Morning recap

Good morning, Middle East Eye readers. Here are the key developments from across the region:

The U.S. President Donald Trump has stated that the Iran war is "small potatoes" for the United States, warning that American military may target Iran's Pickaxe Mountain. Israeli strikes in southern and eastern Lebanon killed at least three people and injured 23 on Friday.

Iran's army spokesman Brigadier-General Mohammad Akrami Nia announced that Iran will carry out "pre-emptive operations" whenever it perceives a threat. The U.S. State Department approved a potential sale of Joint Direct Attack Munitions-Extend Range to Saudi Arabia for around $5 billion.

Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz dropped sharply on August 31, with only five confirmed crossings, a 50 percent decrease from the day before, according to Kpler, a maritime data firm. Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett once again labeled Qatar an "enemy," calling for Israel to take action against it.

Iranian army spokesperson Brigadier General Mohammad Akraminia declared that the U.S. and Israel suffered a "major defeat" in their recent aggression against Iran, failing to achieve their stated objectives. U.S. government investigators subjected 50 members of the Joint Staff to polygraph tests over leaks of information regarding the Iran war to journalists.

The U.S., Britain, France, and Germany are seeking a resolution by the UN nuclear watchdog's board next week, accusing Iran of violating international agreements for the first time in 20 years. Palestinian media reported land seizure, vandalism, and raids by the Israeli military and settlers in the West Bank. Tunisian police arrested prominent journalist Mohamed Yousfi, a vocal critic of President Kais Saied.