Donald Trump asserted on Wednesday that the United States could “keep” the Strait of Hormuz in his latest exasperated rant on social media.
The US president insisted that Washington has “total control” of the waterway after Tehran said the US must offer compensation before it considers reopening the strait.
Tehran has effectively closed the strait under threat of military action since the US and Israel attacked in February. Iran and Oman have recently been discussing a mechanism to reopen it under their management in a move that would hand even more leverage to Iran, with US talks to end the war still on ice.
In his post on Wednesday afternoon, Trump said: “The U.S.A. has total control over the Strait of Hormuz, I THINK WE WILL KEEP IT!”
“Our Naval Blockade is being called, by everyone, ‘A WALL OF STEEL,’ and there is nothing Iran can do about it,” he added, before signing off: “Iran is all talk and no action, the Bully of the Middle East No Longer. Praise be to Allah! President DONALD J. TRUMP”
Read MoreTrump’s secret escape from Air Force One in Turkey turns into memes and jokes for social media
Gas prices hit their highest mark ever for mid August as Trump’s Iran war drags on
Oil spill off Oman reaches mainland as recovery efforts impacted by war zone
Key Points
- Trump suggests US could 'keep' Strait of Hormuz
- Oil stockpiles ‘rapidly depleting’ despite Trump claiming ‘total control’ of strait
- Trump’s secret escape from Air Force One turns into memes
- Desperate US sailors trying to jump overboard on Middle East deployment, families say
Recap: Oil stockpiles ‘rapidly depleting’ despite Trump claiming ‘total control’ of Strait of Hormuz
02:00 , James ReynoldsA global energy watchdog has warned in a new report that oil stockpiles are “rapidly depleting”, as it urged for a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
“Although the market is projected to return to surplus towards the end of this year, risks remain substantial and the urgency of reopening the Strait has increased, as previously available inventory buffers are rapidly depleting,” the International Energy Agency wrote in a new report.
The agency said that supply is expected to fall by 4.3 mb/d (million barrels per day) in 2026 due to losses in the Middle East and Russia. It comes despite Donald Trump’s unfounded claim that US forces “totally control the Strait of Hormuz”.
“Nobody else, only us [controls it],” he said. “At some point, maybe they'll do something and then they get blown away.”
US war impact: Inflation slowed last month as gas prices fell but costs remain elevated
01:00 , James ReynoldsInflation in the United States slowed last month alongside a cooling in underlying price pressures, indicating that elevated oil and gas costs driven by the Iran war have had a limited effect on wider economic prices so far.
According to Labor Department data released Wednesday, consumer prices grew 3.4% year-over-year in July, representing a minor decrease from June's 3.5% rate. Inflation remains above its pre-war level of 2.4% recorded in February. Month-over-month, prices edged up by only 0.1% between June and July.
The latest:
Inflation slowed last month as gas prices fell but costs remain elevated
Watch: Trump addresses plane switch on Secret Service instructions
Thursday 13 August 2026 00:00 , James ReynoldsFull report: Oil price moves higher as insurers hold back FTSE
Wednesday 12 August 2026 23:00 , Alex CroftThe FTSE 100 closed lower on Tuesday with gains in oil stocks, amid ongoing uncertainty in the Middle East, offset by caution ahead of US inflation data and weak insurers.
The FTSE 100 index closed down 18.31 points, 0.2%, at 10,844.19.
The FTSE 250 ended up 55.21 points, 0.2%, at 24,799.75, while the Aim All-Share closed up 3.19 points, 0.4%, at 799.57.
Oil prices pushed up once more, touching 90 dollars (£66) a barrel early in the session, with the US and Iran appearing to not make much progress towards a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Read our full update on oil prices here:
Oil price moves higher as insurers hold back FTSE
Gulf oil spill fast becoming worst in years, agencies warn
Wednesday 12 August 2026 22:00 , James ReynoldsA vast oil spill in the Gulf is quickly becoming one of the world’s worst in years after being allowed to spread almost unchecked for weeks, according to international agencies, satellite imagery and environmental groups.
The slick off the coast of Oman from a grounded tanker carrying Russian crude had reportedly reached the mainland by Wednesday, the UN’s shipping agency said.
The slick now covers an area of more than 2,000 square km, said John Amos, an oil spill specialist who reviewed satellite imagery obtained by Reuters.
The Caroline Bezengi, carrying an estimated 800,000 barrels of Russian oil and under international sanctions, ran aground on June 30 at an Omani island that is part of a marine nature reserve.
The ship first reported difficulties off Yemen on June 8. Maritime sources said a blast appeared to have occurred aboard the Caroline Bezengi.
No party has claimed an attack, but the vessel was navigating two separate wars on its journey from Russia to India.
Karoline Leavitt quits job as White House press secretary, Trump announces
Wednesday 12 August 2026 21:58 , James ReynoldsWhite House press secretary Karoline Leavitt is stepping down from her role at the end of August, a surprise announcement after her return to the White House less than a month ago following maternity leave.
Leavitt “will be departing her role at the end of the month so she can spend more time with her beautiful young children and family, a decision I totally understand and respect,” President Donald Trump wrote Wednesday on Truth Social.
Trump’s combative spokesperson will be one of the president’s “top outside advisors,” he added, “and an influential voice within the Republican Party, as we work to defy History, and conclusively win the Midterm Elections.”
Karoline Leavitt quits job as White House press secretary, Trump announces
Desperate US sailors trying to jump overboard on extended Middle East deployment, families say
Wednesday 12 August 2026 21:00 , James ReynoldsDesperate sailors aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln have tried to jump overboard during an extended deployment in the Middle East, their families say.
The aircraft carrier, crewed by around 5,000 sailors and Marines, has been deployed since November 21 but more lately has been supporting U.S. military operations in the war with Iran. The deployment had been expected to end in May but has been extended with no current return date, families told The Military Times.
Annabelle Loma, the wife of a sailor serving on the Abraham Lincoln, told the publication her husband is now on medical hold after trying to jump from the carrier.
US sailors trying to jump overboard amid Middle East deployment, families say
Trump’s secret escape from Air Force One turns into memes
Wednesday 12 August 2026 20:00 , James ReynoldsPresident Donald Trump’s covert departure from Turkey aboard an aircraft other than Air Force One has triggered a wave of AI-generated memes and jokes online.
The president quietly left the country on a military aircraft on 8 July, even as the White House maintained that he was traveling aboard Air Force One, The Washington Post reported Monday.
An elaborate maneuver, also reported by The New York Times, quickly became fodder for social media users, who imagined the president squeezed into everything from a catering cart to a laundry bin.
Here’s the latest:
Trump’s secret escape from Air Force One turns into memes and jokes for social media
Just 29% of expected midterm voters say they approve of Trump’s handling of Iran
Wednesday 12 August 2026 19:00 , James ReynoldsA cable TV polling expert claims that numbers from two surveys conducted two years apart show just how deeply President Donald Trump has disappointed America's voters when it comes to Iran.
CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten said Tuesday that a July 2024 poll of people who were extremely motivated to vote in that year’s presidential election found that 53 percent were confident Trump would be able to handle the situation in Iran, according to a video clip posted online.
But a July poll of people extremely motivated to vote in November's midterm elections shows that just 29 percent now approve of how Trump is actually handling Iran, Enten said.
Just 29% of expected midterm voters say they approve of Trump’s handling of Iran
'Credible threat' AF1 could be targeted by shoulder-fired missile - report
Wednesday 12 August 2026 18:01 , James ReynoldsA threat that Air Force One could be targeted by a shoulder-fired missile prompted the Secret Service to secretly move President Donald Trump onto an unmarked government jet during a trip to Turkey last month, a person briefed on the matter said on Wednesday.
The threat emerged on the final day of Trump's visit to Ankara for the NATO summit amid heightened tensions with Iran, the source told Reuters.
The Secret Service deemed the threat to be credible and imminent, prompting an extraordinary operation to conceal the U.S. president's movements.
The source declined to say where the intelligence came from.
Catch up: Trump demands compensation from Iran in snub to six-point ultimatum
Wednesday 12 August 2026 18:00 , James ReynoldsUK among states considered to verify Hezbollah disarmament - report
Wednesday 12 August 2026 17:00 , James ReynoldsIsrael and Lebanon have agreed on Britain, Italy, Switzerland and Indonesia as potential contributors to a proposed mechanism that could see foreign troops deployed to Lebanon to verify Hezbollah's disarmament, people familiar with the matter said.
The shortlist emerged from US-mediated talks in Rome last week, the latest round of negotiations between Israel and Lebanon on implementing a June agreement that ties Israel's phased withdrawal from Lebanon to the disarmament of Hezbollah.
The countries could help define the mechanism's scope, provide personnel to oversee its implementation or contribute troops to observe or take part in inspections verifying disarmament, three sources said.
A Lebanese official told Reuters on Friday that Israel and Lebanon had agreed on a list of potential countries that could send troops to verify disarmament, but declined to identify them, saying the US would decide which of them would take part.
The Israeli prime minister's office, the Lebanese presidency and the British, Italian, and Indonesian foreign ministries did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Switzerland's foreign ministry had no immediate comment.
Tui profits dip as travellers avoid flying during Middle East conflict
Wednesday 12 August 2026 16:00 , James ReynoldsHoliday operator Tui has seen its quarterly earnings drop sharply as cautious consumers continue to delay booking their trips until the last minute amid ongoing uncertainty surrounding the Iran war.
Pre-tax profits for Europe’s largest travel company fell 43 per cent to €153.4 million (£131 million) during its third quarter to the end of June.
The business was hit by escalating fuel costs caused by the Middle East conflict, alongside pressure to drop prices due to subdued demand and heightened competition.
Tui profits dip as travellers avoid flying during Middle East conflict
In full: Trump suggests US could 'keep' Strait of Hormuz
Wednesday 12 August 2026 15:44 , James ReynoldsIn his latest rant on Truth Social, Donald Trump suggested the US could “keep” the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran has been negotiating with Oman over the future control of the waterway, which was unconstrained before the US and Israel attacked in February.
With Iran now demanding compensation from the US before they release their hold on the strait, Trump has publicly insisting the US is still in control.
Trump says US may "keep" Strait of Hormuz in latest rant
Wednesday 12 August 2026 15:39 , James ReynoldsDonald Trump has doubled down on his assertion that the United States has “total control” over the Strait of Hormuz and may “keep it” as Iran insists on compensation to reopen the vital waterway.
“The U.S.A. has total control over the Strait of Hormuz, I THINK WE WILL KEEP IT!” the US president said on Wednesday afternoon.
“Our Naval Blockade is being called, by everyone, “A WALL OF STEEL,” and there is nothing Iran can do about it.”
He went on: “They have no Navy, they have no Air Force, their remaining soldiers are unpaid, the IRGC is decimated and fleeing, and their “Leadership” is uncertain, at best! They have No Money - Their country is “shot.” All they have is FAKE NEWS and 300% INFLATION, and getting worse!
“Iran is all talk and no action, the Bully of the Middle East No Longer. Praise be to Allah! President DONALD J. TRUMP”
Hitmen, personal toilets and secret plane swaps: The foreign plots to kill Donald Trump
Wednesday 12 August 2026 15:30 , Maira Butthe world’s most powerful and polarising politician will inevitably attract threats from his opponents. Donald Trump has faced several credible assassination plots since returning to office, partly triggered by a more aggressive foreign policy approach in his second term.
Just this week it emerged that the US leader was smuggled out of Air Force One in a catering truck to escape an Iranian assassination threat when he visited the Nato summit in Ankara last month.
Trump has faced several attempts on his life within his own country too, including during his election campaign in 2024 and during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in April this year.
Below we look at all the credible threats the president has faced from foreign-affiliated actors.
Hitmen, personal toilets and secret plane swaps: The foreign plots to kill Trump
EU and other nations joint in condemning Iran's executions of protestors
Wednesday 12 August 2026 15:12 , James ReynoldsThe EU and 26 countries condemned Iran's executions of protesters in a joint statement, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Wednesday.
The countries called on Iran to listen to its people, take meaningful steps toward ensuring respect for human rights, immediately end use of the death penalty and release those arbitrarily detained.
Desperate US sailors trying to jump overboard on extended Middle East deployment, families say
Wednesday 12 August 2026 15:01 , Alex CroftDesperate sailors aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln have tried to jump overboard during an extended deployment in the Middle East, their families say.
The aircraft carrier, crewed by around 5,000 sailors and Marines, has been deployed since November 21 but more lately has been supporting U.S. military operations in the war with Iran. The deployment had been expected to end in May but has been extended with no current return date, families told The Military Times.
Annabelle Loma, the wife of a sailor serving on the Abraham Lincoln, told the publication her husband is now on medical hold after trying to jump from the carrier.
“He’s scared,” Loma said. “He thinks he’ll get a dishonorable discharge and, just because he was burnt out, his 13-year career is ruined, just like that.”
Read more here:
US sailors trying to jump overboard amid Middle East deployment, families say
Israel criticised at UN meeting over West Bank violence
Wednesday 12 August 2026 14:30 , Alex CroftFive European nations on the Security Council called a meeting as Britain's new UN ambassador Sarah MacIntosh condemned escalating violence across the West Bank, calling settler attacks on Palestinian villages, some alongside Israeli soldiers, "appalling".
Palestinian UN ambassador Riyad Mansour said Israeli annexation of Palestinian territory is already "underway - brutally and relentlessly".
He urged international action to chart a path for Palestinian self-determination and "freedom."
Israeli UN ambassador Danny Danon responded by saying: "Israel condemns all violence against Israelis and Palestinians" and "does not tolerate extremism — we confront it".
Danon said "extremist attacks" by Israelis are declining and accused council members of ignoring "rising" attacks by Palestinians.
Pakistan says three sailors killed in Red Sea attack
Wednesday 12 August 2026 13:29 , Alex CroftAt least three Pakistani nationals were killed in an attack on a ship in the Red Sea, the foreign ministry said.
“Pakistan strongly condemns the Houthi attack on a non-combatant commercial vessel,” the foreign minister said on X.
The alleged attack comes as Iran-backed Houthis have been accused of increasing attacks on vessels near the waters of Yemen.
No discussions to extend Iran-US ceasefire, says senior source
Wednesday 12 August 2026 13:00 , Alex CroftIran and the US have not held discussions to extend the ceasefire, a senior Iranian source told Reuters on Wednesday.
The source said to was because, from Tehran's perspective, the deal had no start date and therefore there was nothing to extend.
US ambassador claims Iranian regime weakest since 1979
Wednesday 12 August 2026 12:31 , Alex CroftThe US ambassador to Israel has claimed that the Iranian regime is the "weakest they have been since they took over in 1979” amid Donald Trump's war on Tehran.
“The operation between the United States and Israel did an enormous level of damage,” Mike Huckabee told Newsmax, praising the US president's bid to “bankrupt them”.
Watch: Trump hid in catering cart to board secret flight after Iran threat
Wednesday 12 August 2026 12:00 , Alex CroftGlobal oil stockpiles 'rapidly depleting' due to Hormuz, says energy watchdog
Wednesday 12 August 2026 11:32 , Alex CroftGlobal oil stockpiles are “rapidly depleting”, the International Energy Agency (IEA) has warned in a new report.
“Although the market is projected to return to surplus towards the end of this year, risks remain substantial and the urgency of reopening the Strait has increased, as previously available inventory buffers are rapidly depleting,” the agency wrote in its Oil Market Report for August 2026.
The report states that oil supply is forecast to fall by 4.3 mb/d (million barrels per day) in 2026 to around 102 mb/d. An increase of 1.4 mb/d in the Americas “only partly offsets losses in the Middle East and Russia.”.
It comes while an agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and free transit through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait are “still elusive”, the report says.
It adds that crude prices had surged to a two-month high in July after the ceasefire between the US and Iran broke down in mid-June.
“Expectations of diplomatic progress had triggered steep price declines in June and early July, but a return to hostilities led prices to spike as high as $105/bbl [per barrel] on 23 July,” it wrote.
Trump says his plane faced 'greater risk' in secret flight change
Wednesday 12 August 2026 11:19 , Alex CroftUS president Donald Trump admitted late last night that he secretly switched planes in Turkey last month at the direction of the US Secret Service, but that the plane he ultimately flew on was still more vulnerable than Air Force One.
"I think actually the plane that I flew on was at greater risk," Trump told reporters.
"I think it was at greater risk because that would be the plane I think that they would be more likely to go for."
Following a Nato summit in Ankara, Trump was transferred from Air Force One to a military plane via a catering truck in an extraordinary deception prompted by an Iranian assassination threat, US media reported.
"Well, it's only up to the Secret Service. I just follow what they'd like to do, so I go by Secret Service and the military," Trump said.
"I guess there was a threat out there. I didn't really ask too much about it. I get a lot of threats," Trump added.
Iran to join BRICS development bank, says governor
Wednesday 12 August 2026 10:28 , Alex CroftIran will soon join the New Development Bank, the BRICS development lender, according to central bank governor Abdolnaser Hemmati.
Mr Hemmati made the claim in a state media report published on Wednesday ahead of a BRICS finance meeting in India.
Tehran, which is under international sanctions and has yet to reach a peace deal to end the current conflict with the US and Israel, has sought alternative financial channels outside the dollar system.
It joined BRICS in 2024 as the group expanded, in a move aimed at deepening economic ties among emerging economies, and it has since made clear its desire to become a member and shareholder of the NDB.
The bank was fitst set up by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa in 2015 to finance infrastructure and sustainable development projects. It has since expanded its membership to include the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and other emerging economies.
Watch: Trump demands compensation from Iran in snub to six-point ultimatum
Wednesday 12 August 2026 09:45 , Alex CroftNumber of vessels passing through Strait of Hormuz drops to one-week low
Wednesday 12 August 2026 09:23 , Alex CroftThe number of vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz dropped to a one-week low of eight on Tuesday, according to the latest shipping data.
Ship owners continue to avoid the waterway, through which 130 to 140 ships typically transited each day before the US-Israeli war was launched on 28 February, as hostilities continue in the Middle East.
Tuesday’s tally dropped below 10-day average of 12, for the lowest daily count since August 5, Kpler data showed.
Just one of the ships exited the strait, with the rest still making their way through at the time of reporting.
The seven entering all took the Iranian route.
Separate LSEG data showed 11 transits on Tuesday, down from 14 the prior day.
Oil prices climb above $89 a barrel
Wednesday 12 August 2026 09:03 , Alex CroftThe price of Brent crude has climbed 0.8 per cent to $89.57 a barrel, following fresh attacks on shipping in the Middle East as hopes fade for a resolution to the Iran conflict.
The US and Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis both reported attacks on shipping.
Tehran said the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed unless Washington accepted Iran's conditions.
The six-month-old conflict showed no signs of ending soon, despite repeated claims by U.S. President Donald Trump that a deal was imminent.
Markets have swung between optimism and disappointment since the war began, as investors tried to gauge the risk of a broader disruption to energy supplies and global trade.
Just 29% of expected midterm voters say they approve of Trump’s handling of Iran
Wednesday 12 August 2026 08:30 , Alex CroftA cable TV polling expert claims that numbers from two surveys conducted two years apart show just how deeply President Donald Trump has disappointed America's voters when it comes to Iran.
CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten said Tuesday that a July 2024 poll of people who were extremely motivated to vote in that year’s presidential election found that 53 percent were confident Trump would be able to handle the situation in Iran, according to a video clip posted online.
But a July poll of people extremely motivated to vote in November's midterm elections shows that just 29 percent now approve of how Trump is actually handling Iran, Enten said.
"We're talking about a 24-point fall in just two years," he said. "What was an advantage for President Trump going into the 2024 election amongst those who really wanted to turn out and vote has turned into a tremendous disadvantage this time around."
Read more here:
Just 29% of expected midterm voters say they approve of Trump’s handling of Iran
Iranian-backed Houthis kill 6 in attack on vessel
Wednesday 12 August 2026 08:24 , Alex CroftAt least six people were killed by Iran-backed Houthi rebels attacking a vessel in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the Yemeni authorities said.
Yemen's coast guard said the dead included four crew members and two members of the government-allied National Resistance Forces.
Houthis fired three ballistic missiles at the Yemeni commercial vessel, according to Yemen's internationally recognised government.
They are the first known deaths from Houthi attacks on shipping off Yemen in the latest bout of fighting in the Arab country.
Drones hit Iranian Kurdish opposition camps
Wednesday 12 August 2026 07:53 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarFour drones hit three Iranian Kurdish opposition camps near Erbil in Iraq this morning, with no casualties reported, security sources told Reuters.
Pakistan says three sailors killed in Red Sea attack
Wednesday 12 August 2026 07:33 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarAt least three Pakistani nationals were killed in an attack on a ship in the Red Sea, the foreign ministry said.
“Pakistan strongly condemns the Houthi attack on a non-combatant commercial vessel,” the foreign minister said on X.
The alleged attack comes as Iran-backed Houthis have been accused of increasing attacks on vessels near the waters of Yemen.
Supporters of Iranian government gather in Tehran
Wednesday 12 August 2026 07:26 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Syria says IAEA will announce 'significant progress' on nuclear file
Wednesday 12 August 2026 07:20 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarSyria will host a delegation from the International Atomic Energy Agency in the coming days to announce "significant progress" on the issue of nuclear materials, Syria's Atomic Energy Commission said.
Since the ouster of president Bashar al-Assad in late 2024, Syria's new authorities have committed to working with the United Nations' nuclear watchdog to address the legacy of nuclear activities during decades of Assad family rule
Israeli military 'mistakenly' launches interceptor in Lebanon
Wednesday 12 August 2026 06:56 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarThe Israeli army said an interceptor was mistakenly launched in Southern Lebanon this morning.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said the interceptor had been launched at a target that was later confirmed to be IDF fire from operations carried out within the Security Zone.
Trump demands reparations from Iran for ‘all the people they have killed’
Wednesday 12 August 2026 06:52 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarPresident Donald Trump is demanding that Iran pay compensation to American victims of Iranian-backed attacks as he responds to Tehran's own demand for war reparations.
In a Monday post on Truth Social, Trump said he had "instructed my representatives to put this firmly into any, and all, future negotiations" — casting Iran's compensation demand as a novel idea he was happy to borrow.
More here.
Trump demands reparations from Iran for ‘all the people they have killed’
US ambassador claims Iranian regime weakest since 1979
Wednesday 12 August 2026 06:10 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarThe US ambassador to Israel has claimed that the Iranian regime is the "weakest they have been since they took over in 1979” amid Donald Trump's war on Tehran.
“The operation between the United States and Israel did an enormous level of damage,” Mike Huckabee told Newsmax, praising the US president's bid to “bankrupt them”.
US fires on ship it said was trying to break blockade of Iran
Wednesday 12 August 2026 06:10 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarThe US military said that its forces fired on a Panamanian-flagged ship in the Gulf of Oman that tried to evade the American blockade on Iranian ports. The move came as president Donald Trump tries to keep economic pressure on the Islamic Republic.
US Central Command said the vessel had ignored warnings to stop, prompting an American helicopter to fire missiles into the engine room of the M/V Vela Nova, disabling the ship.
The statement did not say whether the ship's crew suffered any casualties.
Pakistani official returns to Iran hoping to ease tensions with US
Wednesday 12 August 2026 06:00 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarPakistani interior minister Mohsin Naqvi traveled to Tehran for meetings with Iran's foreign minister and other officials.
Naqvi's visit aimed to encourage Iran to resume negotiations with the US under an interim peace deal brokered by Pakistan in June, two officials said.
Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi posted photos from his meeting with Naqvi on his private Telegram channel.
It is Naqvi's sixth trip to Iran as part of Pakistan's diplomatic efforts to ease tensions between Iran and the US.
Just 29% of expected voters say they approve of Trump’s handling of Iran
Wednesday 12 August 2026 05:40 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarA cable TV polling expert claims that numbers from two surveys conducted two years apart show just how deeply president Donald Trump has disappointed America's voters when it comes to Iran.
A July poll of people extremely motivated to vote in November's midterm elections shows that just 29 per cent now approve of how Trump is actually handling Iran.
More here.
Just 29% of expected midterm voters say they approve of Trump’s handling of Iran
Watch: Trump reiterates America's 'complete control' over Hormuz
Wednesday 12 August 2026 05:30 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarIran to become member of Brics bank
Wednesday 12 August 2026 05:20 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarIran will become a member of the Brics bank, announced the governor of the central bank of Iran.
“The most important outcome of cooperation among Brics member states is the establishment of the New Development Bank, and our country will soon become a member of this bank,” Abdolnaser Hemmati said.
The New Development Bank, a Brics-backed financial institution, is a "multilateral development bank established with the purpose of mobilising resources for infrastructure and sustainable development projects in emerging markets and developing countries," according to its website.
Trump says his plane faced 'greater risk' in secret flight change
Wednesday 12 August 2026 05:00 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarUS president Donald Trump admitted late last night that he secretly switched planes in Turkey last month at the direction of the US Secret Service, but that the plane he ultimately flew on was still more vulnerable than Air Force One.
"I think actually the plane that I flew on was at greater risk," Trump told reporters.
"I think it was at greater risk because that would be the plane I think that they would be more likely to go for."
Following a Nato summit in Ankara, Trump was transferred from Air Force One to a military plane via a catering truck in an extraordinary deception prompted by an Iranian assassination threat, US media reported.
"Well, it's only up to the Secret Service. I just follow what they'd like to do, so I go by Secret Service and the military," Trump said.
"I guess there was a threat out there. I didn't really ask too much about it. I get a lot of threats," Trump added.
Trump hid in catering cart in secret Air Force One swap to fend off Iran assassination threat
Wednesday 12 August 2026 04:50 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarPresident Donald Trump was secretly transported away from Turkey in an extraordinary plan triggered by an assassination threat from Iran, according to a report.
Air Force One, a catering truck and a secondary military plane were all part of an elaborate “deception operation” to safeguard the commander-in-chief when he departed last month’s Nato summit in Ankara, The Washington Post has revealed.
Several White House staffers and journalists remained on Air Force One as unwitting decoys to the threat while Trump was quietly smuggled off the plane and boarded onto a different flight, according to the Post.
More here.
Trump hid in catering cart in secret Air Force One swap to fend off Iran threat
Oil nears $90 a barrel amid doubts over US-Iran deal
Wednesday 12 August 2026 04:30 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarOil prices rose this morning as doubts about a US-Iran peace deal and attacks on two ships fuelled concerns about Middle East supply disruptions, even as industry data showed US crude inventories expanded.
Brent futures gained 72 cents, or 0.81 per cent, to $89.63 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate crude climbed 71 cents, or 0.85 per cent, to $83.91.
Both benchmark contracts settled more than $1 higher on Tuesday, marking their highest closes since 31 July and extending gains after jumping about 5 per cent on Monday as hopes for a peace deal between the US and Iran began to fade.
Israel criticised at UN meeting over West Bank violence
Wednesday 12 August 2026 04:15 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarFive European nations on the Security Council called a meeting as Britain's new UN ambassador Sarah MacIntosh condemned escalating violence across the West Bank, calling settler attacks on Palestinian villages, some alongside Israeli soldiers, "appalling".
Palestinian UN ambassador Riyad Mansour said Israeli annexation of Palestinian territory is already "underway - brutally and relentlessly".
He urged international action to chart a path for Palestinian self-determination and "freedom."
Israeli UN ambassador Danny Danon responded by saying: "Israel condemns all violence against Israelis and Palestinians" and "does not tolerate extremism — we confront it".
Danon said "extremist attacks" by Israelis are declining and accused council members of ignoring "rising" attacks by Palestinians.
Trump warns Iran could be 'blown away'
Wednesday 12 August 2026 04:05 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarUS president Donald Trump has warned that Iran could be "blown away" after claiming that the US military was in complete control of the Strait of Hormuz.
Speaking to reporters after a visit to Ohio on Tuesday, Trump said: "Iran is going fine, going just absolutely fine."
"We totally control the Strait of Hormuz ... Nobody else, only us," he said."At some point, maybe they'll do something, and then they get blown away," he said of Iran.
"But right now, we're in a very good position. We have a country that has been the bully of the Middle East for 50 years, really 51 if you think about it ... and they're no longer the bully of the Middle East."
Iranian-backed Houthis kill 6 in attack on vessel
Wednesday 12 August 2026 03:53 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarAt least six people were killed by Iran-backed Houthi rebels attacking a vessel in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the Yemeni authorities said.
Yemen's coast guard said the dead included four crew members and two members of the government-allied National Resistance Forces.
Houthis fired three ballistic missiles at the Yemeni commercial vessel, according to Yemen's internationally recognised government.
They are the first known deaths from Houthi attacks on shipping off Yemen in the latest bout of fighting in the Arab country.
Comment: Has Donald Trump begun to plan for life without Benjamin Netanyahu?
Wednesday 12 August 2026 03:30 , James ReynoldsNetanyahu’s belated snub of the US-backed Gaza peace plan shows his dilemma ahead of ‘massacre’ election he faces in October – without the Israeli right he is finished, and without Trump’s backing he is toast, says Donald Macintyre
Has Donald Trump begun to plan for life without Benjamin Netanyahu?
Watch: Trump says he's the 'last person to trust Iran'
Wednesday 12 August 2026 02:21 , Rachel Dobkin.@POTUS: "I don't trust Iran. Why — are you saying I trust Iran!? I'm the last person to trust Iran. They've lied to me constantly." pic.twitter.com/vvQLEiu7Qv
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) August 12, 2026
