US Missile Strike Hits Iranian Tanker Near Kharg Island as Israel Strikes Lebanon and Pentagon Hunts Leaks (Sep 05, 1005 UTC, 1305 Israel) (Evening Edition)

• Kharg Island Tanker Strike — A US missile strike hit an Iranian oil tanker six nautical miles off Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf on Saturday morning, according to Iranian state media. Tasnim reported four projectiles struck the vessel in the island's anchorage zone, with no casualties and the crew evacuating. Explosions were heard from the direction of the Persian Gulf near Kharg Island. Al-Manar TV Mehr News Arab News
• US Intelligence Assessment — US intelligence believes Iran wants to escalate the war before the US midterm elections, according to reports citing recent assessments. Iranian leaders have gained operational confidence and are reluctant to end the war, with US officials fearing military and cyberattacks on regional bases. Haaretz Ynetnews Jerusalem Post
• Hormuz Traffic Collapse — Maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains approximately 90 percent below pre-conflict baseline levels, according to UKMTO. Iran's army said a US bid to weaken its Hormuz control was answered "within 15 minutes." TankerTrackers reported 17 ship-to-ship transfers involving at least 24 million barrels in the Gulf of Oman on Thursday. Middle East Eye Iran International
• Iranian Rhetoric — Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson called on the American public not to become "cannon fodder" in a war they never chose. Iran's Vice President said the nuclear threat narrative has been proven false. Iran's Vienna mission said a new US–E3 push for an IAEA anti-Iran resolution shows the "complete failure of the snapback illusion." IRNA

• Israeli Strikes After Hezbollah Drone Attack — Israeli strikes killed at least three people and wounded 23 across southern and eastern Lebanon late Friday, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry. The strikes targeted five locations in the Tyre and Nabatieh regions and the eastern Beqaa Valley. The IDF said it struck Hezbollah weapons storage facilities after Hezbollah launched an explosive drone at troops in the Security Zone; the drone was shot down by Commando Brigade soldiers with no Israeli injuries. Times of Israel Haaretz IDF Official Arab News
• Casualty Reports — Lebanon's Health Ministry confirmed five Lebanese killed and 24 injured in a series of Israeli airstrikes, including in Nabatieh, Tyre and the Western Bekaa. An 18-year-old woman, Mariam Jamal Salameh, was killed when an Israeli airstrike destroyed a house in Meifdoun. Israeli occupation forces carried out a detonation in Mansouri village. Quds News Network Bint Jbeil News Al-Manar TV

Settler Incidents — Israeli settlers erected a tent in front of Palestinian homes in Umm Safa, north of Ramallah, marking the beginning of a new settlement outpost. Settlers stormed the town of Turmus Ayya, north of Ramallah, coinciding with a visit by US Ambassador Mike Huckabee. Settlers brought children to steal boxes of grapes from a Palestinian vineyard near Halhul, north of Hebron. Settlers let sheep graze on Palestinian-owned crops near Khalayel Al-Lawz, southeast of Bethlehem. Israeli forces shut down the entrance to Al-Mughayir, northeast of Ramallah. Quds News Network Al-Manar TV

• US Sanctions Turkish Bank — The US Treasury Department sanctioned Istanbul-based Golden Global Investment Bank and two subsidiaries, accusing them of helping Iran and the IRGC-Quds Force move tens of millions of dollars internationally. The bank denied the allegations and threatened legal action. Al Jazeera Arutz Sheva Haaretz
• Iran–China Security Architecture — Iran welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping's call for a new regional security architecture, saying regional countries should build a homegrown security framework. IRNA
• Qatar Rating — Fitch removed Qatar from its negative watch list as risks to LNG sites ease, maintaining the country's AA sovereign rating. Al Jazeera

Niger–France Tensions — Niger accused France of orchestrating a failed military mutiny that attacked a key military airbase last week. Al Jazeera

UK Art Exhibition — A London exhibition explores Muslim life, Europe's Islamic history and Islamophobia. Al Jazeera

• Bolivia Military Explosion — Between 10 and 15 people were killed and at least 58 wounded, including 52 civilians, in an explosion at a military facility near La Paz, according to official sources. N12 Chat
• Venezuela Oil Deal — Venezuelans are hoping for free and fair elections, but the US may prioritise oil production under Trump's "historic" deal. Al Jazeera
• Pentagon Polygraph Probe — The Pentagon subjected about 50 members of the US military's Joint Staff to polygraph examinations over leaks to journalists about depleted weapons stockpiles during the Iran war, according to The New York Times. The tests were administered in August and early September. Al Jazeera Jerusalem Post Times of Israel Middle East Eye Iran International

• China Landslide — At least 10 people were trapped in a landslide in Gaoping, China, according to Chinese media. N12 Chat
• Indonesia Wildfire Rescue — A mother orangutan and her infant were rescued from a wildfire-threatened forest in Indonesia. Al Jazeera

• UAE Pardons Egyptian Dissident — The UAE pardoned Egyptian dissident-poet Abdul Rahman al-Qaradawi, who faced 10 years in prison. Al Jazeera
• Fenerbahce Brawl — Fenerbahce's Greenwood and Guendouzi were handed fines and bans after a brawl at Lyon following the Champions League playoff second leg. Al Jazeera