Morning update

Live Blog Update| War on Iran 4 September 2026 06:14 BST Good morning Middle East Eye readers, Here are the latest developments: South Korea is reviewing practical options, including possible military measures, for supporting freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, a presidential Blue House official said on Friday. The official has denied claims suggesting that Seoul provided no assistance in the matter, saying they were "not true". US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent that the European Union has officially joined Washington’s economic pressure campaign against Iran. In a post on X, Bessent thanked the EU for its "strong and early stance" after joining Operation Economic Outcast. "The world is sending a clear message to the Iranian regime: We will not stop until every remaining financial lifeline has been severed," he added. Donald Trump said that he was appointing Adam Telle, assistant secretary of the Army for civil works, as the acting US Army Secretary. This came after the White House confirmed earlier this week that former army secretary, Dan Driscoll, submitted his resignation. Driscoll’s departure came following reports of increasing tensions with Pete Hegseth as well as signs of unease in the Pentagon over how the Trump administration is prosecuting the war on Iran. The US House of Representatives approved a Republican-backed bill that would penalise universities participating in boycotts of Israel as well as those restricting students from travelling there. The Protect Economic and Academic Freedom Act passed 237-169, with the bill set to move to the Senate. The United Nations Human Rights Office for Palestine said Israel must “end its unlawful presence and evacuate all settlers from the occupied West Bank” following the killing of two Palestinian teenagers on Wednesday in the village of al-Mughayyir. In a post on X, the agency said the settler and state violence against the people in the village have led to the “complete displacement of Palestinians” in the area, calling Israel to “fulfill its obligation under international law”.