Talks between the U.S. and Iran remain stalled despite the two countries signing a memorandum of understanding in June, aimed at ending the war that began with joint American-Israeli strikes on the country in February. The opening strikes killed a host of top Iranian officials and commanders, among them Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The two sides have continued to exchange strikes, though have not returned to the intense fighting seen in the early stages of the conflict. The U.S. says it is enforcing a naval blockade of the country's Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman ports, while Iran claims control over the strategic Strait of Hormuz and continues to claim attacks on shipping transiting the waterway.
Meanwhile, intensified fighting between Saudi-backed Yemeni forces and Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen has seen the latter repeatedly attack Saudi military, oil infrastructure and transport facilities.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy is claiming three oil tankers exploded and caught fire while attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz Friday, Iran's state-run television IRIB reported.
The IRGC claimed the tankers were using an "unauthorized route," IRIB reported. The IRGC Navy said a super tanker exploded after hitting a naval mine.
The U.S. military has called past claims from the IRGC, about naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz, "false." The claims made by the IRGC have not been verified.
Oct 29, 2026, 11:33 AM EDT
Macron says cost of living increases triggering protests are fueled by war in Iran
French President Emmanuel Macron said the major difficulty facing France is the rising cost of living, particularly energy prices, which he blamed on the war in Iran.
"The core of what is triggering this purchasing power crisis is the war in Iran, the blockade of Hormuz, the rise in fuel prices," Macron said in an interview with the French YouTuber HugoDecrypte. "It's not a tax increase, it's not a government decision, it's not a pension reform that's triggering this social movement."
France is currently facing nationwide protests, which were set in motion by high school students over learning conditions, but are now fuelled by broader anger over the rising cost of living.
Oct 29, 2026, 11:21 AM EDT
New report of a vessel on fire in Strait of Hormuz, UKMTO says
UKMTO said it received a report of a third-party vessel seeing another vessel on fire in the Strait of Hormuz, north of Khasab, Oman.
The status of the crew is unknown, according to the UKMTO.
The Iranian navy claims an oil tanker has struck a naval mine in the Strait of Hormuz, causing damage and a fire on board, and bringing the vessel to a halt, according to Iranian state broadcaster IRIB.
Iran’s navy claimed the tanker was navigating through “a prohibited and unsafe zone” east of the Strait of Hormuz when it struck the mine, according to state broadcaster IRIB.
Claims of tankers hitting mines are unverified and maritime security officials have previously said there is no evidence that there are mines in the Strait.
Oct 28, 2026, 6:02 PM EDT
Trump indicates US reached out to Iran over potential humanitarian aid
President Donald Trump appeared to confirm on Wednesday that Vice President JD Vance has reached out to members of the Iranian regime after the Wall Street Journal reported that the vice president had sent a letter to Iranian hardliner Mohsen Rezaei at Trump's behest.
Trump denied that he had directed Vance to reach out on the subject of peace negotiations, and instead implied that the U.S. was working to get humanitarian aid into Iran.
"No, what that is, is we -- they need help with medical supplies and various things. He asked me what I thought. I said, if you want to do that, that's OK," Trump said in response to a question on whether he directed Vance to reach out to Iran to restart peace negotiations.
"Basically, it's getting supplies in to help people that are not well," he added.
President Donald Trump speaks to reporters before boarding Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, Oct. 28, 2026.
Mark Schiefelbein/AP Photo
Trump made the comments on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews while en route to Ohio for a campaign rally.
The Journal reported that the letter was sent with the intention of "testing whether Tehran and Washington could find enough common ground to persuade Trump not to give a final order for a short, intense attack on Iran in the coming weeks."
ABC News has not corroborated the WSJ report. The White House and the vice president's office did not respond to requests for comment.
