Morning Briefing: Sept. 3, 2026

Here is a rundown of all the news that you need to start your Thursday, including President Donald Trump saying the US is fighting Iran to protect Israel, the Middle East and the West; Iran claiming it laid new mines in the Strait of Hormuz; and Germany investigating
“state-sponsored sabotage” after power grid attacks.

TOP STORIES

Trump says US fighting Iran to protect Israel, Middle East, West

President Donald Trump said the US is confronting Iran to protect Israel, the Middle East and Western nations from potential attacks.

"We're doing it to help the Middle East. We're doing it to help Israel. We're doing it to help ourselves because after they annihilate Israel, which they would have done very gladly, and then the Middle East, then they come after Europe and they come after some of our cities," said Trump.

He said the US is "doing really well with Iran."

Iran claims new naval mines laid in Strait of Hormuz

Iran claimed it laid additional naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz, while mockingly dismissing US claims of control over the strategic passage.

"During last night's operation, more naval mines were laid along the illicit routes south of the Strait of Hormuz," a spokesman for Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters wrote on US social media company X.

Germany investigates ‘state-sponsored sabotage’ after attacks on power grids

Germany is investigating “state-sponsored sabotage and left-wing extremism” after an attempted attack on the power grid near Cologne, said North Rhine-Westphalia Interior Minister Herbert Reul.

Reul told a news conference that there was an “initial suspicion” of an anti-constitutional act after unidentified suspects targeted a substation in the Rheidt district of Bergheim.

Officials are examining two possibilities: “foreign-state directed sabotage and left-wing extremism,” he said, adding that neither can be ruled out.

NEWS IN BRIEF

• US President Donald Trump said Washington is prepared to launch another attack on Iran "any time we want" after claiming US forces carried out a heavy strike against Iranian military equipment.
  
• Eighteen people are dead and 108 injured in Iran following US attacks.
  
• The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier arrived at Thailand’s Laem Chabang port following a deployment that included combat operations in the Iran war and 286 days at sea.
  
• Kuwaiti air defenses engaged hostile missile and drone attacks from Iran.
  
• Two Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces and occupiers during a raid on the village of Al-Mughayyir in the occupied West Bank.
  
• Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, captured by the US in January, petitioned a New York federal judge to dismiss drug-trafficking and narco-terrorism charges against him.
  
• Finland summoned Russia’s ambassador for a drone incident at Germany’s Leipzig Airport.
  
• The Russian Foreign Ministry summoned Germany’s charge d’affaires in Moscow for alleged "anti-Russian actions and statements" by German authorities.
  
• Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus President Tufan Erhurman said wreckage of a capsized passenger vessel off Girne has been located.

BUSINNESS & ECONOMY

Venezuela signs major energy deals with Chevron, Eni

Venezuela signed major energy investment agreements with US oil company Chevron and Eni in Italy during a visit to Caracas by US Energy Secretary Chris Wright.

Chevron confirmed it will invest more than $7 billion in the next five years in its Venezuelan joint ventures with state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), aiming to raise output to approximately 600,000 barrels per day.

G20 nations reach consensus on global technology policy

G20 ministers concluded a two-day Innovation Ministerial in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, reaching a consensus on the governance and deployment of emerging technologies.

The consensus outlines shared objectives in six critical pillars. They include pro-innovation policy frameworks, technology for opportunity and prosperity, and skilled technical workforce development. The principles specifically urge member nations to invest in foundational research and strengthen commercialization pathways.

The framework also prioritizes intellectual property policies for Artificial Intelligence (AI) alongside the creation of standards for AI systems and industrial innovation through investment in supply chains.

SPORTS

Türkiye remain atop FIBA World Cup 2027 European Qualifiers power rankings

Türkiye retained the top spot in FIBA's latest Smart Power Rankings for the 2027 Basketball World Cup European Qualifiers after becoming the first European team to secure a qualifying spot for next year's tournament in Qatar.

FIBA published the eighth edition of its rankings following the opening two games of the Second Round, with Türkiye maintaining its No. 1 position with a perfect 8-0 record.

Nordic football associations seek EU action for FIFA governance concerns

The football associations of Denmark, Finland and Sweden have asked the European Commission to act on concerns about governance, transparency and decision-making at FIFA under President Gianni Infantino.

The officials said recent developments at FIFA had caused "serious concern," pointing particularly to the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise project.