Iranian attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz have reached their highest level since the war began in February, according to Reuters. Iran has struck 12 tankers in just 8 days. According to the FT shipping companies are now offering ship captains up to $100,000 per month, plus a $50,000 bonus to cross the Strait of Hormuz under US protection.

United States has threatened to impose sanctions on Britain, France, Norway and other European countries over their bans on goods produced in illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

Iran's Army has adopted a new offensive doctrine. An Iranian army spokesman said Iran will carry out preemptive strikes when necessary to prevent its enemies from launching future attacks. Iran has traditionally followed a policy of responding after being attacked. The change comes after the US and Israel killed Iran's Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khameini in february, and the Iranian military has now adopted a policy of striking first when necessary to prevent a future attack.

Israeli F-35 stealth fighter jets conducted a military exercise over Iran, according to several sources. The aircraft were refueled over Iraqi airspace before entering Iran. Some reports also claim that a US F-35 squadron took off from Al-Azraq airbase in Jordan, conducted an exercise near Iran's western border and then returned to the base. Most of Iran's long-range missile bases are located in western Iran. The exercises could indicate that Israel and the US are preparing for the possibility of another strike against Iran.

BREAKING: Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa discussed Syria joining Saudi Arabia's war against Yemen's Ansarallah during his visit to Riyadh today, but no final decision was made on the matter, according to Asharq Al-Awsat.

Turkey is preparing to send military support to Saudi Arabia under the Makkah Defence Alliance for operations against Yemen's Ansarullah, according to the Middle-East Eye Turkey will initially send military equipment, technicians and emergency response teams. Turkey could later send fighter jets, pilots and special forces, if approved by parliament. The forces would help protect Riyadh, Makkah, Madinah and the western section of the East-West oil pipeline.

A large fire has broken out aboard a vessel off the coast of Sochi, Russia. The vessel may have been carrying oil or other petroleum products. The cause of the fire has not yet been officially reported. But some reports indicate the vessel may have been struck by a Ukranian naval drone or UAV. Sochi has been targeted by Ukrainian naval drones several times in recent weeks.

Secret CIA assessment warns that Israel could face civil war or even state collapse as political, economic and social divisions deepen after years of war in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran, according to Drop Site News. The assessment identifies several pressures ahead of Israel's October 27 election, including: • Netanyahu's struggle to retain power. • Economic problems • Rising military spending. • Returning veterans suffering psychological trauma • Anger over ultra-Orthodox military exemptions • Dettler violence in the West Bank. The CIA has not confirmed the report.

Yemen's Ansarullah has apparently begun using drones equipped with precision-guided missiles against Saudi-backed forces in Yemen, allowing them to strike both moving and fixed targets with greater accuracy. Ansarullah did not previously have this level of precision-strike capability. The technology appears to be Iranian, and it appears Iran has supplied Ansarullah with this capability along with other drones and missiles. Ansarullah's drone and missile capabilities have expanded significantly in recent years, including improvements in range, accuracy and targeting.

Rabbi Dov Lando, a leader of Israel's Lithuanian Haredi community: I don't know what would have happened if there had never been a state. It would have been possible to live peacefully with the Arabs, and it would have been good if Arabs ruled here as well. While the Arabs had never been good, the Zionist movement made them hate us. They made the Arabs hate us. Zionists are thieves. The fighters are being killed because their rabbis teach them a distorted Torah.

JUST IN: Yemen's Ansarullah has once again struck oil facilities in Riyadh, in response to Saudi airstrikes on Yemen. Large plumes of smoke and fire are rising from the area.

Britain has warned Israel that it could expel 27 Israeli diplomats from the embassy in London if Israel goes ahead with plans to close the British consulate in East Jerusalem, according to Ynet. The consulate is set to close on October 8 following an order from Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar. The decision comes in response to UK sanctions on Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Israel is preparing for another strike on Iran even without US involvement. Israeli planning is heavily focused on Iran's nuclear program and its remaining stockpile of highly enriched material, including material believed to be hidden beneath Pickaxe Mountain. Israeli military is also preparing for renewed fighting with Hezbollah and believes another major round of fighting with Hamas in Gaza is eventually inevitable, according to Israel Hayom. The timing is politically significant. Israel's next election is scheduled for october 27.

BREAKING: Pakistan and Türkiye have officially agreed to provide and rapidly deploy military forces and capabilities to Saudi Arabia under the Mecca Defense Alliance. This follows weeks of Ansarullah missile and drone attacks on Saudi cities, oil facilities and other critical infrastructure. This is the first known activation of the alliance's collective-defense agreement since it was signed in August.

Yemen's Ansarallah has killed a Pakistani military advisor who was assisting Saudi-backed forces on the front lines in Yemen's Marib province – Tasnim. He was providing operational support and advice to Saudi-backed forces during a military operation on the Marib front. Some reports claim the strike hit a Pakistani aid truck. However this appears unlikely given that the attack took place directly on the front lines

US has given Israel the green light and lifted operational restrictions on Israeli Air Force operations over Iraqi airspace, shortly after the US completed its military withdrawal from Iraq – Erem News According to reports, this could give Israel greater freedom to target Iran-backed armed groups across the region. Israeli planning is reportedly focused on disrupting the land corridor linking Tehran to Beirut through Iraq, known as the 'Shia Crescent' The route is reportedly used by the IRGC to transfer advanced weapons, ballistic missiles and long-range drones to its allies in the region.

JUST IN: Yemen's Ansarullah has struck another Aramco oil refinery, this time in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

BREAKING: Yemen's Ansarullah has declared the entire airspace over Saudi Arabia unsafe and urged airlines to avoid flying through it.

BREAKING: Saudi Arabia's East-West oil pipeline has been struck again by Yemen's Ansarullah, shortly after it was restored. Satellite imagery shows large plumes of smoke rising from the pipeline following the attack. The pipeline is strategically important because it carries Saudi crude to Yanbu on the Red Sea coast, allowing the country to bypass the Strait of Hormuz. It can transport up to 4 million barrels of oil per day, equal to around 4% of global oil supply.

Despite Iran's blockade and the continued threat of attacks on shipping, oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz have recovered to nearly 80% of pre-war levels – Reuters However the new shipping routes are extremely expensive. Tanker rates have risen to more than $1.2 million per day, while freight costs have jumped from 3% to 27% of the delivered cost of oil. These higher shipping costs are keeping Brent crude above $100 a barrel even as oil supplies through the region recover.