A British-flagged tanker that Iran seized in July is now free to leave, the Iranian government said on Monday, more than a month after British authorities released an Iranian tanker that had been detained off Gibraltar.
The news offered a rare hint of easing tensions, at a time when Iran has been in an escalating cycle of confrontation with its Persian Gulf neighbors and the United States.
Iran had accused the British-flagged tanker, the Stena Impero, of violating maritime regulations in the Strait of Hormuz, but the seizure on July 19 was widely seen as retaliation for the detention of the Iranian tanker.
The legal proceedings against the Stena Impero have concluded, and Iran has decided to waive alleged violations, an Iranian government spokesman, Ali Rabiyee, said at a news conference, according to Iranian and Western news agencies that were present.
The ship had not left the Bandar Abbas, a port in southern Iran, as of midday, and it was not clear how quickly it would set sail. Erik Hanell, chief executive of the tanker’s owner, the shipping company Stena Bulk, told SVT, a Swedish television station, that he hoped it would be a matter of hours.
Iran detained the 23-member crew along with the ship. It released seven of them earlier this month, but the others have remained with the vessel.
A number of civilians have been killed in an air raid and ground assault on a Taliban hideout by Afghan special forces in the southern Helmand province.
There were conflicting reports on the number of people killed and wounded in the operation on Sunday night in Musa Qala district, which is under Taliban control.
Officials said the civilians killed were part of a wedding procession that came under fire during the operation targeting a house used by the Taliban.
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Omar Zwak, the provincial governor's spokesman, told Al Jazeera on Monday at least 14 fighters including six foreigners were killed, adding that authorities were investigating reports on civilian casualties.
"We know there have been civilian deaths in this raid but we don't have a number yet," he said. "However, we are investigating to find out more."
Attaullah Afghan, a member of the Helmand provincial council, told Reuters news agency that 35 civilians were killed and 13 wounded.
Abdul Majed Akhund, deputy provincial councilman, told The Associated Press news agency authorities were investigating reports that at least 24 people attending a wedding died in the raid.
Afghanistan's security forces have been heavily criticised for inflicting civilian casualties during night-time raids.
Afghan and allied international forces, including NATO, have killed more civilians in the first three months of this year than the Taliban and fighters from other armed groups, a UN report said in April.
At least 305 civilians have been killed by pro-government forces between January and March, 52.5 percent of all deaths in that period, according to findings from the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).
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In one of the most condemned incidents earlier this month, four brothers were killed in a raid conducted by the CIA-trained and funded 02 Unit of Afghanistan's spy agency, the National Directorate of Security (NDS).
On Friday, the US confirmed carrying out a drone attack on September 19 that killed at least 30 farmers in Nangarhar province. At least 40 others were wounded in the attack in Wazir Tangi area of Khogyani district.
The United States and the Taliban began peace talks last October in Qatar, with the aim of ending the almost 18-year-old war in Afghanistan.
But in a surprise move, US President Donald Trump announced last month after the nine round of talks that negotiations were cancelled without a deal.
A week after the talks were cancelled, Trump said in a tweet that the Taliban have "never been hit harder".
"After Trump cancelling the peace deal with the Taliban, there has been increase in drone attacks and ground operations, that is causing increase in civilian casualties," Faizullah Zaland, a political analyst based in Kabul, told Al Jazeera.
"It wil deepen mistrust among people in the Afghan government and will deepen the current crisis,"
"US must play a more responsible role in ending the meaningless war and prevent Afghan civilian casualties with immediate effect," he said.
Afghanistan will hold its fourth presidential elections on September 28 since US-led forces toppled the Taliban from power in 2001.
Rudy Giuliani channeled President Trump Monday with a wee-hours Twitter blitz aimed at turning the Ukraine story currently roiling Washington into a big problem for Democrats.
Giuliani, the personal attorney for Trump and outspoken critic of Joe Biden and his son’s relationship with Ukraine, accused Kiev of laundering $3 million to Hunter Biden, suggested that the Obama administration turned a blind eye and made the prediction that the scandal is in its infancy.
"If Dem party doesn’t call for an investigation of Bidens’ millions from Ukraine and billions from China, they will own it,” he tweeted. "Bidens’ made big money selling public office. How could Obama have allowed this to happen? Will Dems continue to condone and enable this kind pay-for-play?"
Giuliani titled his first tweet, "NEW FACT," and said Hunter Biden received a one-time payment of $3 million from the Ukraine that went through Latvia and then to Cyprus, before entering the U.S.
Giuliani did not provide how he learned about the purported transaction but said prosecutors were stonewalled at the time when they inquired about the sum.
"Did Obama know that his VP, the one he put in charge of giving billions to Ukraine, had a son who was making millions on the board of one of the most corrupt companies in Ukraine," he tweeted. "[Hunter] Biden’s boss had stolen $5b from Ukraine and was a fugitive. Did Obama know? Did he approve?"
The Wall Street Journal reported Friday that Trump asked his Ukranian counterpart to investigate Hunter Biden, who had a key role in a natural gas firm, Burisma Holdings, that was being investigated by a Ukrainian prosecutor as part of a corruption probe. Hunter Biden has not been accused of wrongdoing during his time at the company where he made $50,000 a month as a member of the board of directors, according to the New York Times. Up until his role on the board, Hunter Biden has no experience in Ukraine, the Times reported.
At a conference two years after he left office, Joe Biden openly boasted about successfully pressuring Ukraine to fire that prosecutor when he was vice president.
Trump on Sunday appeared to confirm that he spoke about Joe Biden with Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelensky, but insisted that the call was routine. Democrats seized on his admission and some renewed calls for his impeachment. Political observers raised questions as to why Trump would allow himself to get into a position that it could even appear like he is seeking help from a foreign power to achieve political ends.
Giuliani, like many Trump supporters, stressed that the story is not the phone calls, rather the crony capitalism on display where the son of a sitting vice president could make millions working on the board of a Ukrainian gas company.
Trump accused Joe Biden of dishonesty in claiming that he never spoke to his son about his business dealings with a Ukrainian energy company, despite Hunter Biden telling the New Yorker that they spoke “just once” about it.
Iran's president has warned that foreign forces are threatening the security of the Gulf, after the US said it was deploying troops to the region.
Hassan Rouhani said foreign forces had always brought "pain and misery" and should not be used in an "arms race".
The US is sending more troops to Saudi Arabia after an attack on Saudi oil facilities both nations blame on Iran.
Mr Rouhani also said Iran would present a new Gulf peace initiative at the United Nations in the coming days.
This year has seen continuing tension between the US and Iran, following President Donald Trump's abandonment of a deal aimed at limiting Iran's nuclear activities in return for the easing of sanctions.
The latest flashpoint was caused by drone and missile attacks on the Saudi oil facilities at Abqaiq and Khurais on 14 September.
Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi rebels said they had carried out the attacks, but both the US and its ally Saudi Arabia - Iran's main regional rival - said Iran was behind them, something Tehran has strongly denied.
Angry rhetoric and its dangers
The crisis sparked by the attacks is being dangerously inflamed by angry rhetoric. President Trump's knee-jerk reaction was to tell the Iranians the US was "locked and loaded". So the region braced for a US retaliatory strike.
Washington pulled back, restrained by a nervous Saudi Arabia. Instead it is sending a small detachment of what are essentially military technicians to bolster Saudi Arabia's blatantly inadequate air and missile defences.
The move is defensive, and may not even be enough to prevent another "swarm" attack of explosive drones. Yet Iran's hard-line Revolutionary Guards are interpreting it as an aggressive, almost invasive, act.
The danger now is that one side or the other misinterprets the signals from the other side of the Gulf and does something that inadvertently propels this region into a war that nobody wants.
What has Mr Rouhani said?
He was speaking on the anniversary of the start of the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war, and alongside a series of military parades in Tehran and other cities.
"Foreign forces can cause problems and insecurity for our people and for our region," he said in the televised speech.
He called the deployment of such forces in the past a "disaster" and told them to "stay away".
"If they're sincere, then they should not make our region the site of an arms race... The farther you keep yourselves from our region and our nations, the more security there will be."
What about his peace initiative?
The president said it would be presented to the UN, which begins the main part of its general assembly in New York on Tuesday.
However, he gave no details, saying only that peace in the Strait of Hormuz could be achieved "in co-operation with various countries".
Media playback is unsupported on your device
Mr Rouhani said Iran was "ready to let go of the past mistakes" made by regional neighbours.
"In this sensitive and important historical moment, we announce to our neighbours, that we extend the hand of friendship and brotherhood to them," he said.
The Houthi rebels in Yemen have also made a peace initiative, saying they would end all attacks on Saudi Arabia provided the kingdom and its allies did the same.
The Pentagon announced on Friday that, in response to a Saudi request, there would be a moderate deployment to Saudi Arabia, not in the thousands and focused on air and missile defence.
Defence Secretary Mark Esper said: "We will also work to accelerate the delivery of military equipment."
The announcement brought a strong response from Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps - an elite branch of Tehran's military designated a terrorist organisation by the US.
Commander Maj Gen Hossein Salami said: "Whoever wants their land to become the main battlefield, go ahead. Be careful, a limited aggression will not remain limited. We will pursue any aggressor."
What was behind the oil attacks?
The Houthis have repeatedly said they were behind the oil attacks, the Saudis have repeatedly blamed Iran and Tehran has repeatedly denied any involvement.
Media playback is unsupported on your device
The attacks had a serious, if not long-term, effect on Saudi oil supplies.
The Saudis have displayed what they say is debris from Iranian-made weapons but have not yet released their full findings.
The Houthis have launched numerous drone, missile and rocket attacks on the Gulf kingdom.
It stems from their conflict with a Saudi-led coalition which launched an air campaign in 2015 against the rebels, who had ousted President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi and seized the capital, Sanaa.
The suspicion of Iranian involvement in the oil attacks stems from the more wide-ranging regional rivalry with Saudi Arabia and the antagonism over the abandonment of the nuclear deal.
The US has also blamed Iran for attacks on two oil tankers in the Gulf in June and July, as well as on another four in May. Tehran rejected the accusations in both cases.
Iran's president has warned that foreign forces are threatening the security of the Gulf, after the US said it was deploying troops to the region.
Hassan Rouhani said foreign forces had always brought "pain and misery" and should not be used in an "arms race".
The US is sending more troops to Saudi Arabia after an attack on Saudi oil facilities both nations blame on Iran.
Mr Rouhani also said Iran would present a new Gulf peace initiative at the United Nations in the coming days.
This year has seen continuing tension between the US and Iran, following President Donald Trump's abandonment of a deal aimed at limiting Iran's nuclear activities in return for the easing of sanctions.
The latest flashpoint was caused by drone and missile attacks on the Saudi oil facilities at Abqaiq and Khurais on 14 September.
Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi rebels said they had carried out the attacks, but both the US and its ally Saudi Arabia - Iran's main regional rival - said Iran was behind them, something Tehran has strongly denied.
What has Mr Rouhani said?
He was speaking on the anniversary of the start of the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war, and alongside a series of military parades in Tehran and other cities.
"Foreign forces can cause problems and insecurity for our people and for our region," he said in the televised speech.
He called the deployment of such forces in the past a "disaster" and told them to "stay away".
"If they're sincere, then they should not make our region the site of an arms race... The farther you keep yourselves from our region and our nations, the more security there will be."
What about his peace initiative?
The president said it would be presented to the UN, which begins the main part of its general assembly in New York on Tuesday.
However, he gave no details, saying only that peace in the Strait of Hormuz could be achieved "in co-operation with various countries".
Media playback is unsupported on your device
Mr Rouhani said Iran was "ready to let go of the past mistakes" made by regional neighbours.
"In this sensitive and important historical moment, we announce to our neighbours, that we extend the hand of friendship and brotherhood to them," he said.
The Houthi rebels in Yemen have also made a peace initiative, saying they would end all attacks on Saudi Arabia provided the kingdom and its allies did the same.
The Pentagon announced on Friday that, in response to a Saudi request, there would be a moderate deployment to Saudi Arabia, not in the thousands and focused on air and missile defence.
Defence Secretary Mark Esper said: "We will also work to accelerate the delivery of military equipment."
The announcement brought a strong response from Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps - an elite branch of Tehran's military designated a terrorist organisation by the US.
Commander Maj Gen Hossein Salami said: "Whoever wants their land to become the main battlefield, go ahead. Be careful, a limited aggression will not remain limited. We will pursue any aggressor."
What was behind the oil attacks?
The Houthis have repeatedly said they were behind the oil attacks, the Saudis have repeatedly blamed Iran and Tehran has repeatedly denied any involvement.
Media playback is unsupported on your device
The attacks had a serious, if not long-term, effect on Saudi oil supplies.
The Saudis have displayed what they say is debris from Iranian-made weapons but have not yet released their full findings.
The Houthis have launched numerous drone, missile and rocket attacks on the Gulf kingdom.
It stems from their conflict with a Saudi-led coalition which launched an air campaign in 2015 against the rebels, who had ousted President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi and seized the capital, Sanaa.
The suspicion of Iranian involvement in the oil attacks stems from the more wide-ranging regional rivalry with Saudi Arabia and the antagonism over the abandonment of the nuclear deal.
The US has also blamed Iran for attacks on two oil tankers in the Gulf in June and July, as well as on another four in May. Tehran rejected the accusations in both cases.
Iran is ready to destroy any country that launches an attack on its territory, a senior military official has said, after the US announced it was sending troops to support Saudi Arabia.
"Be careful and make no mistake," said the head of the Revolutionary Guards.
Iran denies the accusations by the US and Saudi Arabia that is behind recent attacks on two Saudi oil facilities.
A top Saudi official said "necessary measures" would be taken after the investigations were concluded.
Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel al-Jubeir did not give details of possible actions, but vowed to release the full findings of the investigations.
Yemen's Houthi rebels, who are backed by Iran, have said they were responsible for the attacks on 14 September.
Tensions between the US and Iran have escalated since US President Donald Trump abandoned a deal limiting Iran's nuclear activities and reinstated sanctions.
What did Iran say?
"Our readiness to respond to any aggression is definitive," Maj-Gen Hossein Salami told state media on Saturday. "We will never allow a war to enter our land."
"We will pursue any aggressor," he continued. "We will continue until the full destruction of any aggressor."
Maj-Gen Salami, who was speaking at the opening of an exhibition of captured drones in the capital, Tehran, added that "they will hit anybody who crosses" Iranian borders.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) are an elite branch of the country's military and have been designated a terrorist organisation by the US.
What about the US?
The US decision to send troops to Saudi Arabia was "defensive in nature", Defence Secretary Mark Esper told reporters on Friday.
He said Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates had requested military assistance, adding that the total number of troops who will be sent is yet to be decided.
The US forces would focus on boosting air and missile defences and would "accelerate the delivery of military equipment" to both nations, Mr Esper added.
Later on Friday, President Trump announced new sanctions against Iran while signalling that he wanted to avoid military conflict. The fresh sanctions, which Mr Trump described as "highest level", will focus on Iran's central bank and its sovereign wealth fund.
But he struck a more conciliatory tone in comments made in the Oval Office. "I think the strong person approach, and the thing that does show strength, would be showing a little bit of restraint," he said.
A game of brinkmanship
Analysis by Sebastian Usher, BBC Arab Affairs Editor
Iranian officials - both political and military - have issued a series of fierce warnings about any potential attack on their territory.
The US has adopted a less confrontational tone, but has continued with the Trump administration's policy of applying maximum pressure.
New sanctions targeting Iran's national bank and the mobilisation of more US troops in the Gulf are all part of this strategy.
What seems clear is that this remains a game of brinkmanship, with all sides still hoping to be able to pull back from a direct military confrontation.
But the pattern of dangerous escalation over recent weeks does not bode well for this strategy.
What happened in Saudi Arabia?
Strikes hit the Abqaiq oil facility and the Khurais oil field in Saudi Arabia a week ago, affecting the global oil supply.
On Wednesday, the kingdom's defence ministry showed off what it said were the remains of drones and cruise missiles proving Iranian involvement. The country was still "working to know exactly the launch point", a spokesman said.
The US has also said Iran was responsible. Senior officials have told US media outlets they had evidence the attacks originated in the south of Iran.
Media playback is unsupported on your device
Iran has repeatedly denied any role in the strikes, with President Hassan Rouhani calling the attacks a reciprocal act by the "Yemeni people".
On Wednesday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called the strikes "an act of war".
Mr Zarif warned on Twitter that Iran had no desire for war but "we will not hesitate to defend ourselves".
Meanwhile, the Saudi state oil company, Aramco, said it expects oil output to return to pre-attack levels by the end of September.
What's the background to all this?
The Houthis have repeatedly launched rockets, missiles and drones at populated areas in Saudi Arabia. They are in conflict with a Saudi-led coalition which backs a president who the rebels had forced to flee when the Yemeni conflict escalated in March 2015.
Iran is the regional rival of Saudi Arabia and an opponent of the US, which pulled out of a treaty aimed at limiting Tehran's nuclear programme after Mr Trump took power.
US-Iran tensions have risen markedly this year.
The US said Iran was behind attacks on two oil tankers in the Gulf in June and July, as well as on another four in May. Tehran rejected the accusations in both cases.
Iran is ready to destroy any country that launches an attack on its territory, a senior military official says.
The commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guard warned the US and its allies to "be careful and make no mistake."
The comments came shortly after the US announced it was sending troops to support Iran's rival, Saudi Arabia.
The US and Saudi Arabia have blamed Iran for recent attacks on two Saudi oil facilities.
Iran has denied that it was involved in the attacks. Yemen's Houthi rebels, who are backed by Iran, have said they were responsible.
Tensions between the US and Iran have escalated since US President Donald Trump abandoned a deal limiting Iran's nuclear activities and reinstated sanctions.
What did Iran say?
"Our readiness to respond to any aggression is definitive," Maj-Gen Hossein Salami told state media on Saturday. "We will never allow a war to enter our land."
"We will pursue any aggressor," he continued. "We will continue until the full destruction of any aggressor."
Maj-Gen Salami, who was speaking at the opening of an exhibition of captured drones in the capital, Tehran, added that "they will hit anybody who crosses" Iranian borders.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) are an elite branch of the country's military and have been designated a terrorist organisation by the US.
What about the US?
The US decision to send troops to Saudi Arabia was "defensive in nature", Defence Secretary Mark Esper told reporters on Friday.
He said Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates had requested military assistance, adding that the total number of troops who will be sent is yet to be decided.
The US forces would focus on boosting air and missile defences and would "accelerate the delivery of military equipment" to both nations, Mr Esper added.
Later on Friday, President Trump announced new sanctions against Iran while signalling that he wanted to avoid military conflict. The fresh sanctions, which Mr Trump described as "highest level", will focus on Iran's central bank and its sovereign wealth fund.
But he struck a more conciliatory tone in comments made in the Oval Office. "I think the strong person approach, and the thing that does show strength, would be showing a little bit of restraint," he said.
A game of brinkmanship
Analysis by Sebastian Usher, BBC Arab Affairs Editor
Iranian officials - both political and military - have issued a series of fierce warnings about any potential attack on their territory.
The US has adopted a less confrontational tone, but has continued with the Trump administration's policy of applying maximum pressure.
New sanctions targeting Iran's national bank and the mobilisation of more US troops in the Gulf are all part of this strategy.
What seems clear is that this remains a game of brinkmanship, with all sides still hoping to be able to pull back from a direct military confrontation.
But the pattern of dangerous escalation over recent weeks does not bode well for this strategy.
What happened in Saudi Arabia?
Strikes hit the Abqaiq oil facility and the Khurais oil field in Saudi Arabia a week ago, affecting the global oil supply.
On Wednesday, the kingdom's defence ministry showed off what it said were the remains of drones and cruise missiles proving Iranian involvement. The country was still "working to know exactly the launch point", a spokesman said.
The US has also said Iran was responsible. Senior officials have told US media outlets they had evidence the attacks originated in the south of Iran.
Media playback is unsupported on your device
Iran has repeatedly denied any role in the strikes, with President Hassan Rouhani calling the attacks a reciprocal act by the "Yemeni people".
On Wednesday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called the strikes "an act of war".
Mr Zarif warned on Twitter that Iran had no desire for war but "we will not hesitate to defend ourselves".
Meanwhile, the Saudi state oil company, Aramco, said it expects oil output to return to pre-attack levels by the end of September.
What's the background to all this?
The Houthis have repeatedly launched rockets, missiles and drones at populated areas in Saudi Arabia. They are in conflict with a Saudi-led coalition which backs a president who the rebels had forced to flee when the Yemeni conflict escalated in March 2015.
Iran is the regional rival of Saudi Arabia and an opponent of the US, which pulled out of a treaty aimed at limiting Tehran's nuclear programme after Mr Trump took power.
US-Iran tensions have risen markedly this year.
The US said Iran was behind attacks on two oil tankers in the Gulf in June and July, as well as on another four in May. Tehran rejected the accusations in both cases.
