Friday 2 October 2026 07:30 UTC
US Prepares Third Carrier and More Troops for Middle East
The US is preparing to send a third aircraft carrier and up to 10,000 more troops to the Middle East, according to reports citing US officials. One official said three carriers and two amphibious groups would be positioned around Iran by the end of November. Iran privately offered to restore nuclear inspectors’ access to bombed sites in exchange for sanctions relief, Bloomberg reported. Donald Trump rejected Tehran’s proposed seven-day ceasefire and offer to reopen the Strait of Hormuz as insufficient, while leaving open further US bombing after the November elections. Washington also imposed sanctions on Iranian rail and carmaking groups.
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Houthi forces entered Safiya Junction and cut the Taizz–Aden road, leaving Taizz without access through its major routes. Houthi armoured units were also advancing west of the city, although no assault had begun. Major General Muhammad Salem Al-Khawlani, chief of staff of emergency forces aligned with Yemen’s Saudi-backed government, was said to have died in nearby fighting. Saudi Arabia said it intercepted a ballistic missile aimed at Khamis Mushait after strikes, described in the data as likely Saudi, hit Houthi-controlled Sanaa.
Ukraine launched hundreds of drones and missiles towards western Russia, according to accounts in the data. A strike reportedly ignited the Samara oil pumping station, which serves two major pipelines carrying Kazakh and Siberian oil for export. Explosions also damaged the Krasnozavodsk Chemical Plant near Moscow, described as a producer of specialised ammunition and drone warheads. Ukraine separately said it had used its domestically produced FP-7 ballistic missile in combat for the first time. The weapon carries a 200-kilogram warhead and has a range of up to 250 kilometres; Ukraine said production would follow.