Middle East crisis live: Hamas will hand over weapons to new Gaza administration, says official, but deal depends on Israeli withdrawal
Iran said it struck two tankers trying to pass through the strait of Hormuz under the escort of the US military, as Donald Trump gathered his cabinet at to discuss the stalling war and rising prices as midterm election in the US loom. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said they had hit two tankers trying to pass through the strait on Friday. The IRGC said the “non-compliant oil tankers … were struck and brought to a halt, while four other oil tankers quickly changed course and returned to their previous positions”. The military body said the ships had tried to pass through the waterway via an “undeclared route” and under US aerial escort. Iran and the US have said ships should pass through the strait via two competing routes, with Iran bombing ships that take the southern route, close to the coast of Oman, and the US bombing ships that violate its blockade of Iranian ships and ports. The strait has been almost completely closed to traffic since Iran and the US returned to fighting two weeks ago, sending energy prices soaring. On Thursday, the price of crude oil pushed past $90 a barrel when the US struck Iran in retaliation for its targeting of US bases in Jordan.
Iran strikes tankers under US escort in Hormuz strait as Trump gathers cabinet to discuss war
Iran said it struck two tankers trying to pass through the strait of Hormuz under the escort of the US military, as Donald Trump gathered his cabinet at to discuss the stalling war and rising prices as midterm election in the US loom. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said they had hit two tankers trying to pass through the strait on Friday. The IRGC said the “non-compliant oil tankers … were struck and brought to a halt, while four other oil tankers quickly changed course and returned to their previous positions”. The military body said the ships had tried to pass through the waterway via an “undeclared route” and under US aerial escort. Iran and the US have said ships should pass through the strait via two competing routes, with Iran bombing ships that take the southern route, close to the coast of Oman, and the US bombing ships that violate its blockade of Iranian ships and ports. The strait has been almost completely closed to traffic since Iran and the US returned to fighting two weeks ago, sending energy prices soaring. On Thursday, the price of crude oil pushed past $90 a barrel when the US struck Iran in retaliation for its targeting of US bases in Jordan. Fighting continued on Friday, with the Kuwaiti defence ministry reporting that it shot down Iranian drones targeting “vital and military facilities” without any casualties. In Lebanon, the Israeli military carried out a huge detonation overnight near the ancient Beaufort Castle. It said it was targeting Hezbollah tunnels and infrastructure. The explosions was heard across south Lebanon and covered nearby towns in ash, while photos showed the affected area levelled by the force of the blast. Lebanese officials accused Israel of violating the ceasefire by carrying out the detonation. The Israeli military said it was ensuring the security of its northern residents. Trump has tried to open the strait of Hormuz by force, but increasingly intense US strikes on Iran have yielded few results. The price of gas and groceries remain high in the US as a result of the energy disruption, complicating Republicans chances at the ballot box in November’s midterm elections. On Friday, Trump brought his cabinet together at the Camp David retreat in Maryland to try to chart a path forward for the war. The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, said at a briefing last week that the cabinet meeting would be “a lot of fun and something different for the cabinet to experience together”. Top of the agenda will be the Iran war, which Trump promised would last a few weeks but has now dragged on for five months. A Reuters-Ipsos poll this week found that one in three Americans support the war, the lowest polling since the war began. Support in Congress is also waning, with the US Senate narrowly rejecting a symbolic vote to express disapproval of the war. The war powers resolution asking the president to stop the war failed in a 49-50 vote. Inflation caused by the war is a boon for Democrats, who are hoping to wrest control of the house from the Republicans. Energy companies have posted record profits as a result of the conflict, with ExxonMobil’s profits doubling and Chevron reporting more than five times its profits in the same time period last year.
Daughter of British couple killed in Spanish wildfire rejects claim they ignored order to leave
The bereaved daughter of a British couple who died in a Spanish wildfire is calling on Ed Miliband to get answers from Spain’s government about why her parents were not told to evacuate until it was too late. Severe wildfires have burned across Spain and France since early July, killing people, destroying thousands of homes and forcing more than 300,000 people to flee. Pete and Fran Gillam, who lived in Bédar in Almería, died in mid-July while fleeing their home as a wildfire tore through the village. They were among 13 who were killed in the fires, many of whom died in their cars as they fled. Danielle Kirton, 42, an assistant headteacher from Nottinghamshire, has spent the weeks since her parents died looking for answers. She knows her mother would have followed official advice should she have been given it. Though the fire alert came at 4.30pm, the evacuation order did not come until more than three hours later. Kirton said this was delivered by a lone police officer, who was “frantically driving from house to house” and Spain’s official emergency alert system, which plays a loud noise on mobile phones and tells people to evacuate, was not used. “My mother sent me a video at 6.45pm showing the fire a considerable way away from the hill where they live,” Kirton said. “She didn’t sound worried or concerned. I kept in contact with her and she sent me a message saying at 7.53pm that they’d evacuated.” However, the decision to evacuate was made tragically late. “They stopped at a neighbour’s driveway to shout to a neighbour they needed to evacuate, but then they became trapped as the fire had jumped on both sides of the road.” There are now other wildfires burning in much of Spain and south-west France, but there have been no civilian casualties so far. In the small village where her parents lived, 13 people died. “It would appear that somewhere within that system there has been a failure. If you look at the subsequent wildfires in Spain there have been no casualties and the biggest difference is the emergency alert was used in subsequent wildfires,” Kirton said. She said her mother loved living in Bédar and as a retired headteacher took much joy in organising quiz nights to fundraise for the local school. She had a bag packed and she was ready to evacuate. “She was just waiting to be told what to do,” Kirton said. Spanish politicians have claimed that those who died ignored instructions. “My parents did not ignore instructions. My parents would have not had an issue with instructions in Spanish,” Kirton said. “My parents heeded advice to shelter in place, until they were then told that they needed to evacuate. They took the correct route, and their only route, to the evacuation point. It is a weak and cowardly act to blame victims in the face of tragedy.” The response from the Foreign Office has been a “slap in the face”, she added. “The help from the consulate has been nonexistent. We got sent a link: ‘What to do when someone dies abroad.’ That is it. It is a slap in the face, to be honest.” Miliband has been visiting France and Spain to discuss wildfires and the climate crisis with political leaders. Kirton said: “As UK citizens it is important to ask for his support in asking Spanish authorities to conduct a full and thorough investigation. Scientists say the fires have been worsened by the climate crisis, which has intensified the recent heatwaves. Kirton said this makes it more crucial that lessons are learned so no one has to go through what she has. “It’s vital for planning for the future that we see what exactly were the contributing factors in this case. It’s a perfect storm, the weather, the climate, the vegetation, the wind. My parents weren’t concerned before – it isn’t something they felt fearful of, it wasn’t something that happened where they lived.” Kirton has been working every day since her parents died trying to get answers and a substantial response from the Spanish authorities. She said: “My mum and dad would have always spoken up for what’s right and if I can do anything for them it’s that we can ask for the truth and ensure this never happens again to any other families.” The Foreign Office and the Andalusian government have been contacted for comment.
World-renowned climber Nirmal Purja among 10 struck by avalanche on Pakistan mountain
The world-renowned Nepali mountaineer Nirmal Purja – a former British Special Forces member – is among 10 climbers caught in a deadly avalanche on Pakistan’s Broad Peak. Rescuers on Friday said four bodies had been found and efforts were under way to retrieve them despite the harsh weather. Two of the dead have been identified: Pur Bahadur Gurung, a Nepali citizen, and Nadhira Alharthy, who was the first Omani to climb Everest. Purja, also known as Nims Dai, made history in 2019 after climbing all of the world’s 14 peaks over 8,000 metres in just over six months, cutting years off the previous record. He later led the first team to summit K2, the world’s second-highest mountain in winter, a highly coveted achievement. Also among those missing are the US climber Mallory Geis, a Chinese national, Wang Zhong, and Pakistani and Nepali high-altitude workers. Trackers carried by the climbers showed a rapid loss of altitude, suggesting the team had been caught in an avalanche. Purja’s tracker, however, shifted location after the initial rapid descent. The GPS data suggested the avalanche occurred close to 9am local time at 6,579 metres (21,585ft), between camp two and camp three on the mountain’s west ridge, the most popular ascent route. According to Climbing magazine, Geis’s tracker showed a sudden descent of 543 metres, while Alharthy’s tracker showed a much-larger descent of 1,651 metres. Commenting on the rescue efforts, a spokesperson for police in the mountainous Gilgit-Baltistan region said “preliminary reports indicate that four bodies have so far been recovered”, adding that the condition of the remaining climbers was still being verified. A statement by the Alpine Club of Pakistan suggested an avalanche had struck a group of climbers around midday on Thursday. “The entire team has been out of communication since the avalanche,” the statement added, as rescue teams including helicopters and drones were being sent to help with rescue efforts. The statement added: “Every possible effort is being made to ensure that helicopter support and all available rescue resources are mobilised at the earliest opportunity, subject to weather and operational conditions.” Irfan Arshad Khan, the president of Alpine club in Pakistan, said: “We can confirm the death of three climbers, as we received two dead bodies and a body part of another climber.” Purja’s business partner, Mingma Gyabu Sherpa, who is also a member of the Nepali house of representatives, said data appeared to show continuing movement from Purja’s tracking device after the initial incident. “Initially, it appeared that he had been swept downhill by the avalanche,” he told the Nepali news site Kantipur. “But after the point where the tracking had stopped, the location appears to have shifted again.” Mingma added that one Pakistani and one Nepali climber had set out overland towards the suspected avalanche site to check reports that one climber’s location appeared to be near the base of the mountain. “We have received information that one person’s location appears to be near the foot of the mountain. A search team has gone there to verify it,” he said. Mingma cautioned that they did not have any indication of Purja’s condition, simply that the location of the tracker had shifted. In person, Purja was striking for his confidence and self belief. His rapid chain of ascents of the world’s tallest mountains demonstrated strength and a talent for logistical organisation, using the exploit to showcase what he felt were the overlooked abilities of Nepali climbers. His profile was boosted after he starred in a 2021 Netflix documentary on the feat. The previous record for climbing all 14 was seven years; his record was surpassed in 2023. Purja has also attracted controversy, however, including a high-profile claim, which he denied, of sexually inappropriate behaviour. Purja was leading an expedition for his company, Elite Exped, on Broad Peak, the world’s 12th-highest mountain at 8,047 metres (26,401ft), when the avalanche occurred. The Alpine Club of Pakistan received “deeply concerning” reports on Thursday that an avalanche had struck the team. The expedition includes five Nepali climbers, as well as US, Pakistani, Omani and Chinese nationals. Another foreign climber was also part of the group, said the club vice-president, Karrar Haidri. “The club prays for the safety and successful rescue of all the climbers and stands in solidarity with their families and the international mountaineering community during this difficult time,” it said in a statement. Purja, who is also a British citizen after joining the British army in 2003, opted to use supplementary oxygen for his ascents, justifying his choice by the huge size of the challenge he had set himself. Purja had written on X this week that he was close to becoming the first person to climb all 14 mountains over 8,000 metres twice without oxygen. “Broad Peak, I ask for nothing but safe passage up and back down,” he wrote. “I take zero mountains for granted. Not one. The moment my foot leaves basecamp, it’s 100%. Always has been. Always will be. “My purpose has never been about me. It’s about what I represent. It’s about showing YOU that your own mountains – whatever they are – are climbable.” With Associated Press
What to know about Ceuta, Spanish city on EU’s border in Africa
Thousands of people have streamed into the tiny Spanish territory of Ceuta in north Africa from Morocco, with at least 18 dying in the attempt, prompting Spain to deploy its military to restore the border. Videos and images from the frontier showed crowds of people, mainly Moroccans, walking around the breakwaters at an urban beach near a border checkpoint with Morocco on to local roads. The majority appeared to be young men, though there were also families with women and children. It was not immediately clear what prompted so many people to cross to Ceuta. Spain’s government said it would send the armed forces to help the civil guard in Ceuta. The Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, was expected to visit on Friday. An autonomous Spanish city in continental Africa Ceuta and the larger Spanish territory of Melilla, which is 250 miles east, are located on the Mediterranean coast at the tip of Africa. Both autonomous cities belong to Spain and share the European Union’s only land borders with Africa. In Spanish possession since 1580, Ceuta is home to a mixed population of Christians and Muslims, and Spanish and Moroccan residents and day workers who live in relative harmony. Morocco does not officially recognise Ceuta and Melilla as Spanish territory and often refers to them as occupied lands. A migration and diplomatic flashpoint between Spain and Morocco Ceuta has been a flashpoint in diplomatic crises in recent memory between Madrid and Rabat. In May 2021, the Moroccan government dropped its border controls and let about 8,000 people from Morocco and sub-Saharan countries pour into Ceuta in just two days. The move was broadly interpreted as retaliation for Spain’s decision to allow a pro-independence leader from the disputed Western Sahara region to receive medical treatment at a Spanish hospital. Tensions were defused only after Sánchez shifted his country’s longstanding position on Western Sahara and met the Moroccan king, Mohammed VI, the following year. A destination for migrants trying to reach Europe Spain is a main point of arrival into Europe for people seeking better economic opportunities or an escape from violence in their home countries. Ceuta and Melilla are heavily fortified as they are seen as destinations for those trying to reach Spain from Morocco and other parts of Africa. Many migrants who reach Ceuta or Melilla are immediately turned back, while others are held in migrant shelters and can apply for asylum in Spain. To reach Ceuta, people often swim from the Moroccan town of Fnideq, covering about 3 miles (5km). Others attempt the crossing from the nearer town of Belyounech. Migrant arrivals to Ceuta and Melilla are generally much lower than those reaching Spain through the Canary and Balearic Islands. Spain’s overall immigrant population has grown considerably in recent decades, with about 10 million people in the country of 50 million having been born elsewhere. Many are from Colombia, Venezuela and Morocco and work in key sectors of the Spanish economy including agriculture, tourism and the services sector.
‘Extremely scary findings’ show climate crisis is supercharging Europe’s wildfire weather
The extreme heat and drought stoking huge wildfires in Spain and France were made far more likely by the climate crisis, a scientific analysis has found. Global heating made hot, dry and windy weather at least 20 times more likely in Spain and twice as likely in France, experts from the World Weather Attribution (WWA) consortium calculated. The finding is the latest to pin the blame for the continent’s sweltering and deadly summer firmly on the heating caused by the burning of oil, gas and coal. The intense heatwave at the end of June, which is estimated to have killed 20,000 people, could not have happened without the extra heat trapped by carbon pollution, a previous WWA study showed. Another found that the climate crisis-driven heat was “sucking soils dry” as extreme drought spread across Europe. Searing heat and parched land led to very high “daily severity ratings”, the metric that was used in the new analysis and which measures how severe a wildfire will be if ignited. Studies of the 2025 wildfires also found they were supercharged by the climate crisis. This year’s wildfires in western Europe have been made worse by a wet winter and spring, which boosted the growth of vegetation, which then dried out and provided fuel for the fires – so-called whiplash conditions. Global heating is making winters wetter and summers drier and hotter in Europe. Dr Clair Barnes, a research associate at Imperial College London and part of the WWA study team, said: “We’ve seen repeatedly how climate change increases hot, dry, flammable conditions that are extremely conducive to wildfires. “What’s unique about [the July fires in Spain and France] is that it’s still early in the season – and with another heatwave looming, these findings are extremely scary. What we’re seeing is a clear sign of the escalating impacts of [human-caused] warming.” Julie Arrighi, the director of programmes at Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre, said: “What we are seeing now in Spain and France goes well beyond what we would expect from past events.” The wildfires have released huge plumes of toxic smoke. Dr Augustin Colette, at the French National Institute for Industrial Environment and Risks, said: “The smoke increased particulate [pollution] peak levels up to 20 times above what is considered ‘fair air quality’, and extremely poor air quality was felt up to 400 km away from the fires.” About 1.5 million people a year are estimated to have their lives shortened by wildfire smoke. Severe wildfires have burned across Spain and France since early July, killing people, destroying thousands of homes, and forcing more than 300,000 people to flee. The WWA analysis assessed the seven-day period with the highest daily severity ratings (DSR) for each country. The scientists used weather records and established statistical methods to estimate how much more likely a week of extremely high DSR is in today’s heated world compared with in the world before mass fossil-fuel burning raised the global temperature by 1.4C (2.5F). Big wildfires have also broken out in the UK and Greece, where three firefighters lost their lives. The UN’s climate chief, Simon Stiell, said: “These European megafires show how fast climate-driven extreme heat and dry landscapes can turn wildfires into devastating national disasters. “Humanity continuing to burn colossal amounts of coal, oil and gas is making these conditions more dangerous, and these megafires more deadly and destructive,” he said. “But the solutions are equally clear: all countries must move faster from fossil fuels to renewables and protect people from worsening climate impacts, from wildfires, to megastorms and floods, to droughts hitting food production.” The Guardian’s climate forum 2026 On Tuesday 20 October, join Damian Carrington, and our panel of experts – including Prof Andy Haines, Katie White MP, Asad Rehman, Shruti Suresh, Gareth Thomas and Amy Fairman – for a hopeful and solutions-focused evening. Book tickets here or at guardian.live
Iraq says it had ‘no prior knowledge’ of US-Saudi attacks – as it happened
We’re closing this page now and moving our live coverage to a new blog here, including a rundown on the latest key developments.