U.S. President Donald Trump said late on Saturday he would hold off on a fresh attack on Iran as long as a deal could be reached quickly to halt Iran's nuclear ambitions and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said it received a report of an incident about 20 nautical miles northeast of Khasab, Oman, after the master of a tanker reported hearing an explosion close to the vessel.
UKMTO said the crew were all safe and no injuries were reported.
The crew of an Iranian commercial vessel hit in what Tehran says was a Ukrainian attack has returned to Iran, along with the body of a sailor killed in the incident, Iran's semi-official ISNA news agency reported on Sunday.
The vessel was reportedly struck in the Caspian Sea, an attack Iran condemned as an act of aggression. Tehran has accused Kyiv of targeting the ship and vowed to defend its national interests following the incident
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said negotiations with Oman over the Strait of Hormuz have entered their final stages, according to Iran's state news agency IRNA.
Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson said the talks are aimed at establishing a mutually agreed mechanism for managing the strategic waterway.
Araghchi added that the reported understanding with Oman regarding a new route does not mean the Strait of Hormuz is being opened or closed, stressing that negotiations are focused on coordination rather than changing the waterway's status.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said an F-35C stealth fighter launched from the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln as the carrier continued operations in the Arabian Sea in support of the U.S. blockade against Iran.
CENTCOM said that, as of 2 August, U.S. forces had redirected 35 commercial vessels, while two vessels had been disabled and two boarded as part of blockade enforcement operations.
Iranian military officials have rejected U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim that Tehran asked Washington to halt a planned attack, calling it a “lie”. They said Iranian forces remain at the highest level of readiness and are prepared for any confrontation.
A source close to Iran’s negotiating team also denied reports that an agreement had been reached to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian officials said the waterway would remain closed while the United States continued what they described as hostile actions.
Vessels would be allowed to pass only through a designated route and with approval from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Trump had claimed that a possible peace deal would include the immediate reopening of the strait and measures to end Iran’s nuclear threat.
Five Lebanese soldiers were wounded Sunday in an Israeli attack in southern Lebanon, the army said.
A military statement said the soldiers sustained minor injuries in the town of Kafra in Bint Jbeil while escorting civilians in an army vehicle.
The army did not provide further details on the circumstances or the type of strike and there was no comment from the Israeli army yet.
Pakistani and Qatari mediators have "cautious optimism" about the resumption of stalled talks between Washington and Tehran "soon" after U.S. President cancelled planned military strikes on Iran, Pakistani government sources said on Sunday.
According to the sources, mediators are expecting "positive developments" on the resumption of talks by the end of this week.
"Pakistani and Qatari mediators together with regional partners are in touch with Washington and Tehran for the resumption of talks after convincing Trump to hold off on fresh attacks on Iran," said a source familiar with the ongoing diplomatic efforts.
Iran treats every threat from its adversaries as “real and credible”, even when it may be intended as psychological warfare, acting Defence Minister Majid Ibn al-Reza said on Sunday, according to state media.
“We will not be taken by surprise, nor will we remain passive,” he said.
Ibn al-Reza added that Tehran would use such threats to strengthen its military preparedness, reinforce deterrence and further develop its defence capabilities.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman stressed to U.S. President Donald Trump the need to do everything possible to prevent the region from sliding into a broader conflict, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported Sunday.
In a phone call, the crown prince emphasised the need to prioritise dialogue to reduce tensions and stressed the importance of making “all possible efforts” to achieve de-escalation to pave the way for diplomatic solutions with positive outcomes, said the agency.
MarineTraffic data shows heavy vessel traffic navigating key trade routes, where red indicators denote oil and gas tankers while green icons represent container and bulk cargo ships.
In a post, U.S. President Donald Trump claimed late on Saturday that the sides agreed to the “perimeters” of a potential deal that would include the "immediate, complete, and total" reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and an end to Iran's nuclear threat.
Trump said he agreed to cancel the attack "for the future benefit of the WORLD and, likewise, the survival of a successful and prosperous Iran," adding that the decision is subject to the parties being able to "rapidly make a DEAL."
The announcement came after Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman "expressed concern and asked for clarity" during a phone call with Trump over reported plans for new large-scale strikes on Iran, Axios reported, citing two U.S. officials and another source familiar with the conversation.
Previously, Iran had warned the U.S. this weekend against any “adventurous action” and said it would retaliate decisively if American forces followed through on Trump's threats of fresh attacks on Iranian targets.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s comments in separate phone calls on Saturday with senior Turkish, Pakistani and Saudi officials came just hours after Kuwait's army said it destroyed hostile drones launched by Iran against several vital facilities.
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An agreement between Iran and the U.S. to reopen the Strait of Hormuz is expected "soon," a U.S. official has said. The deal would result in the resumption of commercial shipping through the sea passage and the lifting of an American naval blockade on Iranian ports.
U.S. President Donald Trump said negotiations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz are progressing and suggested an agreement with Iran could be reached “soon”.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 8th of August, covering the latest developments.
U.S. President Donald Trump may have to accept concessions he previously opposed if he wants to secure a deal with Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, according to analysts, as negotiators move closer to a temporary agreement.
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An agreement between Iran and the U.S. to reopen the Strait of Hormuz is expected "soon," a U.S. official has said. The deal would result in the resumption of commercial shipping through the sea passage and the lifting of an American naval blockade on Iranian ports.
U.S. President Donald Trump said negotiations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz are progressing and suggested an agreement with Iran could be reached “soon”.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, two key maritime chokepoints in the region, decreased significantly from the previous day, according to shipping data.
U.S. President Donald Trump said there was an "all-day negotiation" on Tuesday with Iran, characterising the talks positively while also threatening to hit Iran "really hard" if a deal was not reached.
Tehran had made plans to strike sites in Ukraine after Kyiv attacked an Iranian cargo ship in the Caspian Sea, a senior Iranian military adviser has said. Iran refrained from taking action after Kyiv said the strike was a mistake, Mohsen Rezaei told the state IRIB TV channel.
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