Authorities say three people have been killed in a Ukrainian attack on Russia’s Belgorod region.

U.S. Congresswoman Yassamin Ansari has harshly criticized the Trump administration's military action against Iran and called for the impeachment of Defense Secretary Peter Hegseth. In the six months since Trump launched this illegal war, a U.S. airstrike on a school has killed 120 children; 18 U.S. service members have been killed; Americans are suffering from record-high oil prices; and Trump and his sons have profited immensely by investing in defense technology companies that have secured government contracts. Trump and Hegseth have achieved nothing in this war; soldiers, children, and innocent civilians have died needlessly. This war must end, and Peter Hegseth must be impeached.

The Iranian government stated that it pledged to resolutely resist US sanctions, and that diplomacy and defense are "complementary and inseparable."

Former U.S. Ambassador to Iraq and Kuwait, Douglas Silliman, stated that a lack of clear strategy in a U.S. war against Iran could leave Washington with a series of shifting objectives. When Trump launched the conflict, he had no specific strategic goal other than overthrowing the Tehran regime. The regime did not collapse, so Trump subsequently announced "five or six" other objectives in the following weeks. Now the objective has changed again—Trump wants to "reopen the Strait of Hormuz" and "reduce or eliminate" Iran's nuclear program "through negotiations." Whether these changes constitute "more precise objectives" or "lower standards" depends on the perspective. If you are a Republican in the White House, then the objectives are more precise. If you are a critical analyst observing from the outside, then it's a case of not knowing what you wanted to do in the first place, and then constantly lowering standards in an attempt to extricate yourself.

The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre reported that a 4.9-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Northern California, USA, at a depth of 10.0 kilometers.

According to HFI Research, we have written extensively since the beginning of 2026 about the “golden opportunities” we see in Colombia and Venezuela. At the beginning of the year, the arrest of former Venezuelan President Maduro surprised the market. Now, President Trump has announced that the US has reached an agreement with Venezuela on certain oil production blocks. Details have not yet been released, but recent press releases suggest that some major players are about to reclaim substantial production blocks (Chevron is clearly the first candidate). In Colombia, the president, who took office on August 7, has wasted no time and quickly set about restructuring the national oil company (Ecopetrol). The Colombian Ministry of Finance has convened an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders on September 15, after which the Colombian president will be able to nominate six new board members, thus gaining full control of the board, following expected amendments to the company's articles of association. As the Colombian Ministry of Finance stated in a post: “The national government will submit a shortlist of nine candidates for the Ecopetrol board, with a clear mission: to increase production, regain trust, and advance the energy transition.” To achieve this mission, Ecopetrol will need external capital to increase production in older oil fields, unlock new reserves, and improve efficiency. This cannot be achieved on its own, so it is effectively an invitation for independent producers to join. From a geopolitical perspective, Colombia and Venezuela remain two of the most undervalued regions in the energy sector (and still are).