Strikes across the Middle East are intensifying, fuelling travel disruption, driving up global energy prices and forcing diplomatic missions to shut their doors.
President Donald Trump said the country was “stocked and ready to win big”, adding that it could sustain military operations indefinitely.
Writing on his social media platform, Truth Social, the U.S. president said the country was prepared for a prolonged campaign.
“We’re already substantially ahead of our time projections. But whatever the time is, it’s OK. Whatever it takes,” he wrote.
His remarks come amid mixed signals from the administration about the likely scope and duration of the military campaign.
The United Nations has called for a full investigation after a deadly strike on a girls’ primary school in the Iranian city of Minab on Saturday.
Iranian officials said more than 100 children were killed in the attack. The U.S. said its forces “would not” deliberately target a school, while Israel said it was investigating the incident.
A spokesperson for the UN human rights office described the strike as “horrific” but did not attribute responsibility.
“The High Commissioner calls for a prompt, impartial and thorough investigation into the circumstances of the attack. The onus is on the forces that carried out the attack to investigate it,” the spokesperson said.
A loud blast was heard and flames were seen at the U.S. embassy in Riyadh early on Tuesday morning, three people familiar with the matter said. One person said the fire was minor.
Saudi's defence ministry said the U.S. embassy in Riyadh was hit by two drones causing limited fire damage.
Black smoke was seen rising over Riyadh’s Diplomatic Quarter, which houses numerous foreign missions. Two sources said there were no reported injuries, as the building was largely empty in the early hours of the morning.
Shortly after the attack, the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait announced a temporary closure on Tuesday.
Oil prices have risen by more than 15% since Friday, a day before the U.S. strikes against Iran. Meanwhile, the European wholesale price for natural gas is up by 40%. Supplies have been disrupted as Tehran attacks ships and energy facilities in the Middle East.
Iraqi officials said oil output at the Rumaila field - Iraq’s largest producing oilfield - had been reduced because of full storage capacity and tanker delays in the Strait of Hormuz.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Monday that Washington would take action to mitigate rising energy prices caused by the conflict with Iran.
Australia on Thursday condemned Israel’s decision to close its criminal investigation into the deaths of Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom ...
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains limited on Thursday, with no increase in vessel crossings as U.S.-Iran talks to res...
North Korea has fired more than 10 short-range ballistic missiles after U.S. President Donald Trump reduced American participation in joint militar...
The collective-defence agreement between Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signals that regional powers no longer want to rely solely on external security guarantees. Whether it becomes a stabilising deterrent or another axis of rivalry remains unresolved.
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has slowed, according to the latest data, as uncertainty over the waterway’s reopening kept most shipowners away. Six commodity vessels crossed the strait on Tuesday, down from nine the day before and below the 10-day daily average of 11.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains limited on Thursday, with no increase in vessel crossings as U.S.-Iran talks to resolve the conflict remained stalled. Nine commodity vessels transited the key waterway on Wednesday, unchanged from the previous day, according to Kpler data.
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.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 19th of August, covering the latest developments.
Australia on Thursday condemned Israel’s decision to close its criminal investigation into the deaths of Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom and six World Central Kitchen colleagues killed in Gaza in April 2024.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains limited on Thursday, with no increase in vessel crossings as U.S.-Iran talks to resolve the conflict remained stalled. Nine commodity vessels transited the key waterway on Wednesday, unchanged from the previous day, according to Kpler data.
North Korea has fired more than 10 short-range ballistic missiles after U.S. President Donald Trump reduced American participation in joint military exercises with South Korea in an effort to revive dialogue with Pyongyang.
Georgia’s foreign trade data for January-July 2026 shows Kyrgyzstan, China and Russia as its top three export markets, highlighting its Middle Corridor ambitions and complex economic ties with Moscow.
Kazakhstan will vote on 23 August in its first parliamentary election under the new Constitution, choosing 145 members of the new Kurultai under a fundamentally changed electoral system based entirely on party lists.
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