reinstating its naval blockade of Iran on July 14.
On Friday, it said 82 ships were redirected, three disabled and two boarded, which means it redirected one vessel over the past 48 hours.
A U.S. Sailor directs an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter onto the flight deck of USS Delbert D. Black (DDG 119) while the ship sails in the Arabian Sea enforcing the U.S. blockade against Iran. As of Aug. 30, CENTCOM forces have redirected 83 commercial vessels, disabled 3 and boarded… pic.twitter.com/RDLoXFRXpJ
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) August 30, 2026
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