The Iran-US memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed in June between Iran and the US will expire today, even as the impasse in talks continues.
The 60-day memorandum was signed to halt the US and Israel's war on Iran and address Tehran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. However, since then there has been little improvement in the shipping traffic, as Iran and the US have continued with their respective blockades of Hormuz and Iranian ports.
Meanwhile, an Iranian army commander has threatened to break Donald Trump’s legs after the American president has threatened to declare the vital waterway a US territory.
Responding to his remarks, major general Amir Hatami said: “Joking about such remarks is a major mistake, because this is Iran, and it has defenders who will break your legs,” according to Iranian broadcaster IRIB.
He added that the US forces had “effectively been driven out” and no longer had permission to enter the Gulf, the Sea of Oman or the Strait of Hormuz.
The Iranian military has also offered a bounty equivalent to $30,000 for killing or capturing US soldiers and vowed to double the reward if carried out by a woman.
Read MoreVance says keeping gas prices low ‘goal number one’ for Iran war
Key Points
- Iran-US memorandum of understanding to expire today
- Jared Kushner holds talks with Hamas in bid to resolve Gaza peace deal
- In full: Jared Kushner holds rare meeting with Hamas chief
- Oil nears $90 as US-Iran peace talks stall
- Foreign ministers of several countries condemn Israel's rejection of Gaza peace plan
- Trump says he will declare Strait of Hormuz US territory
Trump moves aircraft carrier out of Pacific as USS Abraham Lincoln heads home
06:54 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarDonald Trump is moving an aircraft carrier out of the Pacific to support America's war on Iran, replacing the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Middle East.
The USS George Washington, the last carrier in the Pacific, will depart the South China Sea to be deployed in the Middle East waters.
USS Abraham Lincoln was deployed to the Middle East last November with around 5,000 crew on board.
It had been expected to be deployed until May but its stay has been extended and there is currently no end date in sight, a situation that has led to a number of recent reports about dwindling morale.
How the Iran war is forcing families to choose between schooling and survival
06:20 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarSou Sreynich dreams of becoming a teacher. But she knows she's far behind.
The 13-year-old first entered a classroom at 10, an age when most Cambodian children have already been in school for years. Her mother waited until she was old enough to swim, fearing the boat to school could capsize — a decision familiar to many parents on Cambodia's Tonle Sap, the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia.
Now, the price of gasoline has spiked because of the Iran war, an additional burden. Unlike outright school closures during Covid-19, the Iran war’s impact on education is less visible.
More here.
How the Iran war is forcing families to choose between schooling and survival
Sailor’s texts reveal deteriorating conditions on USS Abraham Lincoln - report
06:08 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarText messages sent home by a sailor aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln have revealed new details about the deteriorating conditions on board, according to a report.
The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier was deployed to the Middle East last November with around 5,000 crew on board and has been supporting President Donald Trump’s war with Iran since the spring.
It had been expected to be deployed until May but its stay has been extended and there is currently no end date in sight, a situation that has led to a number of recent reports about dwindling morale.
More here.
Sailor’s texts reveal deteriorating conditions on USS Abraham Lincoln, report says
Iran used MoU with US to prepare for bigger war - report
05:56 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarIran used the 60-day pause in war with the US to prepare for a bigger conflict in the region, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The memorandum of understanding signed in mid-June expires today and it is not immediately clear what will happen next.
Iranian leaders viewed the agreement as a possible attempt by the US and Israel to ease global economic pressure and "buy time before another attack down the road", according to the report.
“There is also a widespread view in Iran that the main war has not yet begun,” Mohammad Hassan Sangtarash, a Tehran-based defence analyst close to the Iranian government, told the WSJ.
"What we have seen so far is increasingly interpreted through the lens of ‘salami-slicing’ tactics – limited, incremental escalation designed to weaken capabilities before a larger confrontation."
Trump orders Pentagon to scale back joint exercises with Seoul
05:20 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarPresident Donald Trump ordered the Pentagon to scale back planned joint military exercises with South Korea, saying it declined to help “denuclearise” Iran and citing his good relationship with North Korea's Kim Jong Un.
Trump said in a social media post that the exercises slated to begin this week are not only costly but “send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile” to North Korea, which he said “has been unthreatening and respectful” during his time in the White House.
“Therefore, and based on the fact that it is too late to cancel, I have instructed Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to substantially reduce the Joint Military Exercises!” Trump wrote.
The president added that he recently asked South Korea’s president to join the US in its efforts to denuclearize Iran, “and they said, ‘No thanks!’”
Shipping slows through Strait of Hormuz
05:00 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarShipping through the Strait of Hormuz slowed over the weekend, data showed, following attacks on tankers, while US-Iran talks to resolve the Middle East conflict stalled.
Five commodity vessels transited the strait on Saturday, with none registered for Sunday, shiptracking data from Kpler showed, versus 31 in the prior weekend.
Shipping appeared to grind to a near standstill after the UAE said three vessels operated by the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company were attacked in transit last week.
The United States said it could maintain a naval blockade of Iran indefinitely.
Iran-US memorandum of understanding will expire today
04:45 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarThe Iran-US memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed in June between Iran and the US will expire today, even as the impasse in talks continues.
The 60-day memorandum was signed to halt the US and Israel's war on Iran and address Tehran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
It was not immediately clear what would happen once the MoU expires.
Oil nears $90 as US-Iran peace talks stall
04:30 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarOil prices rose this morning over fading expectations of a US-Iran peace breakthrough and as slower tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz reinforced geopolitical risk concerns in the market.
Brent crude futures rose as much as 1 per cent to $89.40 per barrel and were last trading up 72 cents at $89.20. The US West Texas Intermediate crude futures rose 44 cents to $82.83 a barrel.
Recap: Israeli officials shocked by the speed of Iran’s military recovery after war, report says
04:01 , Holly BancroftIsraeli military and intelligence officials were stunned by the rate of Iran’s military recovery after the first weeks of the 2026 war, according to a report.
According to the Jerusalem Post, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) was taken aback by how fast the Islamic Republic was able to reconstitute its forces after the main phase of fighting, including the redevelopment of its ballistic missile threat.
Iran launched missiles at Israel at the beginning of June and rose to an escalation in early July with renewed strikes on Arab states in the region. They were also accused of striking ships in the Strait of Hormuz, maintaining a hold over the vital waterway.
Top Israeli defence officials have now been forced to admit that Iran appears to have figured out creative ways to rebuild its offensive threats, according to the Israeli outlet.
Israeli officials shocked by the speed of Iran’s military recovery, report says
Five ways Trump could target Iran’s economy from ‘teapot’ sanctions to land blockade
03:06 , Holly BancroftUS President Donald Trump pledged on Friday to inflict severe economic damage on Iran following Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's announcement that Washington plans to levy unprecedented restrictions on Tehran as early as next week.
Trade embargoes, asset freezes, and sanctions have been imposed by the United States, European Union, and United Nations since the late 1970s, citing Tehran's nuclear ambitions, human rights abuses, and backing of militant factions.
Here Andrea Shalal explores the options the Trump administration could pursue against Iran:
.jpg?trim=0,0,1,0&width=1200&height=800&crop=1200:800)
Five ways Trump could target Iran’s economy from ‘teapot’ sanctions to land blockade
Comments surface showing Israel's Ben-Gvir advocating for killing '30 to 40' people in Gaza each night
02:06 , Holly BancroftAn extremist Israeli lawmaker in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition publicly advocated for killing “30 to 40” people in Gaza each night, comments that surfaced Sunday and were quickly shared by Palestinian media.
Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir made the statement while speaking to a former Gaza-held hostage, Rom Braslavski, on Braslavski's podcast.
The two were discussing Israel's recovery from the Hamas attack of Oct. 7, 2023, when Ben-Gvir criticized Israel's recent drawdown of strikes in Gaza.
“It’s no secret, I disagree with the prime minister," he said. “I think targeted assassinations should be carried out in Gaza, taking down 30 to 40 every night. Not just those who pose an immediate threat — there are people there who are not worthy of life. They shouldn’t live. They’re not even people.”
In the past, similar statements by Ben-Gvir and other Israeli officials were widely condemned. Many have been presented to the UN’s world court as evidence of genocidal intent. Israel denies it has committed genocide in Gaza.
Israel’s domestic media has made scarce mention of the statement, highlighting how once-fringe ideologies like Ben-Gvir’s are surging in the leadup to Israeli elections Oct. 27. Figures like Ben-Gvir have become more popular among Israelis since Hamas’ brutal attack in 2023, when the militants killed about 1,200 people and took 251 hostage.
Many hostages have recounted long-term starvation, physical and psychological abuse and, in some cases, sexual abuse.
Israel continues strikes on Gaza
Monday 17 August 2026 00:57 , Holly BancroftThe Israeli military said on Sunday that its aircraft struck two Islamic Jihad and Hamas militants in Khan Younis and Nuseirat.
At least five Palestinians were injured in the strike which hit a tent encampment, medics in the enclave said. One of the injured in the strike on Khan Younis in southern Gaza died from their wounds, medics at Nasser hospital said later.
A separate airstrike, which the Israeli military said targeted another militant, hit an apartment in the Nuseirat camp in central Gaza, wounding several people, medics said.
Earlier, Hamas leader Khalil Al-Hayya met with Egypt's intelligence chief Hassan Rashad in Cairo. Hamas spokesperson in Gaza, Hazem Qassem, said Al-Hayya would brief mediators on what he said were Israel's ceasefire violations.
US Central Command chief says visit to Abraham Lincoln was 'awe-inspiring'
Sunday 16 August 2026 23:53 , Holly BancroftThe leader of US Central Command, Admiral Brad Cooper, wrote on Sunday that his recent visit to the USS Abraham Lincoln was "awe-inspiring" and hailed the crew's "resilience" following reports of concerns about mental health and deteriorating conditions aboard the aircraft carrier.
The ship has not made a port call in more than 200 days, setting a modern-day record for consecutive days at sea, according to Democratic lawmakers who have called for answers after sailors' families raised concerns about worsening conditions on the Lincoln.
Cooper wrote in a statement posted on social media on Sunday that the Lincoln had the lowest number of mental health cases of the Navy's 11 active aircraft carriers.
He praised the carrier's leadership for prioritizing mental health and crew resilience. The Lincoln left its home port of San Diego in November and was later redirected to the Middle East to support US military operations in the war with Iran. The carrier has roughly 5,000 sailors and Marines aboard.
Recap: Trump's envoys meet mediators in Egypt
Sunday 16 August 2026 23:34 , Holly BancroftDonald Trump's envoys met with Egyptian, Qatari and Turkish mediators in Cairo on Sunday, a diplomatic source said, in a bid to advance the US president's Gaza peace plan, even as Israel pressed on with airstrikes in the enclave.
Hamas officials were present at some of the meetings between mediators and with Trump's envoy and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and Nickolay Mladenov, Trump's Board of Peace envoy for Gaza, the diplomat said. A senior Israeli official said Kushner and Mladenov were scheduled to meet on Monday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who on August 9 said Trump's latest roadmap for Gaza peace was 'unacceptable'.
Kushner to meet Netanyahu on Monday - reports
Sunday 16 August 2026 23:07 , Holly BancroftUS president Donald Trump’s envoy and son-in-law Jared Kushner is expected to meet with Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday to discuss Gaza and other regional issues, two Israeli sources have told ABC News.
US oil reserves are so low amid Trump’s Iran war the caverns holding them could be damaged
Sunday 16 August 2026 23:04 , Holly BancroftAmerica’s emergency oil stockpile has dropped to its lowest level in 40 years, with experts warning that ongoing withdrawals for the war with Iran could permanently damage the underground caverns holding the crude, writes Jasmine Fernández.
The warnings arrive as American drivers face unprecedented gas prices for late summer. Today’s AAA National Average for a gallon of regular gasoline sits at $4.07, marking the highest levels on record for mid-August.
Concerns over the physical limits of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve center on the unique geology of its storage network. The crude is held within 60 salt caverns thousands of feet below ground at four sites across Texas and Louisiana.
To extract crude, operators pump fresh water into the bottom of a cavern to force oil up to pipeline intakes. However, petroleum engineering professor Siddharth Misra of Texas A&M University told CNBCthat repeated rapid drawdowns wash away salt walls.
Read the full story here:
Trump’s Iran war leaves US oil reserves so low caverns risk damage
Recap: Iran says Qatar delaying probe into fate of Iranian pilots
Sunday 16 August 2026 22:11 , Holly BancroftAn Iranian military official said on Sunday that Qatar should let an Iranian team in to investigate the fate of Iranian pilots who Tehran says are being held there, Iranian media said on Sunday. Qatar denies holding any pilots.
Mohammad Baqerzadeh, commander of the Committee for the Search for Missing Persons of Iran's Armed Forces General Staff, said the air force and fact-finding team had been waiting for months to enter Qatar, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency.
Baqerzadeh accused Qatari officials of repeatedly delaying the investigation and preventing the pilots' return to Iran. He called for the International Committee of the Red Cross to urgently follow up on the case.
In full: Jared Kushner holds rare meeting with Hamas chief over stalled Gaza peace plan
Sunday 16 August 2026 21:15 , Holly BancroftIn a renewed diplomatic effort to advance the stalled Gaza ceasefire, US negotiator and President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner held a rare meeting with the Hamas chief on Sunday.
Kushner is slated to meet with Israel's prime minister on Monday in discussions aimed at saving a 15-point, US-backed roadmap that requires Hamas to disarm in Gaza and Israel to pull back its forces from the war-torn Palestinian territory.
At stake is the survival of approximately 2 million people in Gaza and the rebuilding of the densely populated enclave, which remains mostly under the control of Israeli forces more than 10 months after the ceasefire halted major military operations. A meeting last year between Kushner, fellow envoy Steve Witkoff, and Hamas leaders in Egypt helped secure the original ceasefire, which has since stalled over the key requirement of Hamas’ disarmament.
Read the full story here:
Jared Kushner holds a rare meeting with Hamas chief over stalled Gaza peace plan
Pope renews calls to end to violence in West Bank
Sunday 16 August 2026 21:00 , Holly BancroftPope Leo XIV issued a call on Sunday for the end of violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.
In a post on X on Sunday afternoon, Pope Leo said: “I renew my appeal for an end to the ongoing violence against the Palestinian civilian population in the West Bank, and I urgently call on the international community to work toward advancing the two-state solution, for a just and lasting peace.”
.png)
White House officials this week pushed Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to openly condemn a settler-led siege of a Palestinian village in the occupied West Bank.
The pressure comes as settlers pitched another tent in the area before military forces intervened to dismantle it.
For nearly a week, settlers have blockaded homes in the village of Qusra. Human rights organizations report that the siege is part of an organized attempt to claim additional territory intended for a future Palestinian state.
The blockade drew rare public criticism from Washington on Thursday, with Mike Huckabee, the U.S. Ambassador to Israel and a prominent proponent of Jewish settlement in the West Bank, labelling the settlers surrounding a Palestinian residence as "Israeli terrorists.”
Egypt welcomes Trump's son-in-law for Gaza talks
Sunday 16 August 2026 20:05 , Holly BancroftEgypt’s president Abdel Fattah El Sisi has welcomed US president Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner for talks on Gaza.
Mr Kushner will also meet a Hamas delegation in Cairo on Sunday, according to reporting from Al Jazeera.
Mr Kushner has made the trip in a bid to advance plans for an end to the conflict in Gaza after a deal recently announced by the Trump administration was rejected by Israel.
According to the Associated Press, Mr Kusner will be joined by Board of Peace high representative Nickolay Mladenov, and executive board member and former British prime minister Tony Blair. However Tony Blair was not pictured in a photo of a meeting in Egypt on Sunday.
الرئيس عبد الفتاح السيسي يستقبل صهر الرئيس الأمريكي بمدينة العلمين
https://t.co/2U7zlVvSuq #السيد_الرئيس_عبدالفتاح_السيسي #الجمهورية_الجديدة #موقع_الرئاسة pic.twitter.com/CD9VdqXUY8
Jared Kushner pressed Hamas to stick to disarmament - reports
Sunday 16 August 2026 18:47 , Holly BancroftPresident Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner pressed Hamas leaders to stick to disarmament at a meeting in Egypt on Sunday, US media outlet Axios has reported.
Representative of the Gaza board of peace, Nickolay Mladenov, and former British prime minister Tony Blair were also present at the meeting, it has been reported.
Khalil al-Hayya, Hamas’s political leader, Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Rashad, Qatari diplomat Ali al-Thawadi and a Turkish official were also reportedly present.
A source told Axios that Mr Kushner had used the meeting to set out “concrete, verifiable steps” demonstrating Hamas’s commitment to disarm.
In full: US top Middle East commander visits deployed aircraft carrier, and other Mideast news
Sunday 16 August 2026 18:09 , Holly BancroftAdm. Brad Cooper, the top US military commander in the Middle East, visited the USS Lincoln in the Arabian Sea during a 10-day tour in the region that concluded on Saturday, U.S. Central Command said.
Israel said its strikes in southern Lebanon, which killed at least 11 people, targeted two Hezbollah commanders. And a Hamas delegation is in Cairo on Sunday for Gaza ceasefire-related talks with Egyptian officials.
Here’s a look at the latest developments on Sunday in the Iran war and the wider Middle East:
US top Middle East commander visits deployed aircraft carrier, and other Mideast news
Foreign ministers of several countries condemn Israel's rejection of Gaza peace plan
Sunday 16 August 2026 18:02 , Holly BancroftThe foreign ministers of eight countries have issued a joint statement condemning Israel’s rejection of the Gaza peace plan and their rejection of the establishment of a Palestinian state.
The statement released on Sunday is from the foreign ministers of the UAE, Qatar, Jordan, Pakistan, Indonesia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
It blames Israel for actions that “fundamentally undermine collective efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace”. It adds: “This rejection confirms that Israel now bears the responsibility for obstructing efforts to achieve peace in Gaza and the rest of the occupied Palestinian territory.”
The ministers said that the proposed peace plan would limit weapons in conjunction with the withdrawal of Israeli forces and the deployment of an international stabilisation force.
Israel’s refusal to accept the plan “directly threatens to derail the intensive efforts of US president Donald Trump to end the war in Gaza and create the conditions for a lasting peace”.
Mr Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner is in Egypt this weekend for talks with Hamas.
Danger in Saudia Arabia's Jazan province has passed
Sunday 16 August 2026 17:12 , Holly BancroftSaudi Arabia's civil defense said on Sunday that the danger in Jazan province had passed, according to a post on X. It had earlier issued an alert warning of potential danger in the area.
The warning was of “potential danger” in the southern Jazan province along the border with Yemen, an area that has been targeted by Yemeni rebels recently.
تنبيه زال الخطر عن منطقة جازان، لسلامتك الاستمرار في اتباع تعليمات #الدفاع_المدني وتجنب التجمهر والتصوير نهائيًا. في حالة الطوارئ اتصل بالرقم (998). pic.twitter.com/4KxuHC00Ds
— الدفاع المدني السعودي (@SaudiDCD) August 16, 2026
Iranian parliament advances bill to criminalise interviews with 'hostile' media
Sunday 16 August 2026 16:06 , Holly BancroftIran’s parliament have approved the general principals of a bill that would criminalise interviews and other communications with media deemed hostile to the Islamic Republic, including US or Israeli media and outlets financed by either country, Iran’s Shargh newspaper reported on Sunday.
Osman Salari, a member of the parliament’s judicial and legal commission, said the individual provisions of the bill, which is aimed at countering foreign intelligence influence, have yet to be debated and approved.
He told Mizan news agency that reports of the bill’s details should not yet be considered final.
It has been reported by Iranian media that the proposed bill would ban interviews or participation in discussions with “hostile” media, and violations would be punished with six months to two years in prison.
Interviews with other foreign media would require notification to the intelligence ministry, and contact with foreign embassies or other non-Iranian institutions without notification and permission would be punished with a fine and deprivation of certain social rights.
The move is not the first time Iran has criminalised cooperation with foreign entities. A law passed in 2025 after a 12-day war with Israel imposed tougher penalties for alleged cooperation with hostile states.
Iranian photojournalist Yalda Moaiery was sentenced this month to 15 years under that law over allegations that included giving interviews to media deemed hostile and providing photographs to US and Israel-linked organisations.
Iran army chief to Trump: Hormuz defenders will ‘break your legs’
Sunday 16 August 2026 15:13 , Bryony GoochIranian army commander Major General Amir Hatami has criticised US president Donald Trump over remarks about the Strait of Hormuz, according to IRIB.
“Joking about such remarks is a major mistake, because this is Iran, and it has defenders who will break your legs,” Hatami said.
He added that the US forces had “effectively been driven out” and no longer had permission to enter the Gulf, the Sea of Oman or the Strait of Hormuz.
Hatami also said US bases would not be allowed to return to their previous status, adding that “Iran will never allow this”.
Crisis unfolds on Trump’s warship in the Middle East
Sunday 16 August 2026 14:30 , Bryony Gooch
Crisis unfolds on Trump’s warship in the Middle East
Iran executes man convicted of running over police during January protests
Sunday 16 August 2026 14:00 , Bryony GoochIran executed a man convicted of deliberately driving his car into police officers during anti-government protests in the city of Karaj in January, Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Sunday.
Shahram Sadeghi was accused of driving a car into police officers in Karaj on 8 January, injuring seven officers, one of whom was reportedly left in a coma for three months, according to Tasnim news agency.
The Karaj Revolutionary Court sentenced Sadeghi to death and confiscation of his assets for what authorities described as an “operational action” in favour of Israel, the United States and hostile groups under Iran's espionage law.
The Supreme Court upheld the sentence and it was carried out early on Sunday, according to the judiciary.
Recap watch: Trump says Strait of Hormuz will soon be 'called a territory of the United States'
Sunday 16 August 2026 13:30 , Bryony GoochRecap: US Central Command chief visits aircraft carrier
Sunday 16 August 2026 13:00 , Bryony GoochAdmiral Brad Cooper, the top US military commander in the Middle East, visited the USS Lincoln in the Arabian Sea during a 10-day tour in the region that concluded on Saturday, US Central Command said.
Adm. Cooper visited the USS Lincoln in the Arabian Sea as reports have emerged of mental health and supply issues aboard the long-deployed aircraft carrier.
The Lincoln arrived in the Middle East in January and has been supporting the US war against Iran, including the blockade on Iranian ports. Its deployment has included a record-setting uninterrupted time at sea of more than 240 days.
Extended deployments of carriers - which can have more than 5,000 sailors and Marines on board - have raised concerns about the impact not only on the ships but on service members.
"History will record this deployment as one of the most operationally intense and consequential of the modern era," Cooper said of the Lincoln strike group in a statement released Saturday.
Cooper also went to Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates to meet with civilian and military leaders, according to the Central Command statement.
Drug abuse in Israel surges post-October 7, latest data shows
Sunday 16 August 2026 12:30 , Bryony Gooch
Drug abuse in Israel surges post-October 7, latest data shows
Pictured: First aid responders and residents rush to the site of an Israeli airstrike in the southern Lebanese village of Deir al-Zahrani
Sunday 16 August 2026 12:00 , Bryony Gooch
Watch: USS Lincoln sailor’s wife blasts Trump over ‘appalling’ ship conditions
Sunday 16 August 2026 11:30 , Bryony GoochIran points finger at Kuwait for withholding information about four Iranians
Sunday 16 August 2026 11:00 , Bryony GoochMohammad Baqerzadeh, commander of the Committee for the Search for Missing Persons of Iran's Armed Forces General Staff, has also pointed fingers at Kuwait for similarly withholding information about the fate of four Iranians held in Kuwait.
In May, Iran said the four were affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards and had been on a maritime patrol before entering Kuwaiti territorial waters because of a navigation disruption.
Kuwait has said the four were suspected of planning hostile actions against the country.
Iran accuses two French diplomats of 'infiltration and interference'
Sunday 16 August 2026 10:29 , Vishwam SankaranIran has accused two French diplomats of conducting an "infiltration and interference" operation inside the country.
Iran's intelligence ministry said the two diplomats were seen at a "secret meeting place" with documents pointing to efforts to establish contacts and build networks.
They were handed over to the Iranian ambassador to France in the presence of diplomatic police, the intelligence ministry said in a statement.
“Given the infiltration and overt interference in Iran’s internal affairs, particularly during wartime, and the blatant violation of the country’s laws and departure from diplomatic frameworks that have been conclusively established in this project, the intelligence ministry warns that it will not allow its diplomatic guests to engage in illegal and interventionist behaviour,” the ministry said.
Yemen's Mocha port halts operations after Houthi attacks
Sunday 16 August 2026 10:00 , Vishwam SankaranYemen's Mocha port has temporarily stopped operations after being hit by over 25 missiles in recent days in Houthi attacks, the port's director said.
At least seven people have been killed and $16 million in losses incurred from the attacks, the director said.
The port is near the Bab el-Mandab strait, another key route for international shipping.
Iran calls on Qatar to allow Iranian team in to investigate fate of two missing pilots
Sunday 16 August 2026 09:31 , Alex CroftTehran has called on Qatar to let an Iranian team into the country to investigate the fate of Iranian pilots who Tehran says are being held there, Iranian media said on Sunday.
Qatar denies holding any pilots.
Mohammad Baqerzadeh, commander of the Committee for the Search for Missing Persons of Iran's Armed Forces General Staff, said the air force and fact-finding team had been waiting for months to enter Qatar, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency.
Baqerzadeh accused Qatari officials of repeatedly delaying the investigation and preventing the pilots' return to Iran. He called for the International Committee of the Red Cross to urgently follow up on the case.
Iran says Qatar delaying probe into fate of Iranian pilots, Tasnim news agency
Sunday 16 August 2026 09:15 , Bryony GoochIranian military official said on Sunday that Qatar should let an Iranian team in to investigate the fate of Iranian pilots who Tehran says are being held there, Iranian media said on Sunday.
Qatar denies holding any pilots.
Mohammad Baqerzadeh, commander of the Committee for the Search for Missing Persons of Iran's Armed Forces General Staff, said the air force and fact-finding team had been waiting for months to enter Qatar, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency.
Baqerzadeh accused Qatari officials of repeatedly delaying the investigation and preventing the pilots' return to Iran. He called for the International Committee of the Red Cross to urgently follow up on the case.
US oil reserves are so low amid Trump’s Iran war the caverns holding them could be damaged
Sunday 16 August 2026 08:59 , Alex CroftAmerica’s emergency oil stockpile has dropped to its lowest level in 40 years, with experts warning that ongoing withdrawals for the war with Iran could permanently damage the underground caverns holding the crude.
The warnings arrive as American drivers face unprecedented gas prices for late summer. Today’s AAA National Average for a gallon of regular gasoline sits at $4.07, marking the highest levels on record for mid-August.
Concerns over the physical limits of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve center on the unique geology of its storage network. The crude is held within 60 salt caverns thousands of feet below ground at four sites across Texas and Louisiana.
To extract crude, operators pump fresh water into the bottom of a cavern to force oil up to pipeline intakes. However, petroleum engineering professor Siddharth Misra of Texas A&M University told CNBC that repeated rapid drawdowns wash away salt walls.
Read more here:
Trump’s Iran war leaves US oil reserves so low caverns risk damage
Iran MP wants Gulf royals added to Tehran's 'revenge targets'
Sunday 16 August 2026 08:30 , Vishwam SankaranIranian member of parliament Amirhossein Sabeti called for the ruling families of Gulf states hosting US military bases, including those of Bahrain, UAE, and Saudi Arabia, to be added to Iran's “revenge targets".
The MP alleged the ruling families of these Gulf states played a role in the killing of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei during the war with the US and Israel.
He specifically named Bahrain’s Al Khalifa, the UAE’s Al Nahyan and Saudi Arabia’s Al Saud families to be added to Iran's “revenge targets".
Iran condemns Israeli strikes on Lebanon
Sunday 16 August 2026 08:00 , Vishwam SankaranIran condemned Israel’s recent attacks on southern Lebanon, which killed 11 people, including children.
Iran “regrets” the international community’s “continued silence and inaction of the United Nations Security Council in the face of blatant violations of international law and international human rights law”, foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said.
He added that Tehran stood in solidarity with Lebanon “in its efforts to defend the country’s national sovereignty, independence, and dignity".
In pictures: Israeli airstrike on southern Lebanon
Sunday 16 August 2026 07:30 , Vishwam Sankaran
Iran says safe Strait of Hormuz route agreed with Oman
Sunday 16 August 2026 07:00 , Vishwam SankaranIran says it has reached a mutual agreement for a safe route in the Strait of Hormuz for vessels with maritime neighbour Oman after weeks of negotiations.
The two countries are expected to issue a joint statement on the matter soon, Iran's foreign ministry said.
“Despite US obstruction, the talks have made positive progress over the past three weeks and an agreement has been reached on the shipping route map,” ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei told state-run Defa Press.
Toll from Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon rises to 11
Sunday 16 August 2026 06:30 , Vishwam SankaranIsrael's strikes on southern Lebanon have killed at least 11 and injured another 19 people, according to the Lebanese health ministry.
Israel claims it struck Hezbollah's infrastructure, but the Iran-backed militant group called the attack “escalating aggression” and “a brutal massacre” carried out by the IDF against “innocent civilians".
“This heinous crime adds to the enemy’s long record of massacres, atrocities, and the shedding of Lebanese blood, including the bombing of homes, the razing of fields, and the obliteration of villages,” Hezbollah said.
Iran says talks with Oman and opening of Hormuz 'separate issues'
Sunday 16 August 2026 06:00 , Vishwam SankaranIranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran's ongoing negotiations with Oman and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz were "two separate issues".
“Our negotiations with Oman are ongoing. That is a completely separate matter," Araghchi said.
"I want to emphasise that these negotiations and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz are two separate issues."
“The routes that existed previously are no longer functional, so a new route needs to be defined. For now, we are designing a temporary route, which can then, at a later stage, be turned into a final route," the foreign minister said, according to Iran's Shahrara News.
In Video: Iran war impact on US retail sales
Sunday 16 August 2026 05:30 , Vishwam SankaranUS Iran war commander visits USS Abraham Lincoln
Sunday 16 August 2026 05:00 , Vishwam SankaranThe commander of US Central Command (Centcom), Adm. Brad Cooper, met with personnel aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, which is set to return following an en extended deployment in the Middle East amid concerns of a lack of supplies and poor living conditions.
USS Abraham Lincoln departed from the US in November and arrived in the Middle East in January, and has since launched over 10,000 sorties in the ongoing US naval blockade against Iran.
Cooper addressed the entire Lincoln team and thanked them for their dedication and courage, Centcom said.
"History will record this deployment as one of the most operationally intense and consequential of the modern era," he said.
US directs its last aircraft carrier in Pacific to focus on Iran
Sunday 16 August 2026 04:30 , Vishwam SankaranWashington has directed the USS George Washington to depart from the Pacific to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln amid growing concerns about a lack of supplies and poor mental health of sailors aboard the carrier deployed for over 240 days in the Middle East.
The departure of USS George Washington from the Pacific comes as Beijing shows increasing aggression towards Taiwan.
“The administration says that the Pacific is supposed to be the most important behind the Western Hemisphere,” said Greg Poling, director of the Southeast Asia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, adding that Washington is currently “doing the exact opposite” of its stated goal of pulling out of the Middle East.
Beijing “is quite happy with U.S. distraction, with the frustration of U.S. allies and partners," Poling said.
Recap: Iran hits back at Trump’s move to declare Hormuz Strait a US territory
Sunday 16 August 2026 04:03 , Holly Bancroft- Iran says it will keep the Strait of Hormuz closed until President Donald Trump “accepts the reality of defeat.”
- "This strait will be opened and closed only under Iran's command”, Iran's deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi posted on X early on Saturday. “So long as you do not accept the reality of defeat and stop indulging in fantasies, Iran will continue to enforce the blockade.”
- Ship-tracking data revealed that only two vessels passed through the strait on Friday, down from a pre-war average of over 130 daily transits.
- Iran’s new statement comes after Trump stated that he intends to declare the Strait of Hormuz a US territory and promised to hit Iran hard economically.
- Trump advised Americans to accept higher gasoline prices as efforts to reach a deal to end the nearly six-month conflict continue.
