Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) said they struck a cargo ship owned by the “American-Zionist enemy” with a cruise missile after an Iranian freighter was attacked in the Sea of Oman.
“Following the aggressive attack by the terrorist and child-killing U.S. military on the Iranian ship Lian Star in the Sea of Oman, the IRGC Navy, in a retaliatory operation targeted the ship MSC Sariska owned by the American-Zionist enemy with a cruise missile,” the force said in a statement late on Monday.
“Any aggression by the child-killing U.S. military in this area will be met with a decisive response,” the IRGC warned in a statement carried by the Sepah News website.
Iraqi port authorities confirmed that a merchant ship had been hit by two explosions in the Persian Gulf, one of which was reportedly caused by a drone attack.
The incident occurred 40 nautical miles south-east of Iraq’s port city of Umm Qasr on Monday.
The encounter followed a week of tit-for-tat exchanges between the IRGC and the U.S. military in the Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. Iran said it had responded to alleged U.S. ceasefire violations by striking air bases in the region from which the attacks originated.
Amid escalating tensions following Israel’s invasion of Lebanon, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Monday that any violation of the ceasefire between Iran and the United States on one front, including Lebanon, would be regarded as a breach of the truce across all fronts.
“The U.S. and Israel are responsible for the consequences of any violation,” he wrote in a post on the X social media platform.
His comments came before Israel withdrew its warning of an attack south of Beirut following a reported phone call between Israeli and U.S. leaders.
Iran’s top diplomat also held telephone conversations with his counterparts in Belgium, France, Pakistan, Qatar and Türkiye, as well as with Pakistan’s army chief, whose country is mediating efforts to extend the ceasefire agreement between Iran and the U.S.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Ministry condemned what it described as repeated ceasefire violations by the United States in Iran’s southern waters and by Israel in Lebanon, warning of repercussions for regional peace and security.
In a statement, the ministry referred to the ceasefire agreement reached in April, stressing that the Israel-U.S. war with Iran must cease on all fronts, including Lebanon.
“Recalling the ceasefire agreement dated 8 April 2026, according to which the imposed war by the United States and the Zionist Regime against our country was stopped on all fronts, including Lebanon, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs notes that since the declaration of the ceasefire, the United States has repeatedly committed flagrant violations of the ceasefire, including continuous attacks on Iranian commercial shipping,” it said.
The ministry reiterated that Iran “will defend its interests wherever necessary and with all its might in accordance with the inherent right of legitimate self-defence”.
After weeks of stalled negotiations, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei blamed Washington’s “shifts in positions and contradictory demands” for the lack of progress in talks with Tehran.
“In circumstances where one party constantly changes its views, raises new demands, and sends contradictory messages by media, it is natural that it prolongs the negotiation process,” he told a weekly press conference on Monday.
He stressed that Iran entered the talks with the U.S. out of “total mistrust”, rejecting reports that Tehran and Washington had reached an agreement on a renewed peace deal.
Responding to a question, Baghaei said the ongoing indirect talks do not concern Iran’s civilian nuclear programme.
“At this stage, the negotiating parties are focusing on ending the war,” he said.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told allied foreign ministers Washington will focus on sanctions and other pressure on Iran “for the time bein...
Russia and Ukraine are preparing another major prisoner exchange, with officials from both sides working to fin...
At least 14 infants were killed when a fire broke out at a state-run hospital in Pakistan's capital Islam...
Oil prices fell after the U.S. expanded economic sanctions on Iran, as Tehran vowed to retaliate and warned it had tools to respond, raising concerns over potential disruption to regional oil supplies.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday that Kyiv wants peace but will not surrender to Russia, as foreign leaders joined Independence Day events marking 35 years since Ukraine’s independence.
Kyiv has recently received a small number of U.S.-made Patriot interceptors capable of downing Russian ballistic missiles, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said. It comes as Britain and France pledged stronger military support for Ukraine.
Only four commodity vessels crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, following 13 transits a day earlier, as disruptions continue to restrict traffic through the key energy chokepoint.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told allied foreign ministers Washington will focus on sanctions and other pressure on Iran “for the time being”, Axios reports. Meanwhile, Iran and Oman have resumed talks on a temporary shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz.
Russia and Ukraine are preparing another major prisoner exchange, with officials from both sides working to finalise lists of people who could be released, Russia's state news agency TASS said Wednesday.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 26th of August, covering the latest developments.
U.S. President Donald Trump has formally sent a landmark nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia to Congress, opening a new phase in a deal that has already sparked debate over nuclear proliferation and Riyadh's ambitions.
The Trump administration has temporarily suspended some visa appointment scheduling at U.S. embassies and consulates around the world as part of a new training initiative for consular staff, adding another layer to the administration's broader immigration policy overhaul.
The United States has launched what it describes as its most aggressive sanctions campaign yet against Iran, expanding secondary sanctions and targeting sectors ranging from shipping and aviation to technology and finance.
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