Iran has flatly denied that negotiators plan to meet with their US counterparts on Monday in the latest blow to Donald Trump’s hopes of an imminent end to the war
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said that Tehran is not currently holding any talks with Washington, and is rather in discussions with Oman about securing a temporary safe route through the Strait of Hormuz
Baghaei added that reaching an agreement with Oman is not sufficient to reopen the strait, as the situation will remain unchanged while U.S. “aggression” continues
The comments came after the US president announced on Saturday that talks would resume today, after he said he had called off a major attack in order to give diplomacy another change
Trump claimed on his Truth Social platform that Iran and other Middle Eastern countries had asked for time to complete a deal that would lead to “the Immediate, Complete and Total” reopening of the strait and “an end to Iran’s nuclear threat” but that Tehran must “rapidly make a DEAL.”
That apparent de-escalationfollowed days of threats of new attacks from each side. Attacks have spread across the Gulf to the Red Sea and even a Mediterranean facility in Egypt
Mapped: Very little moment around the Strait of Hormuz on Monday
James Reynolds3 August 2026 10:45
UK ‘at risk of recession’ if Strait of Hormuz remains closed into 2027
Britain’s economy could be sent into a recession next year if the crucial Strait of Hormuz remains closed into 2027, a new report has warned
The latest EY economic outlook warns that if the Middle East conflict is not resolved and the vital waterway – through which a fifth of the world’s oil and gas is normally carried – remains shut until early or mid-2027, gross domestic product (GDP) could grow by just 0.5 per cent this year and contract by 0.2 per cent next year
This adverse scenario could see inflation soar to 6.4 per cent by the end of 2026 due to surging oil and energy prices, the report cautions
UK ‘at risk of recession’ if Strait of Hormuz remains closed into 2027
EY’s latest economic outlook also warns that inflation could rise to 6.4% as oil and gas prices soar
James Reynolds3 August 2026 10:15
UK drivers steal almost £200,000 of fuel from petrol stations every day during Iran war
British motorists are stealing an estimated £200,000 worth of fuel from forecourts every day, a surge directly linked to the onset of the Iran oil crisis
Analysis by fuel theft prevention firm Forecourt Eye reveals a 20 per cent increase in incidents of fuel taken without payment in the five months following the conflict’s commencement on 28 February, compared with the preceding period
The escalating pump prices, driven by the ongoing war, have seen the value of stolen fuel jump by 48 per cent over the same timeframe, reaching an average daily total of £194,000 across the UK’s 8,359 forecourts
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UK drivers steal almost £200,000 of fuel every day during Iran war
First-time offenders accounted for a 23 per cent rise in incidents and a 26 per cent increase in the volume of fuel stolen
James Reynolds3 August 2026 09:45
In pictures: Ships pass through the Strait of Hormuz on Monday with talks to resume
James Reynolds3 August 2026 09:30
The latest: Iran dismisses talks of restarting negotiations with Trump today
Donald Trump had hoped to rekindle negotiations with Iran on Monday following another breakdown in diplomacy and repeated threats from both sides
The US president announced on Saturday that talks would resume, but declined to set a deadline for an agreement after earlier saying he had called off a major attack in a bid to give diplomacy another chance
For its part, Iran did not confirm talks will go ahead. On Monday, the spokesperson for the foreign ministry said there is “no plan to receive a delegation or send an Iranian one” in the coming days
Esmail Baghaei said plainly that Iran was not holding talks with the US and is, rather, in talks with Oman to work out a temporary safe round through the Strait of Hormuz, with a permanent resolution apparently no closer
He added that reaching an agreement with Oman is not sufficient to reopen the strait, as the situation will remain unchanged while U.S. “aggression” continues
Trump had claimed on his Truth Social platform that Iran and other Middle Eastern countries had asked for time to complete a deal that would lead to “the Immediate, Complete and Total” reopening of the strait and “an end to Iran’s nuclear threat” but that Tehran must “rapidly make a DEAL.”
As he returned to Washington from a weekend in New Jersey, Trump told reporters on Sunday that a negotiation would begin on Monday afternoon but did not provide details of where it would take place or who would be involved
Oil prices were down more than 4% in early trading on Monday
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi held phone calls with his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir to discuss diplomatic efforts, Iran’s state media reported on Sunday
James Reynolds3 August 2026 09:00
Recap: Trump says canceled Iran attack would have been biggest ‘since World War II’
President Donald Trump said Sunday that the strike on Iran he ultimately called off would have been the largest of its kind in decades
“It was going to be a massive attack,” the Republican president told reporters aboard Air Force One. “It was going to be an attack that would have been, by far, the biggest attack since World War II.”
His comments followed a Truth Social post on Saturday in which Trump wrote that the U.S. military was “locked and loaded” for what he cast as an unprecedented campaign against Iran
But, he said, he decided to hold back after appeals from Iran and several Middle Eastern allies, who suggested a deal was within reach
Read the full story:
Trump says canceled Iran attack would have been biggest ‘since World War II’
‘We were all set to go, but when the allies ask to call it off, you gotta sort of say ‘well let’s see,’ Trump said
James Reynolds3 August 2026 08:30
Watch: Trump says there ‘will be a deal on Hormuz’ as peace talks to resume
Prolonged Iran war can tip UK into recession next year – report
Britain’s economy could be sent into a recession next year if the crucial Strait of Hormuz remains closed into 2027 amid a prolonged Iran war, according to a report
The latest EY economic outlook warned that gross domestic product could slow sharply to 0.5 per cent this year and contract by 0.2 per cent next year if the Middle East conflict is not resolved and the vital waterway – through which a fifth of the world’s oil and gas is normally carried – remains shut until early or mid-2027
This adverse scenario could see inflation soar to 6.4 per cent by the end of 2026 due to surging oil and energy prices, the report cautioned
But if the Strait of Hormuz reopens by the end of the third quarter of this year, EY’s base case forecast suggests growth will remain fairly resilient, with EY upgrading its outlook to 0.9 per cent expansion in 2026 and maintaining its prediction for 1.2 per cent growth in 2027
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar3 August 2026 07:25
£200,000 of fuel stolen from UK forecourts every day since Iran war began
Drivers have stolen an average of nearly £200,000 worth of fuel from UK forecourts every day since the start of the Iran oil crisis, according to analysis
Fuel theft prevention company Forecourt Eye said incidents of fuel taken without payment soared by 20 per cent in the five months after the conflict began on 28 February, compared with the preceding five months
The increase in pump prices driven by the war means the value of stolen fuel rose by 48 per cent over the same period, reaching an estimated daily average of £194,000 across the UK’s 8,359 forecourts
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar3 August 2026 07:09
Israeli strikes kill 18 across Gaza
Israeli airstrikes struck Gaza for a second consecutive day on Sunday, killing at least 18 Palestinians, medics reported. The renewed violence unfolded despite an announcement from US president Donald Trump of a breakthrough in efforts to implement last year’s ceasefire agreement
From dawn, Israeli warplanes targeted Gaza City in the north, the central city of Deir al-Balah, and the southern area of Khan Younis, marking the highest daily death toll in weeks
President Trump’s assertion on Thursday, claiming Palestinian Hamas militants and other armed groups had agreed to disarm, had previously raised hopes of a turning point in efforts to end the conflict
More here
Israeli strikes kill 18 across Gaza despite Hamas agreeing to disarmament deal
Since a ceasefire was agreed in October, at least 1,230 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes, according to Gaza health authorities
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar3 August 2026 06:55
