• Silence and sanctions:US President Donald Trump said the situation with Iran is “so good” right now after telling his administration envoys earlier this week to halt any talks with Tehran. Meanwhile, on social media, Trump said he’s launching a “crushing economic operation” against the US adversary
• Economic reality:Global oil prices remain high, with the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz causing a fuel supply crisis. Iran’s Foreign Ministry said the US blockade of Iranian ports made it “considerably more difficult” to import goods to the country and has contributed to price increases
• Israeli admission:Elsewhere in the Middle East, the Israeli military acknowledged for the first time that it opened fire on the vehicle carrying 5-year-old Hind Rajab in Gaza in 2024, adding that it had opened a criminal investigation into the killing
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Ships are anchored in the Strait of Hormuz, off the coast of Bandar Abbas, Iran, on August 10, 2026.
Global oil prices remain high as US-Iran peace talks stall, with the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz causing a fuel supply crisis, as US President Donald Trump claims that “right now, I think the situation is so good” with Tehran
Also on Wednesday, Trump took to Truth Social to announce the US would exert more financial pressure on Iran. The president’s latest conflicting string of messaging comes after he told administration envoys earlier this week to halt their conversations with Iran, per a US official
Here’s the latest on what Trump has said regarding the ongoing war in Iran:
- Trump told reporters Wednesday that talks could resume again with Iran “at some point” and reiterated his claim that the United States is in “possession” and in “complete control” of the Strait of Hormuz.
- Hours later on Wednesday, Trump shared on Truth Social that the US would begin “the MOST CRUSHING ECONOMIC OPERATION EVER TAKEN AGAINST ANY COUNTRY.” Tehran faces “Economic Warfare and Isolation on an unprecedented scale,” he added. The president did not offer further details about the economic operation or what measures it would entail.
- Trump continued, warning there would be economic consequences for any “country that allows its financial institutions, businesses, airports, or government entities to provide any type of lifeline to Iran.”
- Iraq’s parliament speaker called on Iran to grant Iraqi oil exports going through the Strait of Hormuz “special status,” according to the state-run Iraqi News Agency.
- In the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait — where clashes have intensified in recent weeks — data shows at least 45 vessels crossed, including eight tankers and eight cargo ships going to the Gulf of Aden. Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis claimed Wednesday to have targeted eight Saudi oil tankers since late July, when it declared a maritime blockade on Saudi shipping, according to a Houthi-run news agency.
- Meanwhile, the number of US service members wounded since the start of the Iran war has passed 750, according to the Defense Department’s war casualty database.
CNN’s Tal Shalev, Lisa Wong, Alejandra Jaramillo, Billy Stockwell, Mostafa Salem, Molly English, Piper Hudspeth Blackburn and Magdalena Vitores Moreno contributed reporting
President Donald Trump speaks at General Motors’ Milford Proving Grounds in Milford, Michigan, on July 27, 2026, during a rally in which he repeatedly labeled Democrats as communists.
President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that the US would exert more financial pressure on Iran as a deal to end the war remains at an impasse
The president did not offer further details about the economic operation or what measures it would entail. He also wrote that there would be economic consequences for any “country that allows its financial institutions, businesses, airports, or government entities to provide any type of lifeline to Iran.”
Earlier on Wednesday, Trump said the “situation” with Iran “was so good,” telling reporters that talks could resume again, “maybe at some point.”
He also answered a question about potential sanctions at an event at the White House. “Well, we have things that we could sanction,” Trump said. “We have very draconian sanctions, and we’ll see what happens.”
Vessels near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, August 17, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer
The number of US service members wounded since the start of the Iran war has passed 750, according to the Defense Department’s war casualty database
The Pentagon updated the database on Wednesday, recording more than 50 additional wounded soldiers, as talks between Tehran and DC to end the conflict remain at an impasse
The Defense Department created the “Overseas Operations” category last month in DCAS for service members killed and wounded “starting July 7.” The Pentagon has yet to provide any additional details or specify the conflict in which the casualties have occurred
The July 7 date aligns with the day that President Donald Trump’s administration told Congress that a new conflict with Iran had begun in a War Powers Act notification
CNN has reached out to the Pentagon for additional clarity on the category
Wednesday’s updated numbers come weeks after the Pentagon drew scrutiny from media outlets and lawmakers after the killed and wounded numbers decreased in DCAS as Iranian attacks continued. Four deaths and dozens of injuries disappeared from the totals last month before being restored
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Netanyahu defends strike in Syria as Israel’s top general issues veiled threat to Turkey
0:26• Source:
CNN
Netanyahu defends strike in Syria as Israel’s top general issues veiled threat to Turkey
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We heard more from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday about an Israeli strike on a military air base in Syria
Netanyahu defended the strike, once again asserting that Turkey — a NATO ally of the US that is one of Israel’s top regional adversaries — was intent on deploying forces there
“How will I describe it?” he continued, adding that the message was: “Don’t.”
The Trump administration’s Syria envoy, Tom Barrack, criticized Israel’s actions on Tuesday as an “unnecessary escalation that does not advance regional stability.”
But on Wednesday, Israel’s military chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, issued a veiled warning to Turkey as he met with Israeli troops in Syria. “We must prevent the development of terrorist threats, while also preventing the formation of a significant military threat on our borders,” Zamir said
He did not explicitly mention Turkey in his comments. “We know how to use our operational capabilities precisely, where and when needed,” Zamir added
US President Donald Trump ramped up his efforts to isolate Iran, threatening Tehran with an “economic D-Day,” according to a post he shared on social media. He promised “tremendous economic consequences” for any country aiding Iran
But the efficacy of such a plan was called into question
President Trump promised “tremendous economic consequences” for any country aiding Iran
2:23• Source:
CNN
President Trump promised “tremendous economic consequences” for any country aiding Iran
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