U.S. heating oil and diesel prices have risen sharply as the U.S.-Iran war, attacks around key Middle East waterways, and damage to Russian refining capacity tighten global fuel supplies. Recent developments include U.S. estimates putting the war’s cost as high as $45.1 billion, warnings about ammunition shortages, and reports of pressure on Ukraine to stop strikes on Russian diesel infrastructure. Diplomacy remains uncertain: Iran has set conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz and for talks, while China has urged Tehran to reopen the strait and Trump says Iran has contacted the United States about a possible deal.
UN investigators release a report alleging US war crimes in Iran and Iranian human rights abuses
Lee Jae-myung says South Korea will not join Middle East combat operations
Iran holds a large government-organized volunteer mobilization rally in Tehran
U.S. heating oil prices rise sharply amid Israel-U.S. attacks on Iran
The Pentagon reports to Congress that the US-Iran war has cost $45.1 billion
30 articles from 9 outlets
The article says U.S. diesel prices have surged to a record high as the Iran war and damage to Russian refining capacity tighten global supply. It reports the U.S. average reached $6.29 per gallon this week, up 68% from a year earlier, raising farmers’ harvest costs and pushing transport costs through the food supply chain. The report says prolonged diesel prices above $6 could add pressure to food prices, while crude oil has also topped $100 a barrel.
The article reports sources saying the Pentagon told Congress the U.S.-Iran war has cost $45.1 billion, not including repairs to damaged U.S. bases. It cites CNN, the Congressional Budget Office and the Associated Press to say spending has surpassed earlier estimates, with the war burning about $2 billion to $3 billion a month and expected to raise inflation in early 2027. It highlights soaring weapons costs, especially Patriot and THAAD interceptors, and says Iranian attacks have damaged hundreds of structures at Middle East bases.
The article reports that hundreds of thousands joined a government-organized military-style rally in Tehran on Sept. 18, declaring willingness to receive training and defend Iran in what it calls one of the largest such mobilizations since the United States and Israel attacked Iran in February. It quotes Iranian officials saying 313,000 attended in the capital and more than 600,000 have registered for volunteer action, while noting the figures cannot be independently verified. The report also highlights anti-US and anti-Israel slogans, weapons displays, and Iran’s criticism of a “cruel economic war.”
The article says this winter will be more expensive because U.S. heating oil prices have soared since Israel and the United States began attacking Iran in February, rising about 60% overall and 35% in the first month of the war. It quotes NEADA executive director Mark Wolfe saying current prices will seriously affect middle-class winter budgets, and a Vermont energy cooperative manager saying many people are delaying orders or buying minimum amounts. The report says gas and electricity have risen more mildly, but switching systems is often too costly.
The article says Iran claimed it laid mines in the Strait of Hormuz after U.S.-Israeli strikes, throwing a corridor for about 20% of global oil transport into panic. It says the U.S. military completed a four-month secret mine-clearing mission in early September, using SEALs, unmanned vessels and underwater vehicles at night instead of traditional daytime minesweepers. The article stresses mines’ psychological-warfare effect and says the operation exposed a new model combining special forces with unmanned systems.
The article says South Korean President Lee Jae-myung states South Korea will not send troops or military assets to participate in or intervene in a war over the Hormuz Strait. It says Lee responds to differing views inside the ruling party by stressing only “minimum activities” to protect Korean merchant ships, oil transport routes and citizens overseas. The report quotes him saying the Cheonghae Unit already conducts maritime security missions and that combat troops under foreign command will not happen.
The article says the US-Iran war has pushed a global energy crisis into full eruption, with diesel costs up more than 55% and oil still above US$100 despite a slight Sept. 17 dip. It quotes GasBuddy’s Patrick De Haan saying rebel attacks on US military bases show their ability to create chaos, while protests over fuel prices spread from France to Portugal, Syria, Guatemala and Lebanon. The report says airlines are cutting cheaper flights, and quotes Etihad Airways’ Neves warning ticket prices may rise next year.
The article says Trump’s pressure did not work: at a Blue House press conference, Lee Jae-myung says South Korea will “absolutely not” join combat or send troops in a way that intervenes in war near the Strait of Hormuz. It reports Lee still stresses protecting merchant ships, oil routes and citizens, and says Seoul is carefully weighing stronger defensive functions for the already deployed Cheonghae Unit. The article adds Lee has ordered a review of the ban on Korean merchant ships entering the Red Sea and links future Hormuz moves to U.S.-South Korea investment talks.
The article says Lee Jae-myung, ignoring pressure from the Trump administration, made clear South Korea will not directly or indirectly join the Middle East war. It quotes Yonhap citing Lee saying Seoul will not send troops to the Persian Gulf to participate in or intervene in war, while also saying South Korea must protect its nationals, merchant ships and oil routes. The report says the Cheonghae Unit may be sent near the Strait of Hormuz for escort and protection missions.
The article reports that UN independent investigators say there are “reasonable grounds” to believe the United States committed war crimes against Iranian civilians, while Iran’s government committed serious human rights violations against its own people. It highlights the report’s examples, including a Tomahawk missile strike on Shajareh Tayyebeh Primary School in Minab that killed more than 150 people, about 120 of them children, and another strike in Lamerd that killed 22 civilians. The report also says Iran escalated repression of protests with lethal force, arrests and executions.
The article says that despite the United States and Iran still being at war, the Trump administration has reversed course and will make an exception allowing senior Iranian officials to attend next week’s UN General Assembly in New York. Citing Reuters, it says Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi are expected to receive visas, while the State Department says the “core delegation from the Iranian regime” will be smaller than in past years and tightly restricted. The report contrasts this with Washington’s continued visa ban on Palestinian officials.
The article leads with an Iranian tanker smoking near Qeshm Island and says Iranian state media accused an “enemy” attack while the U.S. military gave no response. It says the Iran-backed Houthis claimed strikes on Saudi Aramco and an air base, while Gulf-Iran talks were postponed and reopening the Strait of Hormuz remains distant. The report cites a CNN investigation saying Russian spy satellites helped Iran gather intelligence on U.S. facilities, and closes with Tehran billboards declaring “Satan’s army will sink in the Persian Gulf.”
The article says crude prices plunged after Trump said Wednesday night that he hoped the Iran war would end soon and that he had received a message from Iran. It reports Brent fell below US$104 as the war spilled over, with Houthi forces and Saudi Arabia clashing again. The article quotes Trump saying Iran wants a deal, and cites Axios saying he will meet Gulf state leaders or foreign ministers at the UN next week to discuss the conflict.
The article leads with Trump saying Iran has contacted the United States “directly” and is “very eager” to reach a deal, reinforcing Washington’s signals that the nearly seven-month U.S.-Iran war may be nearing a turn. It quotes Vice President Vance saying the first phase of U.S. military action is complete and the focus will shift to preventing Iran from rebuilding military power. The report also cites Axios saying the White House is drafting a “day-after” plan for after the war.
The article says Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Beijing and publicly urged Iran to take effective steps to reopen the Strait of Hormuz early and return to its June MOU with the United States. It frames Beijing’s tone as more urgent because of recent Houthi attacks and says Wang gave Iran only ambiguous diplomatic language rather than support. The report quotes Araghchi saying Iran does not want to expand the conflict, while U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright says the strait has effectively reopened under U.S. escort.
The article says the nearly six-month US-Iran war has “burned” about US$38 billion in US defense spending, citing a September 15 CBO estimate that costs could rise by another US$2 billion to US$3 billion each month if the war continues. It emphasizes ammunition depletion, saying CBO estimates it could take at least five years to rebuild depleted stocks and that shortages could limit US response in another major conflict. The article quotes Brendan Boyle criticizing the human and economic costs under the Trump administration’s Iran policy.
The article says Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is set to visit Beijing after failing at the BRICS summit in New Delhi to win collective support for Tehran against the United States. It cites IranWire saying BRICS can do little for Iran: the rial has plunged, members such as India, the UAE and Brazil have their own priorities, and even China and Russia avoid direct confrontation with Washington. The report says the final statement did not include Iran’s requested explicit condemnation of U.S. and Israeli attacks.
The article reports that CBO says Trump’s war with Iran has cost $38 billion, is draining missile stocks, and could add $3 billion a month while pushing up inflation. It emphasizes Reuters’ point that the spending burdens federal finances, and says ammunition depletion may take five years to refill. The article quotes the White House and Pentagon rejecting shortage concerns, while Democrat Brendan Boyle calls the war “disastrous.” It says CBO warns key munition gaps could weaken U.S. readiness for a potential Taiwan Strait conflict.
The article quotes US Vice President JD Vance saying the US-Iran conflict will enter a “completely different phase” in the coming months, after what he calls a completed first stage of destroying Iran’s nuclear program, conventional forces, and power-projection capabilities. It says Washington’s next task is to prevent Iran from rebuilding those capabilities while maintaining stability. The report also says commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has recovered to well above 50% of normal, while US forces continue a maritime blockade of Iran.
The article recounts how a U.S. Air Force weapons systems officer known only as “Dude 44 Bravo” survived after an F-15E Strike Eagle was shot down by Iran, calling his survival a “modern miracle.” It says Bravo gave his first interview to CBS’s “60 Minutes” on September 13, describing his failed parachute, severe injuries, prayers, and 50 hours evading Iranian forces. The report quotes U.S. commanders saying large Iranian search forces were nearby as U.S. forces mounted a major rescue operation.
The article says the U.S. War Department inspector general confirms the United States faces ammunition shortages from its war against Iran, contradicting President Trump’s claim that stocks are sufficient. It reports Operation Epic Fury cost an estimated US$33.4 billion from February 28 to June 30, with US$22.3 billion in munitions consumed. The report says the shortage may alarm Ukraine and Taiwan, which rely on U.S. arms sales against or to deter larger hostile neighbors.
The article says CBS’s 60 Minutes has revealed details of a dramatic U.S. rescue behind enemy lines after an F-15E “Strike Eagle” was shot down over Iran in April by a $100,000 shoulder-fired missile. It quotes CENTCOM commander Brad Cooper saying the jet was striking industrial facilities tied to drone and missile programs, not nearby nuclear-enrichment sites. The report emphasizes Bravo’s injuries, CIA deception and tracking, and Cooper’s claim that more than 90 U.S. special operators entered Iran—the first such ground mission there in 46 years.
The article reports that Iran’s top security official Mohsen Rezaei warned Trump that the strategic balance around key Middle East waterways has changed and that Tehran will not negotiate with Washington until its conditions are met. It says Trump had left room for renewed contact, claiming Iran wants a deal “quickly and urgently” while insisting he will decide whether the US engages. The report frames the dispute through threats around the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb.
The article says The Wall Street Journal quotes US officials as revealing that Iran obtained high-resolution Chinese satellite images before a July 17 strike on a US base in Jordan that killed three US troops, calling it the most direct and deadly case of Chinese intelligence causing US casualties this year. It says Trump chose to cool-handle the issue before his summit with Xi Jinping, saying China is basically doing what the US also does: monitoring the other side. The report also cites Beijing’s denial and a Chinese military expert calling the claim a scapegoat for US failures.
The article leads with U.S. President Trump publicly urging Ukrainian President Zelensky to stop attacking Russian diesel facilities, quoting him saying the strikes are causing diesel fuel shortages. It says Ukraine’s long-range drone campaign has brought fuel rationing inside Russia, while Russia has intensified attacks on Ukraine’s power grid ahead of winter. The report also describes overnight mass drone attacks by both sides, casualties in Russia and Odesa, a gas station fire near the Polish border, and Moscow’s stated openness to three-way peace talks this fall.
The article says Iran’s top leadership is in a fierce power struggle, with hard-line security and military forces pushing further military confrontation with the United States while President Masoud Pezeshkian faces a basic question: who actually holds supreme decision-making power while Mojtaba Khamenei remains out of public view. It cites The New York Times as reporting that a hard-line faction ordered attacks on three commercial ships near the Strait of Hormuz without Pezeshkian, IRGC commander Ahmad Vahidi, or the Supreme National Security Council knowing or approving.
The article says Trump, facing public anger before the U.S. midterm elections as diesel tops $6 a gallon, publicly pressures Volodymyr Zelenskiy from his Ireland golf resort to stop Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian diesel and refinery infrastructure. It quotes Trump saying Zelenskiy must stop destroying Russia’s diesel supply and can hit “many other targets,” while blaming Kyiv and denying the Middle East caused the shortage. The report contrasts this with the IEA’s view that both the U.S.-Iran war and the Russia-Ukraine war are squeezing fuel supplies.
The article reports that the two-day BRICS summit in New Delhi closes with a declaration urging all sides in the Iran war to exercise “maximum restraint,” while saying nothing about Russia’s war of invasion against Ukraine. It quotes Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging stronger BRICS cooperation and stressing the bloc’s population, GDP and trade weight. The report also highlights Xi Jinping’s first India visit since 2019 and says Russia’s Dmitry Peskov reports Vladimir Putin welcomes China and India’s willingness to help with Russia-Ukraine peace talks.
The article’s headline frames the Hormuz Strait as possibly set to reopen, saying Iran’s president has laid out conditions for ending the blockade. It says the condition is for the U.S. side to stop military operations.