The United States struck targets in Iran on Tuesday (Sep. 1) as hostilities flared again after a month without military action. The semiofficial Fars and Tasnim news agencies, seen as close to Iran's security forces, reported late Tuesday that Iran had launched missiles and drones in response. One US strike hit a home hosting a wedding, killing five people and drawing accusations of a 'war crime' from the Iranians. Iran's retaliatory strikes included ballistic missiles fired at Jordan, where American forces are based, and drones at the UAE, which were intercepted.

US Central Command said the strikes came after Tehran tried to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and US service members in the region. After the US and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28, Iran established a chokehold on the strait, through which a fifth of the world's traded oil passed in peacetime, slowing ship traffic to a trickle.

Prominent Hong Kong pro-democracy campaigner Joshua Wong pleaded guilty to collusion with foreign entities, a charge that carries a maximum sentence of life in prison under Beijing's sweeping National Security Law (NSL). Wong, 29, who became the poster child for political activism in Hong Kong, is already serving a sentence of four years and eight months after being convicted of subversion - another NSL violation - in late 2024. The court said Wong would be sentenced at a later date. His earlier jail term is due to end early next year.

Wong was at the forefront of the Umbrella Movement in 2014 and massive pro-democracy protests in 2019. The latest charge accuses Wong of conspiring with other campaigners, including exiled activist Nathan Law, to ask foreign countries and entities outside China to impose sanctions or blockades against Beijing. Critics say the NSL has created a climate of fear and quashed dissent in Hong Kong, but Beijing views the law as necessary to maintain stability.

The Dutch central bank (DNB) confirmed that it moved billions of dollars in gold from North America to London, citing "increasing geopolitical unrest". DNB said that 86 tonnes of gold had been removed from the US and Canada in a complex operation that took several months. It is now being held by the Bank of England, where the precious metal can be traded more easily "in a crisis situation".

Bank president Olaf Sleijpen said the move was "necessary to strengthen our resilience and preparedness". The decision comes amid an ongoing trade dispute between the US and Canada. DNB said the transfer, which took place between March and August, saw 27 tonnes of gold bars moved from New York and Ottawa to Zeist in the Netherlands. A similar quantity and quality was then moved to London, with no need to melt the bars down.

US oil giant Chevron is planning to expand its operations in Venezuela, an American official said this week, just days after President Donald Trump announced an ambitious deal to develop the nation's oil reserves and give the Pentagon a stake in the profits. The official, who briefed reporters on the expected announcement, said the company's officials and Energy Secretary Chris Wright were expected to visit Venezuela later in the week, where the new investment would be formally unveiled. The official spoke on condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the White House for the call.

Chevron is the second-largest US oil company and the only one with a major presence in Venezuela. The announcement came after the White House confirmed it is partnering with North American Blue Energy Partners (NABEP) as part of President Donald Trump 's push to tap into Venezuela's oil industry, setting up a deal that will give the Pentagon a stake over roughly a fifth of the country's vast oil reserves.