US steps up military activity near Iran – media

The US has stepped up military activity around the Strait of Hormuz, with reconnaissance aircraft spotted near Iranian territory and additional fighter jets reportedly deployed to the region, RIA Novosti reported on Thursday, citing sources.

US reconnaissance aircraft were observed overnight near the Iranian islands of Qeshm and Hengam, while aircraft and small drones were also seen over Kermanshah Province in western Iran, according to people familiar with the matter.

Washington has also reportedly transferred 12 F-16 fighter jets from Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany to the region, the source said, adding that the increased activity could signal a possible escalation.

The reported activity comes as oil tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has risen sharply. TankerTrackers, a vessel-tracking service, said this week that crude flows across the US Navy blockade line have doubled in less than a month to around 13 million barrels per day (bpd). It estimated actual Hormuz transits at about 10.35 million bpd after excluding exports from Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates and Mina al-Fahal in Oman.

The Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy routes, has been a major flashpoint since the outbreak of the US-Israeli war on Iran in February. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) moved to restrict shipping through the waterway following the initial strikes, while Washington later imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports. Oil flows through the strait fell from 21.6 million bpd in the final quarter of 2025 to 4.9 million in the second quarter of this year, according to US government data.

The tracking service attributed the increase partly to Saudi Arabia redirecting exports through the Persian Gulf following disruption to its East-West pipeline, as well as to daytime Hormuz crossings under additional US Central Command protection.

The East-West pipeline carries Saudi crude to the Red Sea, allowing exports to bypass the Strait of Hormuz. It had been transporting around 4 million bpd after the US-Israeli war on Iran disrupted shipping through the strait, but was shut earlier this month following drone attacks that Riyadh said originated in Iraq, where Iranian-backed armed groups allegedly operate.

Saudi Arabia restarted the pipeline at a reduced rate this week, although a return to normal flows could reportedly take several weeks.

The developments follow renewed threats from US President Donald Trump against Tehran. Addressing the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, Trump said he faced a “big decision” between reaching an agreement with Iran and “annihilat[ing] the Islamic Republic.” He also called on other countries to join Washington in economically isolating Iran.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian responded by saying Tehran remained open to talks but would not negotiate under pressure.

US and Iranian officials also resumed contact on the sidelines of the General Assembly, with Tehran conveying its conditions for peace through Qatari mediators. They include an end to hostilities and the US naval blockade, the release of frozen Iranian assets, and arrangements for reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei reportedly told Iranian state television that Tehran would not resume negotiations with Washington until its conditions are met.