President Donald Trump said the Iran war was "small potatoes" for the United States while warning that American military strikes could target Iran's Pickaxe Mountain. An Iranian army spokesman, Brigadier-General Mohammad Akraminia, countered that the United States and Israel had suffered a "major defeat" in their latest aggression against Iran and "failed" to achieve stated objectives.
Israeli airstrikes in southern and eastern Lebanon on Friday killed at least three people and injured 23, according to the Lebanese health ministry. Separately, Iranian army spokesman Brigadier-General Mohammad Akrami Nia said Iran would conduct "pre-emptive operations" wherever it perceives a threat.
The United States, Britain, France and Germany are seeking a resolution by the UN nuclear watchdog's board next week to report Iran to the UN Security Council for the first time in two decades. The US State Department separately approved a potential sale of Joint Direct Attack Munitions-Extend Range to Saudi Arabia for an estimated $5 billion.
Maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz fell sharply on August 31, with five confirmed crossings compared with 10 a day earlier, according to maritime data firm Kpler. US government investigators have subjected 50 members of the American military's Joint Staff to polygraph tests over leaks to journalists regarding the Iran war.
In Israel, former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett branded Qatar an "enemy" and renewed calls for Israel to take action against the country. Palestinian media reported land seizures, vandalism and military raids in the occupied West Bank by Israeli forces and settlers.
In Tunisia, police arrested prominent journalist Mohamed Yousfi, described by his supporters as an outspoken critic of President Kais Saied.
