Iranian cargo ship is struck, and talks between Tehran and its neighbors are postponed

CAIRO (AP) — An Iranian cargo vessel was struck early Sunday off Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian state media said, and Tehran postponed a plan to brief neighboring countries on its contested efforts to manage shipping in the strait.

The attack drew attention back to the strait after threats to shipping in the Red Sea intensified last week. Iran-backed Houthi rebels battling government forces in Yemen captured an island on the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a crucial shipping alternative to the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran's state-run IRNA news agency quoted the Qeshm governor as blaming a “terrorist enemy” for Sunday's attack, which it said killed one and wounded four.

There was no immediate comment by the U.S. military, which has struck Iranian-flagged vessels during its blockade of Iranian ports and faces a new threat from Iranian ballistic missiles launched at its warships.

Qeshm Island, about 14 miles (22 kilometers) from the port city of Bandar Abbas, is key to Iran asserting control over the Strait of Hormuz.

Hours before the attack, Iran’s government remained defiant. “Our people can’t be bullied into submission. Iran won’t surrender,” President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a social media post.

U.S. President Donald Trump disagreed, saying on Sunday that Iran “wants to make a deal so bad” that “they’re calling constantly.” Trump spoke at his golf course in Doonbeg, Ireland, where he was attending a tournament.

Later, when asked by a reporter whether the U.S. struck the Iranian cargo vessel early Sunday in the Strait of Hormuz, Trump said: “I don’t want to say.” He then boarded Air Force One to head back to Washington.

Iran had said foreign ministers from regional countries would meet Monday in Oman to discuss efforts by Iran and Oman, located on the other side of the strait, to manage shipping on it. But the foreign minister of Oman, Badr Albusaidi, said on X late Sunday that the meeting had been postponed “in the interests of consensus.”

Iran and Oman agreed to postpone the talks “at the request of some regional countries,” said Mohammad Ali Bak, an official in Iran’s foreign ministry who was quoted by IRNA on X.

Saudi Arabia has submitted amendments to the Iran-Oman agreement, citing concerns that the emerging deal could have lasting implications for the Strait of Hormuz that could negatively impact other Gulf Cooperation Council countries, according to a Gulf official familiar with the matter who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Commercial ship traffic remains low in the Strait of Hormuz as attacks continue on what was seen as an international waterway before the U.S. and Israel launched the war on Feb. 28.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations monitor said Sunday that a vessel was hit by a projectile while transiting the strait, though it wasn’t clear if this was referring to the attack Iran had reported off Qeshm. The monitor said a severe fire had broken out and that local authorities were evacuating those on board.

The U.S. has asserted that plenty of oil is getting out as its military helps to guide ships along Oman's coast, at the risk of being struck.

Before the meeting in Oman was postponed, only Iraq had publicly confirmed plans to attend. Bahrain had said it would not attend, citing a lack of diplomatic relations with Tehran.

Since early in the war, Iran has expressed interest in having ships pay fees for transit. It has said traffic into the Persian Gulf would pass through Iranian waters, while the outbound route would pass partly through Iranian waters and partly through Oman’s.

There had been some optimism in the region about the planned meeting, with hope that Gulf nations might use it to assert a collective response to a war they had no part in starting. For months, they have faced Iranian attacks that Tehran has claimed target U.S. military assets on their lands.

On Sunday, Iran’s president said he had a “good talk” over the weekend with a top official from the United Arab Emirates on the sidelines of a global summit of leading developing nations.

Iran has fired thousands of missiles and drones at the Gulf country, a close U.S. ally.

Pezeshkian said he met with Abu Dhabi’s crown prince, Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed, while attending the BRICs summit in New Delhi.

“We talked about the issues of concern so that it’s possible to put the past behind us, to look toward the future and how we can build the future together,” Pezeshkian said. His comments were aired live on Iranian state television.

Anna reported from Jerusalem. Associated Press writers Amir Radjy in Cairo, Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv, Israel, and Aamer Madhani and Didi Tang in Washington, contributed to this report.

A woman walks past a banner showing portraits of the late Iranian revolutionary founder Ayatollah Khomeini, left, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, center, and the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in northern Tehran, Iran, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Women hug each other as they react to the camera at the Tajrish square in northern Tehran, Iran, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

A fruit seller waits for customers at the Tajrish square in northern Tehran, Iran, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

A motorboat travels past commercial vessels anchored amid haze in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, Monday, Sept. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Angel Reese is the biggest star left on the WNBA's brightest stage as she gets her first chance at winning a pro championship.

It’s been a tumultuous journey but coming to Atlanta this season has been the perfect move for the three-time All-Star, whose accomplishments this year have quieted many of her critics. Leading the Dream to the franchise's first title would silence the rest of them. That quest begins Saturday when the best-of-seven series against the Golden State Valkyries opens in California.

Reese is the first player from the heralded 2024 draft class that saw Caitlin Clark go No. 1 to reach the finals as a starter. The 6-foot-3 Reese went seventh in that draft to the Chicago Sky and has used that to fuel her to become one of the top players in the league — winning the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year award this season.

“I think it was important for me to go through what I went through,” Reese said of falling to seventh in the draft. “Being able to build character, going through adversity drove character and I was able to learn from a lot of things, being able to continue to be great, but also learning to know that I can be better.”

Her first two seasons ended early, not just by missing the playoffs, but also because of injuries. She had wrist surgery at the end of her rookie year and had a back issue last year. Despite leading the WNBA in rebounding each of her first three seasons, averaging a double-double every year, critics questioned her offensive efficiency.

Online keyboard warriors came up with the phrase “mebounds" to call attention to Reese grabbing her own misses. Reese, who has her own custom Barbie doll, turned that into a positive. She created a business initiative and donated some of the proceeds to her foundation to combat cyber bullying.

“One thing that always set Angel apart as a rookie was her tenacity, her desire," NBC analyst Cheryl Miller said. "I think she’s one of those players who feels like the more you tell her who she’s not and try to set limits, she’s going to break those feelings every time.”

Reese has already matched Breanna Stewart and A'ja Wilson. Those WNBA icons also reached the finals in their third season in the league. Reese will try to follow Stewart and win the title in her first try.

Reese didn't make the playoffs in her first two years in the league when she played with Chicago. Atlanta general manager Dan Padover said the night his team lost to Clark and the Indiana Fever in the playoffs last season that he decided he needed to acquire Reese. She was the missing piece that the franchise needed to get back to the WNBA Finals for the first time since 2013. So he did just that, trading for Reese.

“Coming to Atlanta, obviously the goal for me was just to get them past the first round, because I wanted that for them," Reese said. “I watched them last year when they played how they came up short, and we saw the film from the beginning of the season."

Reese said that coach Karl Smesko still played those clips from when they lost in the first round. She didn’t make the postseason in her two years in Chicago. She just wanted to get a chance to play in the playoffs, and after helping Atlanta knock off Washington and New York, she has the Dream in the championship round.

“I think the expectations for me have risen beyond what I expected,” she said. “Obviously I didn’t know we were going to be going to the finals, but obviously now the expectation is being in the finals every single year. Being here with the Dream, it just makes it a lot of fun. They pour into you, the organization is great, so I really love it.”

Reese has drawn high praise from Golden State coach Natalie Nakase, who worked with her at the World Cup.

“Yeah, she’s an ultimate, ultra competitor,” Nakase said. “To me, when we were at USA, you heard her voice constantly. So when she didn’t start, you heard her. She was constantly cheering her teammates on when they needed to. She constantly called them out when we needed energy."

Nakase said Reese's competitive edge is a huge reason Atlanta is in the finals, and she knows Reese "is not going to let any possession slip.”

Reese is no stranger to winning championships. She helped LSU win the NCAA title her junior year, beating Clark and Iowa in the title game that had over 18 million people watch on television. She also was on the U.S. national team that won a fifth straight World Cup last month.

“All of them are just like win or go home situations for me," Reese said of her college experience. "That’s kind of the mindset how it’s always been. Every game I’m treating it like it’s win or go home, and making sure I put my body out there every single night and give it my all, every little detail.

“We always talk about the value of one, that’s Karl’s big emphasis,” Reese said. "The value of one, the value of one, one rebound, one box out, one shot, one free throw, making sure I am perfecting and doing everything right. That’s kind of been the mindset for me.”

AP Sports Writer Janie McCauley and freelance writer Alan Cole in Atlanta contributed to this report.

See AP’s full WNBA coverage here

Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese, right, celebrates with DeWanna Bonner, left, after their team defeated the New York Liberty in Game 3 of the WNBA basketball semifinals, Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)

Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese (5) and DeWanna Bonner (24) ask for a review during the second half of Game 3 of the WNBA basketball semifinals against the New York Liberty, Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)