World News Today Live Updates: Iran claims it struck an oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz

Sep 19, 2026 05: 36 AM IST.

Key points

• Saudi Civil Defence additionally withdrew earlier alerts for the Jazan region, the city of Abha and the governorates of Khamis Mushait, Jeddah, Taif and Yanbu.
• Saudi Civil Defence has withdrawn an alert for potential danger in the Farasan governorate, located regarding 40km (25 miles) off the coast of Jizan in southwestern Saudi Arabia.
• The alert, sent by the National Early Warning Platform for Emergency Cases, had been issued regarding 10 minutes earlier.
• Trump notes he is banning CNN, MS NOW and Politico from White House over their coverage.
• Iran claims it struck an oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, and other Mideast developments.

President Donald Trump remarked Friday that he was banning CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House due to what he called unfavorable coverage, and threatened that more such prohibitions of media outlets could follow.Meanwhile, in-person voting for this year's midterm elections is underway in Virginia, ushering in the final six weeks for Americans to decide which party they trust to lead Congress at a time of a cost-of-living crisis, a prolonged war in Iran and other pressing matters. Sep 19, 2026 05: 35 AM IST.

While hundreds of thousands of residents rallied in Tehran in the largest show of backing for the administration since the United States and Israel introduced attacks in February, iran notes it struck an oil tanker trying to transit the Strait of Hormuz.

Meanwhile, South Korea notes it is considering expanding a naval operation in the Gulf of Aden to protect its ships and oil-shipping routes, but it will not send troops to intervene in the Iran war. Sep 19, 2026 05: 34 AM IST. Saudi Arabia lifts alert for Farasan governorate.

In practice, the alert, sent by the National Early Warning Platform for Emergency Cases, had been issued regarding 10 minutes earlier. The withdrawal notice remarked the danger had passed.

It pressed residents to continue after instructions from the civil defence and to avoid gatherings or filming. Sep 19, 2026 05: 33 AM IST.

Welcome to our live blog covering today's key developments throughout the Middle East and beyond. We'll be tracking the situation in real time from Iran's asserted strike on a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz and the massive pro-government rally in Tehran. Stay with us as we bring you the latest updates worldwide.

For now, world News Today Live Updates: Iran claims it struck an oil tanker remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.