TEHRAN (Tasnim) – A deputy foreign minister outlined Iran’s conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, saying the waterway will remain closed until the US fulfills its commitments and Iran’s security concerns are addressed.
Morning update Good morning Middle East Eye readers, Here are the latest developments from across the region: US President Donald Trump sent an agreement to Congress on the civil nuclear energy deal with Saudi Arabia, maintaining that his position that the pact will only move forward if the kingdom joins the Abraham Accords and recognises Israel, a US official told Reuters on Tuesday. US Senator Chris Van Hollen has accused Trump of profiting from the war on Iran, describing it as "pure corruption". He said in a post on X that the US president "turned the White House into a pay-to-play casino" and "pocketed over a billion dollars" since returning to office.
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian called for stronger cooperation among Muslim countries, saying greater regional unity is essential to promoting security, peace and stability across the West Asia region.
Iranian minister warns US against 'inflicting harm', says Tehran would 'reveal new capabilities' Iran's deputy foreign minister warned that if the US continues to inflict harm on Tehran, the country "will reveal new capabilities", state-linked news agency Nournews reported. Kazem Gharibabadi expressed that Iran "will no longer deal with America in the same way as before". "Today, we are in a situation where, if harm is inflicted on us, we plan both to mitigate the harm and to inflict reciprocal harm," Gharibabadi he said.
Five commodity vessels transited Hormuz Strait on Tuesday Preliminary shipping data from Kpler showed that only five commodity vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, with traffic remaining well below the 10-day average of 15. The vessels travelling via the strategic waterway include two tankers carrying liquefied petroleum gas and one tanker carrying bitumen. Two more empty product tankers entered the strait.
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], August 26 (ANI): Indian benchmark indices opened on a mixed note on Wednesday, as Brent crude slipped to around USD 86 per barrel amid hopes of progress around the Strait of Hormuz. The Sensex opened higher, surging over 200 points, while the Nifty held above the 24,300 level. The Sensex opened at 77,892.
Qatar slams Israeli defense minister's entry into Syrian territory Qatar condemned the Israeli defence minister's entry into south western Syria, calling it a "transgression of international borders". “The State of Qatar strongly condemns Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz's illegal entry into Syrian territory and transgression of international borders,” the ministry said in a statement. It went on to describe the move as a "violation of the sovereignty of the Syrian Arab Republic and its territorial integrity".
Recent visits to Tehran by regional mediators were part of a White House “deception operation,” the hardline Kayhan newspaper said on Wednesday, following separate visits by Pakistani Army Chief Asim Munir and Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi.
As photojournalist sentenced to 15 years, rights groups warn law would turn civic engagement into security crime Iran has taken the first step towards criminalising contact with foreign media, in a move human rights groups have said attempts to “sever the entire Iranian society from the rest of the world”. For journalists, researchers and even ordinary citizens, the proposed law being discussed by Iranian lawmakers this month could make speaking to international audiences and groups a potential criminal act and restrict coverage of events such as January’s mass anti-regime protests . Continue reading...
Ben Gvir celebrates Israeli raid on West Bank Unrwa office Israel's far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, posted a video of himself sitting at what he said was the director’s desk of Unrwa in Qalandiya Refugee Camp, celebrating the raid on the UN agency. On Tuesday, Israeli forces stormed Unrwa vocational centres in Qalandiya and Kufr Aqab that serve about 16,000 Palestinian refugees across the occupied West Bank. "On my shift there is no Unrwa, no management, they will not be here.
Israeli explosions, shelling and strikes reported across south Lebanon Israeli forces carried out several explosions on the outskirts of the southern Lebanese town of Srebbine in the Bint Jbeil district, state media reported. The National News Agency added that shelling from military tanks was reported in the town of Mansouri, south of Tyre. Overnight air strikes were also reported in al-Qantara, Marjayoun.
US senator Van Hollen accuses Trump of profiting from war on Iran US Senator Chris Van Hollen has accused Donald Trump of profiting from the war on Iran, describing it as "pure corruption". "Trump’s turned the White House into a pay-to-play casino. While prices are going up for Americans, things couldn’t be going better for his stock portfolio," he said in a post on X.
New posts 00:06 Iran, Oman Working On New Hormuz Maritime Traffic Settings "The Strait of Hormuz has no more than two coastal countries, and these two countries are simply the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Sultanate of Oman, declared Irans Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi to the countrys state media on August 25.
New posts 12:39 11 Sanctioned Iranian Oil Tankers 'Stranded' Near Sri Lankan Coast Sri Lanka is monitoring a fleet of 11 Iranian oil tankers under US sanctions near the island's southern coast, the country's foreign minister, Vijitha Herath, said on August 26.
New posts 17:24 Trump Says He Thinks Mojtaba Khamenei Is Alive A man in Tehran walks past a banner depicting Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not been seen in public since February. US President Donald Trump says he thinks the man named Irans supreme leader in March, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, is alive.
Bank Melli, Iran’s largest lender, already faces waves of sanctions that severely limit its ability to operate abroad. Every foreign branch must be shut down, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said.
Internal calls to end war get louder as Gulf neighbours plan alternative pipelines to cut reliance on waterway Is the strait of Hormuz, recently cited by the office of the Iranian supreme leader as “the pillar of Iran’s new security order”, and as transformative as possessing a nuclear weapon, in reality becoming a fast-diminishing asset, leaving Iran increasingly vulnerable to the new planned US wave of economic sanctions? It is the key debate that is raging inside Iran, with many different conclusions being drawn for Tehran’s negotiating strategy. Those who warn the strait’s value as a chokehold on the world economy will erode, leaving the country without foreign exchange reserves, argue that Iran’s negotiators should seek a deal soon.
Bangladesh could join Mecca pact, official suggests Bangladesh may be joining the defence agreement signed by Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan earlier this month. Bangladeshi State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humayun Kabir told reporters on Monday that his country has been invited to participate in what has become known as the Mecca pact, but did not say who extended the invitation. Reuters news agency, however, cited an unnamed source saying Riyadh had reached out to Dhaka.
Houthi leader underlines support for Palestinians, slams Saudi 'tyranny' Houthi leader Abdel-Malik al-Houthi has restated support for Palestinian fighters, according to the Houthi-run SABA news agency, saying they would "spare no effort" in backing the Palestinian people until the fall of Israel. In the statement, he also accused the Saudi Arabia of committing "tyranny and injustice" against the Yemeni people, adding that the situation demanded "new moves using all legitimate means" to counter Riyadh’s policies. Houthi also condemned what he called as an "unjust siege" and "aggressive occupation" carried out by Riyadh with US backing.
Opinion: Washington has branded its latest sanctions campaign against Iran an "Economic D-Day," betting tighter financial isolation can force Tehran to yield. Yet history suggests that economic warfare and maximum pressure provide no solution; instead, they only deepen tensions and increase the risk of spillover. The harder the squeeze, the greater the disruption to the global economic and financial order.
