U.S. President Donald Trump says Washington is not seeking an extension of its memorandum of understanding with Iran, claiming the U.S. already controls the Strait of Hormuz through its naval blockade.
The yield on the 30-year U.S. Treasury bond climbed above 5.3 per cent on Monday, reaching its highest level in 19 years as investors weighed inflation, rising oil prices and concerns over the country’s fiscal outlook.
The long-term yield rose as high as 5.31 per cent, a level last seen in June 2007, while the benchmark 10-year yield climbed to around 4.73 per cent.
The move came as Brent crude rose above $90 a barrel amid renewed U.S.-Iran tensions and uncertainty over shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, fuelling concerns that higher energy costs could keep inflation elevated.
A woman and a child were injured after Houthi forces shelled populated areas in Yemen’s southwestern Al-Dhalea province on Monday, according to the country’s official Saba news agency.
Mortar shells reportedly struck residential areas in the Hajar and Maris districts. No further details were immediately available on the condition of those injured, and the Houthis have not commented on the attack.
The reported shelling comes amid an intensification of fighting between the Houthis and government forces across several provinces, including Marib, Al-Jawf, Al-Dhalea and Taiz.
Palestinian factions meeting in Cairo on Monday accused Israel of obstructing progress on the Gaza ceasefire agreement by rejecting the proposed roadmap, backtracking on first-phase commitments and continuing what they described as daily violations.
Hamas political bureau chief Khalil al-Hayya briefed representatives of Palestinian factions on talks held over the previous two days with Egyptian officials, mediators and ceasefire guarantors.
The meeting comes amid renewed diplomatic efforts to move towards the second phase of the Gaza plan. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted Hamas disarm before further Israeli withdrawals, while the proposed roadmap calls for disarmament and withdrawal to proceed gradually and in parallel.
The factions also called for accelerating Gaza’s recovery and reconstruction and for steps towards reorganising Palestinian political affairs.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday, discussing bilateral relations as well as developments involving Iran and Gaza, Türkiye’s Communications Directorate said.
Erdoğan stressed the importance of making “maximum use of diplomacy” amid U.S.-Iran tensions and expressed hope that negotiations would continue, saying Türkiye would maintain its support for peace efforts.
He also described the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement between Türkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia as a “strong stance” towards ensuring regional security and stability.
On Gaza, Erdoğan raised concerns over what he described as increased Israeli actions against Palestinians as efforts continue to move towards the second phase of the peace process.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the drone attack targeting KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani’s office on Monday, while suggesting it could have been a “false-flag” operation intended to create tensions between Iran and its neighbours.
“Nothing justifies the reckless attack on PM Barzani’s office,” Araghchi said, urging Kurdish authorities to remain vigilant against attempts to “sow discord between neighbours”.
His comments came after the Kurdistan Counter-Terrorism Unit said two drones launched from Iranian territory targeted Barzani’s office and the home of the region’s intelligence chief. No casualties were reported. Iran has rejected responsibility for the attack.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoy Jared Kushner warned on Monday that Hamas could face renewed Israeli military action if it fails to fulfil its commitments under the Gaza peace plan.
Speaking to Fox News after talks in the region, Kushner said Hamas representatives had “said all the right things” but would now have to demonstrate their commitment through actions.
He said that if Hamas does not follow through, “everyone will see that they’re not genuine about peace”, adding that Israel would then have greater support from the U.S. and others to “finish the job”.
Kushner’s comments follow meetings with Hamas representatives in Egypt and talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as Washington seeks to advance the next phase of its Gaza plan.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said he was “deeply alarmed” by rising civilian casualties in Yemen amid renewed fighting and attacks across the country.
Türk called on all parties to de-escalate tensions and protect civilians, urging them to “spare the Yemeni people from further misery”.
His appeal comes amid intensified clashes and missile and drone attacks in several parts of Yemen, including Marib, Taiz and Mocha.
The Kurdistan Regional Government said two explosives-laden drones launched by Iran targeted Prime Minister Masrour Barzani’s private office and the home of the head of the KRG’s Security and Intelligence Agency early on Monday. No casualties were reported.
The Kurdistan Counter-Terrorism Unit said the two Hadid-110 drones crossed the border and struck targets in Erbil governorate shortly after midnight.
Barzani condemned what he called “reckless and unacceptable” Iranian attacks, describing them as a “dangerous escalation” and a direct threat to the Kurdistan Region’s security and stability.
“These attacks will not deter us from carrying out our duties and protecting our citizens,” he said.
Israeli forces in Gaza have been formally ordered not to move the “Yellow Line” further west following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s meeting with U.S. envoy Jared Kushner, Israeli public broadcaster KAN reported on Monday.
The Yellow Line marks the area to which Israeli forces withdrew under the first phase of U.S. President Donald Trump’s Gaza plan. KAN reported that Israeli forces have since advanced beyond the original line and now effectively control nearly two-thirds of the enclave.
The reported order came after Netanyahu held around four hours of talks with Kushner and Board of Peace representative Nickolay Mladenov, amid U.S. efforts to move Israel towards the second phase of the Gaza plan.
Netanyahu has insisted Hamas fully disarm before further Israeli withdrawals, while the current roadmap calls for disarmament and withdrawal to proceed gradually and in parallel.
UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan met Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq in Abu Dhabi on Monday, with the two leaders discussing regional and international developments and efforts to strengthen security and stability.
The meeting comes as Oman plays a central role in negotiations with Iran over shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Earlier on Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to bomb Oman if it “gets in the way” of U.S. objectives over the strategic waterway, as Washington and Tehran remain deadlocked over a broader agreement.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog met U.S. President Donald Trump’s adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner in West Jerusalem on Monday for talks on the next stages of the process in Gaza.
Gaza Board of Peace High Representative Nikolay Mladenov and accompanying delegations also attended the meeting.
The talks focused on efforts to advance the next stages of Trump’s Gaza plan, as U.S. officials continue a regional diplomatic push over the future of the enclave.
U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has described President Donald Trump’s memorandum with Iran as an “utter failure and complete flop”, accusing the administration of making no progress towards its stated goals.
Schumer blamed the conflict for pushing U.S. gasoline prices above $4 a gallon and accused Trump of failing American troops and the country.
He called for the war to end “immediately” through diplomacy, describing Trump’s handling of the conflict as “one of the greatest foreign policy fiascos in American history”.
U.S. Central Command said on Monday that its forces had redirected 64 commercial vessels as part of what Washington calls its “steel wall” naval blockade against Iran.
CENTCOM said that, as of 17 August, its forces had also disabled three vessels and boarded two others to enforce compliance with the blockade.
The figures were released alongside footage of a U.S. Navy MH-60 Sea Hawk helicopter hovering over the USS Mason during operations in the region.
Oil prices rose more than 2 per cent on Monday after U.S. President Donald Trump said he was not seeking an extension of the framework agreement with Iran, renewing concerns over tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz.
Brent crude climbed 2.4 per cent to $90.60 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate rose 2.2 per cent to $84.20 as of 18:50 GMT.
Trump said Iran wanted an agreement but was “not going to make the kind of a deal” he considered necessary, as the 60-day negotiating window under the June framework reached its expiration without a comprehensive settlement.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said on Monday that Beirut would not back away from its framework agreement with Israel and was counting on the United States, as the deal’s sponsor, to help ensure its implementation.
“There are difficulties with this framework, but we do not want to back away from it. We want to strengthen it,” Aoun said, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency.
Aoun said Lebanon was awaiting a new round of negotiations with Israel focused on making progress, without giving a date. He argued that diplomacy was the only viable path forward, saying: “We have two choices: war or diplomacy.”
Lebanon and Israel have held seven rounds of direct negotiations since April, including five in Washington and two in Rome.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoy Jared Kushner said on Monday that contacts between Washington and different parts of the Iranian government were “probably more robust than ever”, but that the two sides had yet to reach an understanding.
Speaking to Fox News during a Middle East visit, Kushner’s comments came as the 60-day U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding expired on Monday without a permanent peace agreement.
Washington and Tehran remain at odds over key issues, including the Strait of Hormuz, as efforts to reach a lasting settlement continue.
President Donald Trump said on Monday that the United States is not seeking an extension of the memorandum of understanding with Iran.
President Donald Trump on Monday told reporters that Iran would not make the type of deal with the United States that he thought was necessary.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan spoke by phone with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi on Monday to discuss efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and maintain the ceasefire between Iran and the U.S., according to a Turkish diplomatic source. No further details were provided.
The call came after a senior Iranian official told Reuters that Tehran had decided to move from a defensive posture to a “fully offensive” strategy amid stalled efforts to secure a permanent end to the conflict with the U.S. Progress towards peace negotiations and the resumption of oil tanker traffic through the strategically important strait has also come to a standstill.
A meeting on Monday between Donald Trump's envoy and son-in-law Jared Kushner and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was "lengthy, in depth, and very productive," a Board of Peace official said, adding that agreement was reached with Netanyahu on a path forward for the Gaza conflict.
A senior Iranian official says Tehran will not wait indefinitely for the U.S. to continue what it describes as a naval blockade.
A senior Iranian official says the timeframe set by Tehran will be conveyed to the U.S. and regional countries through mediators.
A senior Iranian official says Iranian entities are prepared to escalate tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and across the region if diplomatic efforts fail.
A senior Iranian official says Tehran has given the U.S. a deadline of several weeks to fully implement the memorandum of understanding (MOU).
Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis said on Monday they had attacked what they described as a Saudi military ship and four escort vessels in the Red Sea with missiles, according to the group’s military spokesperson Yahya Saree on Telegram.
There was no immediate confirmation from Saudi authorities.
U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated on Monday that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon amid a lack of progress in diplomatic efforts to resolve the Middle East conflict.
"The number one Goal is, and always will be, that Iran cannot have, in any way, shape, or form, a Nuclear Weapon," Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson says talks with Oman have taken longer than expected because of the complexity of the issues and the involvement of multiple actors. Tehran also claims some countries are seeking to undermine the process, adding further challenges to the negotiations.
Iran says two French embassy employees will be barred from returning, accusing them of violating the Vienna Convention by supporting Iranian civil society.
The move follows a July dispute in which France accused Iranian security forces of detaining and intimidating its staff.
Live tracking shows heavy vessel concentrations around the Strait of Hormuz, but only a small number of ships are making the crossing following recent tanker attacks.
According to Kpler data, five commodity vessels transited the strait on Saturday, with none recorded on Sunday, compared with 31 during the previous weekend.
In a post on X, Kurdistan PM Masrour Barzani says Iranian drones targeted his office and the home of the region’s security chief, calling the strikes a “dangerous escalation” and threat to regional stability.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said at his weekly press conference that a 60-day deadline under a 18 June memorandum with Washington is no longer relevant, accusing the U.S. of violating the agreement weeks after it was signed.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran never formulates its policies under pressure, ultimatums or time limits,” he said.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said existing laws already protect the country’s “sovereign rights” in the Arabian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman.
During his weekly press conference, he said the ministry would continue working with parliament on any new legislation, adding: “The Foreign Ministry has always taken into account both the current laws and developments on the ground.”
In a post on X, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif thanked Donald Trump for backing the “Makkah Joint Defence Agreement” with Saudi Arabia and Türkiye, saying the three countries would play a “constructive role” in regional security.
Signed on 7 August, the pact commits them to treat an attack on one as an attack on all three.
Oil prices held near recent highs early on Monday, with Brent steady at $88.55 a barrel and WTI down 14 cents at $82.26. Both benchmarks gained more than 5 per cent last week as tanker attacks and stalled U.S.-Iran talks heightened concerns over supplies through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref said Washington is turning to economic pressure after military setbacks, warning that “the enemy now wants to compensate for its defeat on the military front through economic warfare”.
Speaking at a meeting of the Market Regulation Headquarters, he said Iran would overcome the “economic war” through national unity and urged tighter market oversight.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei criticised Canada’s support for the U.S.-led war on X, calling Ottawa Washington’s “farm team” and accusing it of joining the conflict to appease the U.S.
In a post on X, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen criticised President Donald Trump and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, calling their treatment of service members “disgraceful” and urging an end to the war.
The USS Abraham Lincoln, deployed for nine months, is set to be relieved by the USS George Washington.
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz slowed sharply over the weekend, with just five commodity vessels transiting on Saturday and none recorded on Sunday, Kpler data showed. This compares with 31 vessels the previous weekend, following tanker attacks and stalled U.S.-Iran talks.
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Overnight Iranian strikes on an air base in Jordan damaged multiple U.S. aircraft and left one without a wing, American media reported. Meanwhile, explosions were heard across parts of southern Iran according to local media reports.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian arrived in New Delhi on Friday to attend the weekend BRICS summit, amid the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict, joining a host of foreign dignitaries.
Ukrainian forces struck a Russian oil refinery in Siberia and a seaport in Dagestan in the past 24 hours, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. He will meet Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Thursday to discuss air defences for Ukraine over winter.
Mexico and the U.S. are racing to secure a trade deal before the U.S. midterm elections in less than eight weeks, according to six sources familiar with the talks, with failed negotiations between Washington and Canada adding urgency.
A Russian strike on a gas station in Kyiv has killed two people, the city's Mayor Vitali Klitschko said in a statement on Telegram. In Russia, online marketplace Ozon has suspended operations in Saratov, southwestern Russia, following a drone strike on a warehouse in the region.
Saudi Arabia is now facing pressure from both ends of the Arabian Peninsula. While the crisis around the Strait of Hormuz is disrupting Gulf shipping and energy flows, fighting has intensified in western Yemen, bringing the Houthis back into direct confrontation with the kingdom.
Iran has warned it will retaliate against any future U.S. attacks, saying American energy interests and infrastructure across the Gulf could become targets in a further escalation of the conflict.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Sunday that the United States must recognise that the “rules of the game” in its war against Iran had changed “before it is too late”, a day after Washington struck several Iranian tankers in the Gulf.
An Iranian tanker was hit by U.S. forces on Saturday near Iran's key oil export hub, Kharg Island, in the Gulf, the semi-official Iranian news agency Tasnim reported.
U.S. efforts to squeeze Iran’s economy through an oil blockade and sanctions are becoming increasingly difficult for Tehran to withstand, according to three senior Iranian sources. Washington is escalating pressure in hopes of securing concessions in future negotiations.
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