The Strait of Hormuz is to remain closed until the US meet the conditions agreed in an interim deal, according to Iran’s top negotiator Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf in comments shared by state media
Conditions include lifting a marine blockade and sanctions as well as freeing Iran’s frozen assets
President Donald Trump has separately threatened to attack Oman – a US ally – if it “gets in the way” of his efforts to force a peace deal with Iran
“If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb the s**t out of them,” Trump told Fox News,after reports that Oman and Iran are working out their own solution to control the strategic waterway
A vessel was struck by an unknown projectile while leaving the vital shipping route on Tuesday morning, a day after a 60-day memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran expired, according to the UMTO
The attack comes asTrump told reporters on Monday that Iran would not make the type of deal with his country that he thought was “necessary”
Iran said it would shift its policy from defensive to “fully offensive” due to the deadlock in efforts to agree a permanent end to its war with the US
Qatar provides update on Iranian pilots and Omani talks
Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesperson says that mediators are waiting for Oman and Iran to reach a bilateral agreement on Hormuz
The country was accused of capturing three Iranian pilots after downing fighter jets, which it denies
On Tuesday it reiterated its invitation for an Iranian delegation to visit Qatar to discuss the issue and said its appeal for the Red Cross to get involved is a “media ploy”
The spokesperson added that agreement over the Strait of Hormuz would make it much easier to resume US-Iran talks
Maira Butt18 August 2026 13:20
In pictures: Netanyahu votes in Likud primary elections ahead of general election in October
Maira Butt18 August 2026 12:50
Mapped: Where is the Strait of Hormuz
Maira Butt18 August 2026 12:20
Israeli minister calls for killing of ‘30 to 40’ people in Gaza every night
An Israeli politician has publicly advocated for killing “30 to 40” people in Gaza every night
Itamar Ben-Gvir, the minister of national security in prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, made the comment while speaking on the first episode of the podcast The 8 October
The podcast is hosted by Rom Braslavski, a survivor of the 2023 Nova Music Festival attack who spent two years as a Hamas hostage
Mr Ben-Gvir criticised Israel’s recent decrease in strikes on Gaza and said he disagrees with Mr Netanyahu’s approach
“I think targeted assassinations should be carried out in Gaza, taking down 30 to 40 every night,” he said
Israeli minister calls for killing of ‘30 to 40’ people in Gaza every night
‘There are people there who are not worthy of life … they’re not even people,’ he said
Maira Butt18 August 2026 11:20
Netanyahu puts NYC mayor Mamdani alongside Iran’s Ayatollah on enemies poster
Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud’s party has cast New York mayor Zohran Mamdani alongside Iranian and Hezbollah leaders in a campaign advert for the forthcoming Israeli elections
The billboard seen in the country’s capital TV features the new Iranian supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei, Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Hezbollah’s security-general Naim Qassem against a jet black background
“They want Netanyahu to lose, don’t let them win,” reads a caption alongside it
Netanyahu reposted the image saying: “Don’t let them win.”
Netanyahu puts NYC mayor Mamdani alongside Iran’s Ayatollah on enemies poster
‘Don’t let them win’ read the campaign message, showing the New York mayor alongside Hezbollah and Iranian leaders
Maira Butt18 August 2026 10:50
Strait of Hormuz to remain closed until US meets deal conditions, says Ghalibaf
The Strait of Hormuz is to remain closed until the US is able to meet the conditions agreed in an interim deal, according to Iran’s parliamentary speaker and top negotiator Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf in comments shared by state media
Conditions include lifting a marine blockade and sanctions as well as freeing Iran’s frozen assets
Maira Butt18 August 2026 10:20
Asia shares decline as worries about rising oil prices outweigh perks from strong earnings
Asian shares declined in early Tuesday trading, as rising oil prices and worries about inflation worked as a dampener on some markets, countering the optimism that had come from robust corporate earnings reports
Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 dipped 1.6% to 68,098.54. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 edged up 0.2% to 9,088.60. South Korea’s Kospi reversed course after surging earlier to drop 0.6% to 6,933.60. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng lost 0.6% to 25,289.88, while the Shanghai Composite shed 0.5% to 3,963.53
Analysts said robust earnings reports in Asia, following those from the U.S., are helping counter worries about what the war in Iran will do to the global flow of crude and its impact on energy prices. Japan, for one, imports almost all its oil
Asia shares decline as worries about rising oil prices outweigh perks from strong earnings
Asian shares are declining, as rising oil prices and worries about inflation work as a dampener on some markets
Maira Butt18 August 2026 09:50
Traffic through Strait of Hormuz rises to six vessels
Commodity vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has risen from two ships a day to six, according to shipping data
Maira Butt18 August 2026 09:20
Houthis attack Saudi refinery, says group’s news agency
Yemen’s Houthi news agency Saba is reporting that the group has attacked Aramco’s Jazan refinery in Saudi Arabia using drones, according to a military source
Saudi Arabia is yet to respond to the reports
Maira Butt18 August 2026 08:50
