Iran has said the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the U.S. fulfils the terms of an interim deal, including lifting the maritime blockade and sanctions and releasing Iran’s frozen assets.
The U.S. has imposed sanctions on International Criminal Court President Tomoko Akane and senior trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye, escalating the Trump administration’s campaign against the Hague-based court.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the ICC a “sham of a court” and said the measures were aimed at protecting U.S. sovereignty. Seye was part of the prosecution team that sought an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The ICC condemned the sanctions, saying they undermine the rule of law and the court’s independence.
Iraq’s cabinet has approved a three-month mechanism allowing Iraqi crude to be exported through specialised international and local companies using multiple export routes, the government said.
The contracts will take effect on 1 September as Baghdad seeks to diversify its oil export channels amid the U.S.-Iran war and disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iraq has been developing alternative routes through Türkiye and Syria to reduce its reliance on Gulf shipping. Most of the country’s crude exports currently leave through southern terminals, making them particularly vulnerable to disruptions in Hormuz.
The government has not yet disclosed which companies will participate, the volumes involved or the specific export routes covered by the mechanism.
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei mocked U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim to the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, saying Washington had failed to reopen the strategic waterway.
“The gap between America’s inability to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and its claim to own it is greater than the 7,000-mile distance between Washington and the Strait itself,” Rezaei wrote on X.
“Welcome to the post-American order in the Persian Gulf,” he added.
His remarks came after Trump posted a map on Truth Social labelling the Strait of Hormuz “NEW U.S. Territory”, following earlier statements claiming U.S. control over the waterway.
U.S. prosecutors have charged 17 members of the Iran-based Mabna Institute over an alleged decade-long cyber espionage campaign targeting universities, businesses and government institutions worldwide.
The Justice Department alleges the group, acting primarily on behalf of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, compromised 322 universities and stole around 31.5 terabytes of research and intellectual property. It also allegedly targeted dozens of companies and several U.S. government agencies.
Prosecutors said the intrusions caused victims more than $20 million in remediation costs. In one case, members of the group allegedly hacked HBO and attempted to extort $6 million in Bitcoin.
The U.S. State Department is offering rewards of up to $10 million for information leading to the location of five key suspects.
Israel accused Syria of breaching a security status quo by allowing Turkish troops to deploy at an airbase near Aleppo, according to a statement from the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office.
Israel said it had repeatedly warned Damascus that such a deployment would pose a threat to its security, but claimed the Syrian authorities ignored those warnings.
“Israel will not tolerate threats to its security,” the statement said, adding that it would welcome a return to the previous status quo.
France will expel two Iranian diplomats in the coming days, Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said on Tuesday, escalating a diplomatic dispute between Paris and Tehran.
The move comes a day after Iran said two French embassy employees involved in a July diplomatic incident would not be allowed to return to the country.
France said last month that the two embassy staff had been detained and physically intimidated by Iranian security services in Tehran.
Barrot said France’s decision was being taken on the basis of reciprocity.
The United Arab Emirates has suspended all trade activities, exchanges and financial transactions with Iran until further notice, the foreign ministry said in a statement on Wednesday, citing regional escalation that it said undermined regional and international peace and security.
The United Arab Emirates' Defence Ministry said on Tuesday it had detected two ballistic missiles launched from Iran, with both falling into the sea.
The ministry later said its assessment indicated the missiles were targeting “maritime traffic”. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson rejected the UAE’s statement, without providing further details.
The incident was the first such launch reported since a strike on Fujairah port on 4 May.
The missile launches came after a 60-day window for U.S.-Iranian peace talks expired on Monday without a breakthrough, raising fears of renewed escalation in a conflict that has disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz since February.
Several Houthis killed in drone strikes in Yemen
Yemen’s government-aligned forces said Tuesday that several Houthi fighters were killed and military vehicles destroyed in drone strikes in Shabwa province.
The Shabwa Defense Forces said the strikes targeted Houthi positions in response to an attack that killed a soldier.
The Houthis had not immediately commented.
Iran's ambassador to Kuwait has met with four Iranian nationals who have been detained in Kuwait for the past three months, according to a statement from the Iranian embassy cited by state media.
The meeting comes days after a senior Iranian military official accused Kuwait of failing to provide information about the detainees' whereabouts and status. No immediate comment was available from Kuwaiti authorities.
The UAE Ministry of Defence said its air defence systems detected two ballistic missiles launched from Iran toward the country.
According to the ministry, one missile fell outside UAE territorial waters, while the second landed within the country's territorial waters. Authorities said the military remains on high alert and fully prepared to respond to any threats against the country's security and sovereignty.
The ministry urged the public to rely on official sources for information and avoid rumours or unverified reports.
The UAE's Interior Ministry has issued a follow-up alert stating that the situation is now safe and residents can resume normal activities.
The message came after an earlier warning that air defence systems had detected a missile threat directed at the country. Authorities said the threat had been addressed and urged the public to continue relying on official channels for updates.
The UAE Ministry of Defence said its air defence systems detected a missile threat directed at the country and responded with interception measures.
Authorities urged residents to follow warnings and updates issued through official channels, adding that any sounds heard may be linked to ongoing air defence operations.
The ministry said it remains fully prepared to respond to threats and safeguard the UAE's sovereignty, security and stability.
U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Syria and Iraq Tom Barrack has described Israeli airstrikes on the Abu al-Duhur military airbase in northwestern Syria as an "unnecessary escalation" that does not contribute to regional stability.
In a post on X, Barrack said Washington was deeply concerned by the attacks and urged all parties to prioritise dialogue over further military action.
"We encourage all parties to prioritise logical discourse over further military incidents," he said, as tensions continue across the region.
Saudi Arabia has condemned a drone attack targeting the residence and office of Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani in northern Iraq, calling it a "blatant violation" of Iraq's sovereignty.
In a statement, the Saudi Foreign Ministry rejected attacks against political figures and actions that could undermine Iraqi institutions or threaten the country's stability. Riyadh also reiterated its opposition to interference in the internal affairs of other states.
The attack on Monday prompted Iraq to seek clarification from Iran, though Tehran denied any involvement and described the incident as a "highly suspicious" attempt to damage Iran-Iraq relations.
Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari said mediators are awaiting a bilateral agreement between Oman and Iran on the Strait of Hormuz before broader negotiations between Washington and Tehran can resume.
The comments suggest efforts to restart U.S.-Iran diplomacy remain tied to developments surrounding the strategic waterway, a key route for global oil shipments and a central point of tension in the ongoing crisis.
Eight Israeli airstrikes hit the Abu al-Duhur airbase in northwestern Syria early Tuesday, targeting the runway and storage facilities, Syrian state media reports. No casualties were reported.
The base, around 70km from the Turkish border, is now used as a training centre for Syria’s new army. The strikes come amid rising tensions between Israel and Türkiye over Syria and Israeli concerns about efforts to rebuild Syria’s military capabilities.
Iran’s top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf says the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the U.S. fulfils the conditions of an interim deal, including lifting the maritime blockade and sanctions and releasing Iran’s frozen assets, state media reports.
Iran’s annual inflation rate reached 66 per cent in July, while prices were 87.9 per cent higher than a year earlier, according to official data cited by the Iranian Labour News Agency (ILNA). Food and beverage prices surged 128.1 per cent year-on-year.
The minimum monthly living cost for a working-class family was estimated at 90 million tomans ($1,385), compared with a minimum wage of around 25 million tomans ($385) - leaving workers with just over a quarter of what is needed for basic expenses.
The figures highlight the deepening cost-of-living crisis as the rial continues to weaken and the economy struggles under sanctions and the costs of regional conflict.
Israeli forces shelled the outskirts of Majdal Zoun in southern Lebanon with artillery on Tuesday, while warplanes carried out a dawn air strike on nearby al-Mansouri, Lebanon’s National News Agency reported.
The agency also reported machine-gun fire targeting the outskirts of Haddatha and Baraach.
Saudi Aramco has resumed crude oil loadings from inside the Strait of Hormuz after a three-week halt, with several more tankers waiting to load as the state energy giant offers spot cargoes of heavy crude to Asian buyers.
Three very large crude carriers (VLCCs) loaded around 2 million barrels each at Saudi Arabia’s Juaymah and Ras Tanura terminals between 12 and 16 August, according to Vortexa and Kpler data. Six more VLCCs could load Saudi crude from inside the strait later this month.
The move follows weeks of disrupted exports after attacks on tankers during an escalation in the U.S.-Iran conflict. Aramco has also offered Arab Medium and Arab Heavy cargoes for August loading via ship-to-ship transfers off Fujairah in the UAE.
Only six commodity ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, well below the 10-day average of 11, as stalled U.S.-Iran peace talks continue to weigh on shipping.
Kpler data showed no very large crude oil carriers or LNG tankers crossed the strategic waterway. Three ships entered the Gulf and three exited.
Some vessels may not have been counted because their tracking signals were switched off.
A vessel has been struck by an unknown projectile while travelling through the Strait of Hormuz, the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency (UKMTO) says.
“The Company Security Officer has reported that the vessel was struck by an unknown projectile while conducting an outbound transit of the Strait of Hormuz,” UKMTO said.
The impact damaged the engine room and caused a crew casualty, while the remaining crew is being assisted by the Omani Coast Guard.
No environmental impact has been reported. Authorities are investigating and have urged vessels in the area to “transit with caution” and report any suspicious activity.
Oil prices rose on Tuesday as hopes of a deal to end the Middle East war weakened, after Iran warned of a more offensive military stance and the U.S. ruled out an extension of the ceasefire.
Brent crude rose 0.3 per cent to $91.14 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate climbed to $85.04.
Iran has warned it will shift to a “fully offensive” military posture if efforts to reach a permanent peace deal with the U.S. fail, raising the risk of further disruption across the region.
A senior Iranian official told Reuters that Tehran could take “timely and precise” military action to break the U.S. naval blockade.
The warning came as Washington ruled out extending a temporary ceasefire and a 60-day deadline for a broader peace deal expired without agreement.
U.S. forces have struck three Iranian oil tankers after Iran launched ballistic missiles at two Navy ships, according to U.S. Central Command. ...
An eruption of Indonesia’s Mount Anak Krakatau has disrupted air travel, school activities and fishing operations, with hundreds of passenger...
Russian President Vladimir Putin held more than three hours of talks with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Moscow on efforts to end t...
U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will visit Russia then Ukraine over the weekend, Russian state news agency TASS has reported, citing an unnamed source. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has also said American envoys will visit the capitals of both countries.
U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have arrived in Moscow for peace talks on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, two people familiar with the matter said. They were met by Russian Presidential Envoy Kirill Dmitriev.
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.
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.
Two people have been rescued alive from a tunnel in Nepal, nine days after catastrophic floods devastated the country, as rescuers continue searching for survivors.
U.S. forces have struck three Iranian oil tankers after Iran launched ballistic missiles at two Navy ships, according to U.S. Central Command.
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.
The Iranian Health Ministry said at least 18 people were killed and 142 others injured in U.S. airstrikes carried out between 30 August and 2 September.
The Iranian Army has again struck at U.S. bases in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates in retaliation for U.S. attacks on southern and western parts of Iran late on Tuesday, which reportedly killed 18 people and injured more than 100 others.
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