US replacing USS Abraham Lincoln amid reports of suffering troops? New aircraft carrier to arrive in Middle East – WION
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Middle East Watch
US must return to interim deal, no ceasefire extension talks, senior Iranian source says – Reuters
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China ‘funding pro-Palestine marches in UK’ – The Telegraph
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US senators demand answers after reports of soldiers jumping from USS Lincoln – The Jerusalem Post
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Israel shuts down Christian village terrorized by Jewish settlers– www.lifesitenews.com
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(LifeSiteNews) — The Israeli military designated Taybeh — the only village left in the West Bank entirely inhabited by Christians — as a “closed military zone” on Sunday. The decision came against a backdrop of escalating and ongoing Jewish terrorist attacks by Israeli “settlers” on these communities.
The Israeli Defense Force (IDF) claimed the measure was introduced in response to “some violent attacks by Israelis in the region.” As a result, Israelis and all other non-residents are prohibited from entering the village.
Although the closure is presented as a protective step, Taybeh mayor Suleiman Khouria observed that it places additional restrictions on the residents themselves and does little to shield them from Jewish “settlers” whose colonies (“settlements” and “outposts”) on stolen Palestinian land are all deemed illegal under international law.
The mayor described the closure as “an attempt to further tighten the noose on villagers rather than a measure to protect them.”
Christian woman can’t be arrested for converting from Islam, Nigerian court rules – Christian Post
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Iran executes man over involvement in anti-government protests – WION
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Iran suspected in wave of US water-system cyberattacks – The Arab Weekly
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Yemeni Drones Target Houthi Forces in Al‑Aqsha, Army Foils Infiltration in Taiz – Yemen Online
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Iran’s Supreme Leader Signals Intention to Keep Country on a War Footing– www.nytimes.com
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Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei’s appointment of hard-line loyalists to top jobs suggests he is prepared to keep the country on a war footing and to quash domestic dissent.
Iran-US war latest: Tehran’s army chief tells Trump ‘we’ll break your legs’ and places $30k bounty on US soldiers– www.independent.co.uk
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An Iranian military official said on Sunday that Qatar should let an Iranian team in to investigate the fate of Iranian pilots who Tehran says are being held there, Iranian media said on Sunday. Qatar denies holding any pilots.
Mohammad Baqerzadeh, commander of the Committee for the Search for Missing Persons of Iran’s Armed Forces General Staff, said the air force and fact-finding team had been waiting for months to enter Qatar, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency.
Baqerzadeh accused Qatari officials of repeatedly delaying the investigation and preventing the pilots’ return to Iran. He called for the International Committee of the Red Cross to urgently follow up on the case.
Trump cuts military drills with South Korea citing ‘very good relationship’ with Kim Jong-un – US politics live | Donald Trump– www.theguardian.com
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US president Donald Trump said he ordered the Pentagon to scale back “inappropriate and hostile” military drills with South Korea, hours before the exercises began on Monday.
The drills under Ulchi Freedom Shield, one of two major annual exercises held by South Korea and the US, start on Monday and run until 27 August.
They were expected to involve about 18,000 South Korean troops, alongside US forces and personnel from 11 of the 18 member states of the United Nations Command (UNC), the multinational body that oversees the 1953 armistice that halted hostilities of the Korean war.
However, on Sunday evening, the US president said he was “not happy” with US participation “based on my very good relationship with Kim Jong-un”. He added that they were costly and “send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile, to a country that, as long as Donald J Trump has been president, has been unthreatening and respectful”.
Trump threatens to bomb Oman if it gets in way of Iran deal: Report– www.channelnewsasia.com
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WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump on Monday (Aug 17) threatened to bomb Oman if it “gets in the way” of a US deal with Iran on the Strait of Hormuz and called for Iran to surrender.
“If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb the shit out of them,” Trump told Fox News journalist Trey Yingst, referring to ongoing talks between Oman and Iran on control of the strait, while Washington is also pursuing its own talks.
Iranian and Omani officials have been talking for weeks on future maritime navigation arrangements through the shipping route, and the foreign ministry in Tehran said earlier Monday that the two sides were working on a joint declaration.
However, Trump has repeatedly insisted that the strait – which Tehran effectively closed at the start of the Middle East war on Feb 28 – is under US control despite traffic remaining throttled.
On Friday, Trump claimed that he would even declare the Strait of Hormuz part of US territory, while Iran retorted that the crucial energy waterway it has blockaded “will remain Iranian”.
Prior to the launch of the US-Israeli war against Iran, the Hormuz Strait was considered an open, international waterway. It carries significant portions of global energy shipments, as well as other commodities.
100,000 Ton US Navy Nimitz-Class Nuclear Aircraft Carrier USS Abraham Lincoln Is Finally Coming Home After Record Breaking Deployment – 19FortyFive
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Iranian drones target Iraqi Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region Barzani’s office, security chief’s home – i24NEWS
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Houthis claim strike on Saudi tanker in latest Red Sea escalation– www.euronews.com
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Yemen’s Houthis said on Monday that their forces hit a Saudi oil tanker in the Red Sea with a ballistic missile, as the Iran-backed group continues to pursue a maritime blockade of the Bab el-Mandeb strait, another crucial artery for global shipping.
“The strike was accurate and direct, resulting in a fire breaking out aboard the vessel and causing a number of other ships that were present in the target area to flee,” the Houthis said in a statement.
“This targeting comes as part of the implementation of the Armed Forces’ decision to ban maritime navigation by the Saudi enemy.”
The Houthi claim came hours after a British maritime agency said a tanker struck by an “unknown projectile” caught fire off Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast.
“The Company Security Officer reported a tanker has been struck by (an) unknown projectile causing a fire to the vessel on the main deck,” said the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations.
“All crew are safe and accounted for and no environmental impact has been reported,” it added.
Approval of Iran war hits record low– www.washingtontimes.com
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Americans’ support for the war with Iran has fallen to the lowest level since the conflict began, helping keep President Trump’s approval rating at a record low.
Support for U.S. military action against Tehran dipped to 31%, down 3 points from earlier this month and down 6 points since the start of the war, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released this week.
This drop is attributable to fewer self-identified Republicans supporting the war. Roughly 69% of Republicans backed the Trump administration’s actions against Iran, compared with 77% in March, just after the U.S. and Israel first launched strikes on Iran.
The war’s unpopularity mirrors Mr. Trump’s approval numbers.
Another Reuters/Ipsos poll that closed Aug. 17 put Trump’s approval at 33% and disapproval at 64%, the lowest of his second term and tied with the low point of his first term.
The poll also found 80% of Americans, including 71% of Republicans and 87% of Democrats, believed the Iran conflict would drag on for an extended period.
The poll out this week put that figure at 83%.
Mideast live: Oil tanker struck by projectile in Strait of Hormuz off Oman– www.france24.com
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German GDP growth revised upwards, defying Iran war turmoil
German growth rose faster than previously thought in the second quarter thanks to strong exports, official data showed, as Europe’s biggest economy defied the turmoil unleashed by the Iran war.
Gross domestic product grew 0.3 percent from April to June compared with the first three months of the year, according to revised data from the statistics office Destatis. A first estimate in July had put growth at 0.2 percent.
What could new US sanctions on Iran entail?
The US says it is preparing to announce new sanctions on Iran. It’s been billed an “economic D-day” and is expected to add further pressure on the country’s economy that’s already been battered from previous sanctions and a US naval blockade.
The renewed economic pressure would not be the first time the US has used economic tools at its disposal to corner Iran.
US sanctions oil trader Wellbred over Iran links
The US imposed sanctions on Singapore-based Wellbred Capital and its trading firms in the United Arab Emirates and Switzerland, citing links with Iran, as it steps up measures to target Tehran’s global financial links.
The company had ties to Iranian oil shipping magnate Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani, the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control said on its website on Monday.
“Shamkhani built Wellbred as a company outside the network’s Iranian business, though Shamkhani is ultimately responsible for Wellbred’s operations,” it added in a statement outlining the measures targeting nearly 60 companies, individuals and ships.
Six months of war: 20 dead in 68 incidents near Hormuz, IMO says
The Strait of Hormuz has been the main focus of the six-month war between Iran and the US and Israel, with many commercial vessels targeted in the vital conduit for oil and gas shipments.
In total, 68 incidents have been confirmed by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) in the Gulf and neighbouring bodies of water, the equivalent of one every 2.6 days.
Across all incidents, at least 20 seafarers or port workers were reported killed, 35 wounded and one missing, the UN maritime agency said.
About half of the incidents have involved tankers, 20 percent container ships and 15 percent bulk carriers.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) classified 47 of the incidents as attacks.
Liberia-flagged vessels have been most affected, being involved in 13 incidents, followed by 10 vessels each from Panama and the Marshall Islands.
Iran-flagged vessels were reported as being involved in four incidents.
Pakistan says army chief held talks with Iran focussed on preventing further escalation of Middle East conflict
Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir held discussions with Iran that were focussed on measures including the prevention of a further escalation of the conflict and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, the Pakistani military said in a statement on Tuesday.
Munir discussed regional peace and ways to reach a negotiated settlement to disputes, the statement added.
Commodity vessel transits through Strait of Hormuz fall to three-month low, data shows
Only one commodity vessel transited the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, the lowest number since May 7, preliminary shipping data showed on Tuesday.
One very large gas carrier entered the strait from the Gulf of Oman on Monday, initial data from shiptracker Kpler showed at 0251 GMT, compared with six vessels of all types on Sunday. The figures could change as some ships had switched off transponders on their way through.
Oil tanker struck by projectile off Oman
An oil tanker was struck and disabled by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Oman, causing damage but no casualties, a British maritime agency said early Tuesday.
“The Master of an oil tanker reports the vessel has been struck by an unknown projectile causing damage to the engine room and disabling the vessel,” with the crew reported as safe, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said.
The incident occurred nine nautical miles (16.7 kilometres) northeast of Ash Shishah in Oman, it said.
The online statement did not specify the vessel’s nationality or direction of travel.
Oil prices steady as investors weigh impact of expanded US sanctions against Iran
Oil prices steadied on Tuesday, after falling more than 2% in the previous session, as investors assessed the impact of harsher US secondary sanctions against Iran.
Brent crude futures were down 9 cents, or 0.1%, at $92.16 by 0104 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate crude was up 1 cent at $85.02 a barrel.
Both contracts fell more than 2% on Monday with US crude oil falling to a one-week low on profit taking after prices rallied over the previous two weeks.
Trump launches ‘Operation Economic Outcast’ on Iran as he tries to isolate regime with damaging new sanctions– www.thesun.co.uk
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DONALD Trump has launched his crushing “Operation Economic Outcast” on Iran by threatening crippling sanctions on any country propping up the regime.
The US president last week vowed to unleash the “MOST CRUSHING ECONOMIC OPERATION EVER TAKEN” to strong-arm Tehran into accepting his peace terms.
Washington has now upped the ante with a new plan to slap severe sanctions on any country maintaining economic ties with the regime.
Iran has meanwhile vowed it will retaliate against any country participating in the US-led isolation campaign.
Netanyahu claims ‘Iran tried to murder one of my sons’ — RT World News– www.rt.com
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The Israeli leader offered no evidence or specifics as his coalition trails in polls ahead of October’s election
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed that Iran attempted to assassinate one of his sons, making the explosive allegation without saying which of his children was allegedly targeted, when the supposed plot took place or how close it came to being carried out.
The bombshell came almost in passing during a telephone interview with Israel’s Channel 14 on Monday about security arrangements for Netanyahu’s political rival Gadi Eisenkot, a former Israeli military chief who is challenging him ahead of the October 27 general election.
“This is an unbelievable case. Iran targeted one of my sons. Iran tried to murder him, tried to murder one of my sons,” Netanyahu said, arguing that round-the-clock protection for Eisenkot was “not a luxury” and warning that without it, the Iranians “will succeed.”
Netanyahu has two sons, Yair and Avner. He did not identify which one he was referring to, nor did he say where or how Iran allegedly planned to attack him.
Israeli media have separately reported that Netanyahu’s wife, Sara, and both sons were granted expanded state protection in July. Channel 12 reported that the alleged Iranian plot had been known to Israel’s security establishment for several months but had been subject to a military gag order.
The claim comes as Netanyahu faces a difficult reelection campaign. Successive surveys have put his governing bloc short of the 61 seats required for a parliamentary majority, while polls have shown Eisenkot competing closely with or overtaking Netanyahu and his Likud party. Reuters reported in July that surveys were pointing to a defeat for Netanyahu’s coalition, although the fragmented opposition also lacks a straightforward path to forming a government.
US President Donald Trump also claimed that Tehran had repeatedly tried to kill him – even before the initial salvo of US-Israeli strikes on February 28 killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
“I got him before he got me,” Trump boasted in an interview with ABC News shortly after the strike that also killed Khamenei’s daughter Boshra and 14-month-old granddaughter Zahra, as well as a son-in-law and daughter-in-law.
During the NATO summit in Türkiye in July, Trump was secretly removed from Air Force One and transferred inside a catering truck to another military aircraft after Israel relayed intelligence about another alleged Iranian assassination threat. The extraordinary operation was concealed even from some members of his traveling party.
US intelligence reportedly assessed the Israeli-supplied information with “low confidence,” while Tehran has denied broader accusations that it sought to assassinate Trump or other American officials.
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Trump Announces New Development in Strait of Hormuz– townhall.com
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President Donald Trump says that there are no more mines in the Strait of Hormuz, as he warns that any “new mines” will result in a military response.
Both the U.S. and the Islamic Republic of Iran have said they are in charge of the strait, which has global significance for cargo transportation, but the U.S. currently has the upper hand by a wide margin, according to CNN.
The comments come as the president said earlier this month that there no longer talks occurring between the U.S. and the Islamic Republic, as the war now shifts to an economic focus.
Trump says all mines have been removed or have been detonated in the Strait of Hormuz.
He says Iran has been notified that “any ship or boat placing new mines will be immediately and systematically destroyed.” pic.twitter.com/xrtHYUN3WA
— Kellie Meyer (@KellieMeyerNews) August 25, 2026
Iran faces ‘greatest financial offensive ever’, says US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent– www.bbc.co.uk
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The US announced a host of sanctions against Iran and threatened its supporters in what Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said was “the single greatest financial offensive ever”.
Labelling it an “economic D-Day” for Iran, Bessent said the US would sever all economic ties with the country and added that any nation financially partnering with Iran would also be isolated.
However, the latest threat to the Iranian regime follows several U-turns and extended deadlines from the White House in its efforts to end the conflict.
The war has led to hikes in global oil prices, and in response to the latest threat Iran warned it would shut down all oil exports from the region if the war continued.
The Iranian regime has also issued a fresh warning to shipping to not pass through the Strait of Hormuz without its permission, according to Reuters.
One fifth of the world’s oil and gas usually passes through strait, a narrow waterway south of Iran, but the flow has been effectively blocked by the country since the conflict began at the end of February, leading to higher oil prices globally.
South Korea says US cancels joint marine drill over Iran war– www.channelnewsasia.com
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SEOUL: South Korea said on Monday (Aug 24) that the United States had cancelled a large joint amphibious landing exercise scheduled for next month due to constraints on force availability caused by the war with Iran.
The biennial Ssangyong drills involve marine forces from South Korea and the US and are designed to strengthen combined operations, typically involving warships, aircraft and ground forces rehearsing amphibious landings.
The cancellation follows US President Donald Trump’s order last week to scale down the separate annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises, cutting the joint drills from 11 days to five.
Trump at the time cited their high cost and said they sent an “inappropriate and hostile” signal to North Korea, while highlighting his relationship with its leader, Kim Jong Un.
“The US Marine Corps formally notified our forces in June that its ability to deploy forces during this year’s Ssangyong exercise would be constrained due to the situation in the Middle East,” Han Seung-jeon, a spokesman for the South Korean Marine Corps, told reporters at a news briefing.
Seoul and Washington were continuing consultations on resuming the amphibious exercise, he said, without giving details.
Iran’s rial currency hits new record low as US prepares to announce more sanctions– abcnews.com
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TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s currency hit a record low Monday as Washington prepared to announce new sanctions it said would add further pressure on an economy already battered by previous sanctions and a U.S. naval blockade.
The rial dropped to 2.02 million to the U.S. dollar as trading opened on currency markets. Iran’s official Central Bank rate stood at around 1.5 million rial to the dollar, but the market rate is what most Iranians pay.
The currency had already been under pressure before the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28, as Iran faced double-digit inflation and negative growth, but has repeatedly hit new lows as nearly six months of war have taken an even greater toll.
Iranians find daily staples increasingly unaffordable. Since the war began, rice is up some 60% and prices of beef are more than 150% higher. The International Monetary Fund forecasts that GDP will contract more than 5%.
Still, economic pressure has not yet translated into political pressure. Iran retains a key strategic advantage: Its attacks and threats on ships in the Strait of Hormuz have brought traffic in the vital waterway to a near halt, damaging the world economy and heaping pressure on U.S. President Donald Trump ahead of congressional elections.
The UAE Just Delivered a Crushing Blow to Iran’s Economy– townhall.com
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The United Arab Emirates suspended all trade, commercial exchanges, and financial transactions with Iran after accusing Tehran of firing two ballistic missiles toward the Gulf state, an incident that triggered nationwide shelter warnings for the first time in weeks.
The decision could deal a severe blow to Iran’s already strained economy.
The UAE has suspended all trade and financial activity with Iran after accusing it of firing two ballistic missiles pic.twitter.com/6YA5lkwQ8f
— TRT World (@trtworld) August 19, 2026
The UAE’s total trade and financial cutoff of Iran, if enforced, may be the most consequential economic action of this war for Iran. This could be even more significant than the embargo being put on by the United States.
Here’s why. The U.S. naval blockade seals the Gulf of… https://t.co/0qvISQEPwG
— Miad Maleki (@miadmaleki) August 19, 2026
Iran official says support for new sanctions would be ‘act of war’– abcnews.com
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The new head of Iran’s top security body warned Sunday that Tehran will see any country’s support for new U.S. economic measures against the Islamic Republic as an “act of war,” while Iran’s president defended a memorandum of understanding with the United States as the best way out of the stalled conflict.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Monday is expected to announce the new measures after the U.S. vowed to impose an “unprecedented” level of economic warfare and isolation on a country that has lived for decades under sanctions. Also Monday, Pakistan’s army chief is expected to visit Iran as mediators try to revive talks.
Meanwhile, attacks calmed on the Strait of Hormuz but posturing did not, as a recently created Iranian authority listed dozens of vessels it said will face restrictions on future transits.
Here’s a look at the latest developments in the Iran war and the wider Middle East on Sunday. Full coverage can be found here.
The hard-line leader of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Mohsen Rezaei, issued his latest warning on X, with the comments quickly shared by Iranian state media.
It came a day after Rezaei’s most extensive public comments since being named to the post this month.
“If (Trump) wants to do something, we will retaliate in a seismic manner,” he had told the state broadcaster in an interview that aired late Saturday. He said Iran would target other oil-shipping routes from the Persian Gulf — alternatives to the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran War Updates: U.S. to unveil new sanctions Trump said would hit Iran with an “economic D-Day”– www.cbsnews.com
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The South Korean military said Monday the U.S. canceled a large, joint military exercise that had been scheduled to take place next month due to force limitations amid the war with Iran.
The Ssang Yong (Twin Dragons) exercise is a joint amphibious landing drill conducted regularly since 2012 by the South Korean Navy and Marine Corps alongside U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. British and other allied forces have taken part in previous years.
A spokesperson for the South Korean Marines said its U.S. counterparts had notified the force in June that “due to the situation in the Middle East,” the U.S.’s ability to deploy forces for the exercise was constrained this year.
The news of this year’s Ssang Yong drills being called off came a week after the U.S. cut short another major joint military exercise with South Korea, on President Trump’s orders, fueling concern in Seoul, and in Japan, that Washington is becoming a less dependable ally in the face of rising threats from North Korea and China.
Jordan and China strengthen their partnership; King Abdullah II calls for expanding cooperation in vital sectors – صوت الإمارات
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China warns US of retaliation if Trump’s ‘Economic D-Day’ sanctions hit their Iran oil trade– timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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China has warned the US that it could retaliate if Washington significantly expands secondary sanctions on Chinese companies doing business with Iran
China has warned that it could take retaliatory measures if the United States significantly expands secondary sanctions targeting Chinese companies doing business with Iran, according to reporting by the Financial Times.The warning came after the Trump administration on Monday announced new sanctions targeting companies in Hong Kong and mainland China as part of a broader crackdown on Iran’s oil trade. The measures, however, did not target major Chinese financial institutions, FT reported.A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday that Beijing would take “all necessary measures” to safeguard its rights and interests, while reiterating China’s opposition to what it described as unilateral sanctions lacking a basis in international law or United Nations Security Council authorisation.The spokesperson also called for de-escalation and a return to dialogue and negotiations.
CIA chief travels to Moscow for unannounced talks, US media reports– www.bbc.co.uk
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The trip is thought to be Ratcliffe’s first trip to Russia as CIA director, although he has maintained contact with his intelligence counterparts in Moscow.
John Foreman, who served as a British military attaché to Moscow between 2019 and 2022, told Radio 4’s PM programme that the visit could be focused on “escalation management” given speculation recent drone activity in Germany could be linked to Russia.
He said: “The Americans don’t normally send such a high ranking official to Moscow unannounced at short notice unless something is up.”
Foreman said the trip could also concern the release of US detainees currently being held in Russia.
Ratcliffe played a role in negotiations for the release of Russian-American citizen Ksenia Karelina, who was jailed in Russia for over a year after being accused of providing support to Ukraine.