Iran has resumed the production of ballistic missiles from available components, and work is being carried out in underground facilities, the American newspaper "Wall Street Journal" wrote today, citing US officials and officials in Middle Eastern countries, BTA reports.
The missiles are being produced in more limited quantities than before the war, the American daily adds.
The Iranian armed forces are ready to launch “lightning strikes“ in defense of the country in the conflict with the US, the Iranian military leadership said earlier, quoted by DPA.
“Today we are able to quickly reach any point in the country and destroy the enemy, regardless of the situation in which he is“, said the commander of the ground forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Hassan Hassanzadeh in the area around the capital Tehran.
Oil prices continued to rise today against the backdrop of the growing conflict in the Middle East, including the offensive of the Yemeni Houthis, which further complicates shipping in the Persian Gulf region, Agence France-Presse reported.
As of 16:35 Bulgarian time Meanwhile, Brent North Sea crude for November delivery rose 3.58 percent to $104.83 a barrel, after earlier hitting $105.84, its highest since May.
U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude for October delivery rose 3.66 percent to $99.57 a barrel, after hitting $100.88.
The main driver of the price increase is the escalating conflict in the region. The Iran-backed Houthis announced today that they have established control over the Yemeni city of Moha on the Red Sea. This is a significant advance in their push towards the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
The strait connects Asia and Europe via the Red Sea and has become even more important for oil trade since the start of the Middle East war, as Iran, on the other side of the Arabian Peninsula, has blocked the Strait of Hormuz.
In July, the Houthis declared a naval blockade of Saudi Arabia and have already attacked ships passing through the area.
Saudi Arabia's oil output, which recovered in July, fell slightly in August, according to a monthly report released today by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
It highlights the difficulties the kingdom faces in maintaining high output amid Houthi attacks on its oil infrastructure and ships in the Red Sea.
Military action between the United States and Iran has also intensified since August 30, creating additional risk to oil exports from the region.
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright told Bloomberg that just under 11 million barrels of oil a day were passing through the Strait of Hormuz - figures that are disputed by analysts.
“In the last week of August, the volume was around 8 million barrels a day, but in recent days it has fallen below 2 million barrels, more like to around 1.5 million barrels a day“, Jorge Leon, an analyst at “Rystad Energy“, told AFP (Rystad Energy).
The effects of the war are being felt even more strongly in refined petroleum products.
In its monthly report, the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) predicted that US diesel fuel inventories would remain “low“ and diesel prices would be “high“ in the coming months.
In the US, the price of diesel at gas stations has been setting record after record in recent days. On Thursday, it averaged about $5.98 per gallon (3.78 liters), according to data from the American Automobile Association (AAA).