Foreign Affairs
State of the Union: President Trump issued a cryptic warning on Iran at a campaign rally.
U.S. inflation jumped to 3.7 in September—up from 3.4 the months prior—as conflict in the Middle East pushed up energy prices, according to data published Wednesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It was the first time since May that inflation rose.
President Donald Trump, speaking Tuesday at a campaign rally in Alaska, again suggested the U.S. will relaunch major hostilities against Iran. “Wait till you see what we do to Iran, we’re gonna do a number,” Trump said. “Because we’ve sort of had it.”
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The Atlantic and other outlets have reported that the White House was pushing the Pentagon to develop plans for imminent strikes on Iran, but Trump denied he’ll attack before the midterm elections in early November.
Ali Ozmaei, the navy commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, challenged the U.S. over the Strait of Hormuz, where Tehran has escalated its attacks in recent weeks. “If the Americans think the Strait of Hormuz is open, let them come closer,” Ozmaei said Wednesday. “We are impatient to sink American warships.”
The war between Saudi Arabia and the Yemeni Houthis continued to escalate on Wednesday, with explosions heard in Riyadh. Overnight, the headquarters of Saudi oil company Aramco were struck by the militant group, which pledged to continue its attacks.