US-Iran war: Hormuz oil flows rebound to two-thirds as Trump warns of more strikes on Tehran

Iran’s most potent wartime lever may be weakening. Bloomberg reported, citing Goldman Sachs, that oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz have recovered to roughly two-thirds of their pre-war level. That is a significant reversal from the collapse in traffic earlier in the conflict, when Tehran’s threats, attacks and minelaying activity turned the waterway into the centre of the global energy shock.

Reuters reported on Aug. 31 that shipments through Hormuz have recovered to around 15 million to 16 million barrels per day, though they remain below pre-war volumes. The recovery has come despite continuing military risk and renewed exchanges of fire between Washington and Tehran.

US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll has submitted his resignation to President Donald Trump, ending an 18-month tenure after months of reported friction with Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.

The White House confirmed the departure Monday but gave no reason, and it was initially unclear whether Trump had accepted the resignation. Driscoll, an Iraq war veteran and longtime friend of Vice President JD Vance, had served as the Army’s civilian chief since February 2025.

The departure comes as the Pentagon confronts a fresh US-Iran military flare-up, adding to leadership churn during a sensitive period for the force.

Multiple reports said tensions centered on control of Army policy, the modernisation agenda and Hegseth’s removal of senior officers. Hegseth reportedly pushed to remove advisers and reshape promotion decisions, moves Driscoll at times resisted.

His exit follows other high-profile Pentagon departures under Hegseth, intensifying scrutiny of civilian oversight and institutional stability within the US military. A successor has not been announced.

The Kingdom of Bahrain has strongly condemned and denounced Iran's hostile attack on the UAE using a drone on Monday, describing it as a flagrant violation of the UAE's sovereignty and a dangerous escalation threatening regional security and stability.

Bahrain said the attack contravenes international law, the Charter of the United Nations, UN Security Council Resolution 2817 (2026), and the principles of good-neighbourliness.

In a statement, Bahrain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirmed the Kingdom's full solidarity with the UAE and its complete support for all measures taken by the country to safeguard its security, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and to protect its citizens and residents.

President Donald Trump said the resumed US strikes against Iran were “very limited,” while leaving open the possibility of further military action after a renewed exchange of fire between Washington and Tehran.

Trump called Iran a “failed nation” and said its military capabilities had been severely weakened. But he signalled that the US could strike again if it judged Iran to be threatening regional security or shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

“That doesn’t mean we won’t smack them,” Trump said. “We’ll see what happens.”

Speaking amid tensions from Iranian missile strikes on US air assets in Jordan, US President Donald Trump snapped at the question about nuking Iran and emphasised that conventional forces have already crushed Iran militarily.

He repeated: "They're totally defeated militarily — so I defeat them and now I should use a nuclear weapon on top of them? What a stupid question." As Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps prepares intensified strikes and officials warn of major responses, Trump vowed a strong conventional reply while noting minimal US munitions use so far.

President Donald Trump has vowed a forceful US response after Iran launched ballistic missiles at American military positions in Jordan, reigniting direct hostilities with Tehran following a month-long lull and raising fresh fears of a wider regional escalation.

The Iranian attack came hours after US forces struck two Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island, near the Strait of Hormuz, on Sunday. The US Central Command said the launchers were being prepared by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to fire rockets carrying sea mines into the strategic waterway.

US President Donald Trump threatened on Monday to hit Iran "hard" after the two foes traded fire for the first time in weeks, as his Treasury secretary vowed to keep up a pressure campaign aimed at hobbling Tehran's economy.

After six months of war, the foes remain at an impasse, with Iran keeping the strategic Strait of Hormuz closed and the US persisting with a naval counter-blockade of Iranian ports.

Day 179: UAE strongly condemns missile attacks on Jordan

Day 178: Iran supreme leader calls for unity among Muslim countries

Day 177: 82 ships redirected under US blockade

Day 176: Iran urges countries not to join US 'illegal' sanctions

Day 175: Trump hints US could sanction Chinese banks over Iran links

Day 174: Middle East War: Iran, Oman propose temporary Hormuz shipping corridor