TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan discussed bilateral ties, regional developments and diplomatic efforts to ease tensions, with Araqchi highlighting Iran’s ongoing consultations with Oman on safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
New posts 12:34 Iran Insists Hormuz Will Remain Closed Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf has reiterated Tehran's position that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the United States "fulfills its commitments" under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Iran.
Tel Aviv [Israel], August 18 (ANI): US President Donald Trump's envoy Jared Kushner has reiterated Washington's firm stance on Iran, stating that the American leader remains clear that Tehran cannot be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon. Speaking to Fox News while in Tel Aviv, Kushner outlined the core conditions required from Tehran for any diplomatic progress.
Erdogan says Mecca agreement open to Egypt Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the Mecca Agreement between Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan is also open to other countries such as Egypt. Erdogan made the comments during an interview with Al Jazeera Arabic's Al Muqabala aired on Sunday after he was asked about whether other countries in the region could join the recently signed agreement. Erdogan said "the doors will be open to Egypt", seemingly debunking reports that it had been been excluded from the trilateral agreement.
Seven years ago, President Trump failed to disarm North Korea and walked away. Could the same thing happen with Iran?
Erdogan urges Trump to continue talks with Iran, offers support Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan held a call with US President Donald Trump to urge the US to continue talks with Iran and de-escalate tensions, offering Ankara's support in peace efforts, according to the Turkish presidency. In a statement, the presidency said Erdogan and Trump also discussed the war in Gaza, a defence pact signed between Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan, and bilateral ties, adding that Erdogan told Trump that Israel's attacks on Palestinians in Gaza had increased during the second phase of Trump's peace plan.
The 60-day period associated with the Iran-US interim peace deal ended Monday without a breakthrough, with Washington rejecting an extension and a senior Iranian official saying the US had a few weeks to meet the agreement’s terms before further talks.
UAE, Omani leaders discuss regional, global affairs in Abu Dhabi The president of the United Arab Emirates, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, hosted a meeting with Oman’s Sultan, Haitham bin Tariq, in Abu Dhabi to discuss “developments in regional and international affairs”, according to a post from the Royal Oman Family on X. This comes after US President Donald Trump repeated his threats to bomb Oman, as it finalises a deal with Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. 📹 جلالةُ السُّلطان المُعظّم /حفظهُ اللهُ ورعاهُ/ يقوم بزيارةٍ أخويّةٍ خاصّة إلى دولة #الإمارات العربية المتحدة الشقيقة، التقى خلالها بأخيه صاحب السمو الشيخ #محمد_بن_زايد آل نهيان رئيس الدولة.
Kushner says Iran, US conversations are robust but no understanding reached yet US President Donald Trump's envoy and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, said in an interview with Fox News on Monday that conversations between the US and various parts of the Iranian government were probably more robust than ever, but the two sides had not yet reached an understanding. This comes after Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps denied claims that they were conducting backchannel talks with the US.
Trump approval hits new second-term low According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll, US President Donald Trump's approval has fallen to 33 percent, a new low during his second term in office. The poll found that 64 percent of Americans disapprove of Trump's performance in the White House. Meanwhile, 80 percent of Americans expect US involvement in Iran to continue for an extended period of time after the interim US-Iran ceasefire expired and Trump said that he will not be pursuing an extention on the deal.
Trump says US not seeking to extend interim deal with Iran President Donald Trump told reporters on Monday that Iran would not make the type of deal with the US that he thought was necessary. He added that the US is not seeking an extension of the memorandum of understanding with Iran, after the deal expired.
A bill before Iran’s parliament that would impose new restrictions on contacts with foreign media, universities and organizations has drawn widespread objections over its potential impact on routine academic, cultural and civil-society activity.
UAE issues rare denial of 'imperial ambitions' in Africa Submitted by MEE staff on Mon, 08/17/2026 - 18:53 Expert says UAE's denial contains 'flawed logic', as it bolsters militias and scoops up key assets in Africa This handout picture, released by the Sudanese Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on 30 October 2025, shows RSF members reportedly detaining a fighter known as Abu Lulu (L) in El-Fasher, in war-torn Sudan’s western Darfur region (RSF/AFP) Off The UAE has pushed back against a Financial Times (FT) article charting the Gulf state’s growing military and economic footprint in Africa. In a rare rebuttal published by the FT on Monday, the UAE’s director of strategic communications, Afra al-Hameli, said Abu Dhabi was “disappointed” that the newspaper portrayed it as pursuing an “imperial ambition” in Africa. “To describe partnerships negotiated with sovereign African governments as evidence of ‘imperial ambition’ is deeply patronising,” Hameli wrote.
Turkey, Iran discuss efforts to reopen Strait of Hormuz, continue US-Iran ceasefire Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held a call with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araqchi on Monday to discuss efforts to open the Strait of Hormuz and ensure the continuation of a ceasefire between Iran and the U. S. according to Reuters, citing a Turkish diplomatic source.
Washington [US], August 17 (ANI): US President Donald Trump on Monday reiterated that preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon remains Washington's 'number one Goal' in the ongoing conflict with Tehran in West Asia, placing a renewed emphasis on the nuclear issue despite some of his advisers highlighting energy security and keeping oil and gas prices low as equally important priorities.
Netanyahu says talks with Trump's 'Board of Peace' are 'deep and constructive' In a statement to X on Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said that his meeting with Trump's "Board of Peace" had "deep and constructive discussions". The statement said that they agreed to establish "two working groups": "one on disarmament and demilitarisation of Gaza" and the other for "sanitation, clean water and other public health issues for the people of Gaza". Israeli President Isaac Herzog also added in a post on X on Monday that he was "grateful" for the ongoing efforts of the Board of Peace delegation led by US special envoy and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner "to advance to the next stages in Gaza, in accordance with President Trump's 20-Point Plan".
IRGC rejects Trump’s claims of talks with the US IRGC spokesperson Brigadier General Hossein Mohammadi rejected President Donald Trump’s claim that the US has been conducting talks with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. “There are no talks between IRGC officials and the Americans,” Mohammadi told the state-run Tasnim news agency on Monday. “This lie from Trump is simply a fantasy that he is experiencing due to delusions and nightmares resulting from defeat and desperation in the war,” he said, adding that “currently, no talks are taking place with the Americans in this area either, due to broken promises and the dark experiences of repeated and constant violations of agreements by the United States”.
Kushner, Netanyahu agree on path forward for Gaza, Board of Peace official says An agreement was reached on Monday between President Donald Trump's envoy and son-in-law Jared Kushner and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a path forward for the war on Gaza after a "lengthy, in depth, and very productive" meeting, a Board of Peace official said, according to Reuters. The two sides "agreed that no redeployment or reconstruction would take place in the Gaza Strip before Hamas is disarmed throughout Gaza", a senior Israeli official told AFP. "It was also agreed that the first step toward the demilitarisation of the Strip would be to require Hamas to hand over its weapons for decommissioning under the supervision of an American general," the official said.
An Iranian state television presenter has sparked widespread criticism after saying “southern Iran be sacrificed for southern Lebanon” while dismissing criticism over the damage caused by recent US airstrikes on Iran’s southern provinces.
President Trump took aim at Oman, a U. S. ally that has been mediating the talks, as efforts to end a war he started have faltered.
