Middle East live: Trump warns Iran 'not to get cute' over activity at Pickaxe Mountain
France 24 · LC · trust 75/100
By: FRANCE 24 US President Donald Trump speaks at the Republican midterm convention on September 9, 2026. Le président américain Donald Trump s'exprime lors d'une convention républicaine, le 9 septembre 2026 à Dallas aux Etats-Unis © Eric Lee, AFP President Donald Trump said on Wednesday the United States may hit Iran's Pickaxe Mountain, warning them "not to get cute." He also commented that oil prices that have surged because of the Iran war likely won’t come down until after US midterm elections, as his advisors warned the conflict could extend through the remainder of his presidency. Follow our liveblog for the latest updates.
Vessel transits at the Strait of Hormuz fell slightly on Wednesday to seven, compared with the previous day's 12, preliminary shiptracking data showed on Thursday, with levels also lower than the 10-day average of 14.
Out of these seven, four vessels exited and three entered, according to the data.
Some vessels could be sailing through the waterway with their transponders turned off and these are not considered in the counts.
President Donald Trump said Wednesday that oil prices that have surged because of the Iran war likely won’t come down until after US midterm elections.
Oil prices on Wednesday jumped more than 3%, pushing international Brent crude past the $100 threshold for the first time since July as salvos between the US and Iran escalated.
“Right after the election, oil prices are going to be tumbling downward,” Trump said. “I think it’s going to take a little bit longer than the midterm.”
Multiple American military aircraft suffered damage in strikes overnight on the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, CBS reporter Jennifer Jacobs said on Wednesday on X.
One A-10 Thunderbolt, known as the Warthog, was struck and left with a missing wing, while roughly eight F-15s sustained light damage and were placed back into service, she added.
President Donald Trump said on Wednesday the United States may hit Iran's Pickaxe Mountain, urging Tehran to be cautious.
"We notice there's a little activity at Pickaxe. I would advise Iran not to get cute because we will have to hit them very hard," Trump said in a speech at the midterm Republican convention.
Pickaxe Mountain, located near Iran's heavily damaged Natanz uranium enrichment facility, is a fortified site that hosts two deeply buried tunnel complexes.
Trump has been threatening strikes on Pickaxe Mountain since at least mid-July.
The rise in oil and gas prices due to the US-Israeli war on Iran, which began in February, has become a major issue for Trump and his Republican Party in the lead-up to the midterm US elections in November.
Welcome to the France 24 liveblog covering events in the Middle East. You can catch up on yesterday's key developments here .
© 2026 Copyright France 24 - All rights reserved. France 24 is not responsible for the content of external websites. Audience ratings certified by ACPM. ACPM
Read the original at France 24 →
Open in TruthVane →