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.
Why the Mecca Agreement has given the UAE-Israel alliance the jitters Submitted by David Hearst on Mon, 08/17/2026 - 11:04 With their destructive wars, Netanyahu and Trump have brought the Gulf to the brink of destruction - the Mecca pact represents rightful pushback for their recklessness UAE's President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (R) with Saudi's Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman ahead of their meeting at Qasr Al-Rawdha in Abu Dhabi on 1 December 2024 (AFP) On Intelligence services don’t like surprises, especially those who pride themselves on being able to listen in on any conversation anywhere in the world. The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement , signed on 7 August, came as a surprise to the Emiratis and Israeli intelligence services. The Emiratis only found out about it two weeks before it was declared and by then it was too late.
Israel formally allows Jewish prayer at Al-Aqsa Mosque in violation of status quo Submitted by Lubna Masarwa on Mon, 08/17/2026 - 14:44 Israeli police allow settlers to bring Jewish prayer books into Al-Aqsa, formalising group prayers and marking a significant breach of the decades-old status quo governing the holy site Israelis seen during a raid at Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem on 23 July 2026 (Ilia Yefimovich/AFP) Off Israeli authorities have formally allowed Jewish prayer for the first time inside Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem, in the latest violation of the site’s decades-old status quo. Israeli police allowed settlers raiding the site on Sunday to bring in siddurim, or Jewish prayer books, and perform group prayers, according to a Palestinian source from the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf. While such practices have occurred in the past, they have largely been carried out without official approval.
Tehran [Iran], August 17 (ANI): Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei on Monday said the 60-day period referred to in the 14-point MoU is 'no longer relevant', accusing the United States of committing 'gross and widespread violations' of the understanding shortly after it was signed.
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps spokesperson denied US President Donald Trump’s claim that Washington is holding backchannel talks with the IRGC officials, calling the statement a delusion stemming from the US failure in the war.
Tehran [Iran], August 17 (ANI): Iran and Oman are continuing talks to establish a mechanism for secure commercial navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, with Tehran saying the discussions have been prolonged due to the complexity of the issue, the involvement of multiple actors and what it called 'destructive efforts' by malicious parties.
Iran bars two French diplomats from returning Iran said on Monday that two French diplomats briefly arrested last month over alleged “interference” would not be allowed to return to the country. Foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said the pair had left Iran and that Tehran had formally informed France they would be barred from re-entry. France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on 20 July that the diplomats had been targeted by Iranian security officials in violation of diplomatic immunity and described the incident as an “extremely serious act of intimidation”.
UAE billionaire questions normalisation with Israel after Ben Gvir calls for nightly killings of Palestinians Submitted by Elis Gjevori on Mon, 08/17/2026 - 13:03 The billionaire with close ties to the UAE elite condemned Ben Gvir's statements but offered no plan for confronting Israel Khalaf Ahmad al-Habtoor, chairman of Al Habtoor Group, attending the world premiere of La Perle in Dubai, UAE, 13 September 2017 (AFP/Giuseppe Cacace) Off A prominent Emirati businessman who championed normalisation with Israel has questioned whether regional peace can be achieved while Israeli ministers openly demand the mass killing of Palestinians. Khalaf Ahmad al-Habtoor, one of the UAE’s most prominent billionaires and a former member of the Federal National Council, accused Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir of a “dangerous moral decline”. Ben Gvir called on Sunday for Israeli forces to kill “30 or 40” men, women or children in Gaza every night.
Trump contradicts Vance on top US goal in Iran war US President Donald Trump said preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon is Washington’s “number one Goal”, appearing to contradict Vice President JD Vance, who last week said keeping oil and gasoline prices low for Americans was the administration’s top priority. “The number one Goal is, and always will be, that Iran cannot have, in any way, shape, or form, a Nuclear Weapon,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. Vance told Fox News last week that the administration’s first goal was to “keep oil and gasoline cheap for Americans”, with ensuring Iran never obtains a nuclear weapon coming second.
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior adviser on international affairs to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, said US families are now paying the price of Washington’s “gamble” against Iran, arguing that regional equations have changed fundamentally.
Iran says Hormuz transit route deal reached with Oman Iran on Monday said it has reached an understanding with Oman on a plan for ships to transit the Strait of Hormuz, with the two sides now working to finalise details and issue a joint statement. Foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said “an understanding has been reached regarding the map of the transit route”, adding that the agreement was being prepared as a package including the route map. Details that have previously emerged suggest ships could enter the strait along a route close to Iran and exit near Oman, without paying fees or tolls during an interim period.
TEHRAN/WASHINGTON, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- The 60-day window established under the June 18 peace memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Iran and the United States expires on Monday, marking a critical moment for an agreement that was meant to create space for diplomacy and de-escalation.
The president was forced to hide in a catering truck amid the Iran war, in an encapsulation of the conflict’s failures For decades, Donald Trump cultivated a public image based on strength and dominance. He was a brash New York real estate mogul; a reality TV star who deployed his signature phrase: “You’re fired! ” to eliminate contestants from The Apprentice; and eventually US president and undisputed leader of the Republican party.
Kushner to meet Netanyahu after talks with Hamas leaders US envoy Jared Kushner is set to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after holding talks with Hamas leaders in Egypt as Washington seeks to revive a Gaza peace plan endorsed by Hamas but rejected by Israel. Netanyahu has insisted that any settlement must ensure Hamas is “genuinely disarmed”. Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, met Hamas’s new leader Khalil al-Hayya in the Egyptian city of el-Alamein on Sunday, AFP reported.
Burnham apologised for Gaza. He has 100 days to prove he meant it Submitted by Ismail Patel on Fri, 08/14/2026 - 15:51 The new British prime minister must ban settlement trade, halt Israeli arms deals and end the Palestine Action crackdown British Prime Minister Andy Burnham speaks during a television interview in Ilkeston, Derbyshire, on 11 August 2026 (Toby Shepheard/AFP) On An apology is not a policy. Three decisions in his first 100 days will tell the country whether this prime minister is different from the last.
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran’s Foreign Ministry ruled out any talks on extending the 60-day period stipulated in the Islamabad memorandum of understanding, stressing that Tehran does not formulate its policies under pressure or artificial deadlines and that the US has violated the MoU from the outset.
Iran says talks with Oman continue on new Hormuz transit route Iran and Oman are continuing talks to establish a secure maritime transit route through the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said, blaming security complications caused by US and Israeli military actions. “Drawing up the maritime transit route plan with Oman has been time-consuming due to security complexities,” Baghaei said, adding that “the issue is inherently complex”. Speaking on the proposed mechanism, Baghaei said it would aim to protect the sovereign rights and interests of both Iran and Oman while ensuring the safe passage of commercial vessels.
Iran says 60-day deadline under US deal is no longer relevant Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said a 60-day period linked to the 17 June memorandum between Tehran and Washington was no longer relevant, accusing the United States of violating the agreement weeks after it was signed. “There is no provision in the memorandum of understanding referring to a ‘60-day deadline’, and the Islamic Republic of Iran never formulates its policies under pressure, ultimatums or time limits,” he said. Baghaei said the memorandum envisaged a 60-day period for talks on “the lifting of sanctions” and “the nuclear issue”, which could have been extended if no agreement was reached.
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran’s Central Bank Governor Abdolnasser Hemmati and Iraqi Trade Minister Mustafa Nazar Alani discussed the ways to facilitate economic relations and remove obstacles hindering trade between the two neighboring countries.
