Damage, crew casualty reported onboard vessel hit in Hormuz Strait, UKMTO says The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) received a report on Tuesday that a vessel was struck by an unknown projectile while it was transiting in the Strait of Hormuz. The hit resulted in damage to the engine room as well as crew casualty. Remaining crew are being assisted by the Omani Coast Guard, UKMTO added.
Yemen’s armed forces say 133 operations carried out against Houthis Yemen’s armed forces announced that they carried out 133 military operations against Houthis over the past day. In a post on X, spokesperson Majed al-Nuzaili said that troops used rocket artillery, field artillery and drone aviation to target Houthi what he called "sources of threat". "The operation was carried out with the participation of army units stationed along front-line positions," he added.
Report: Kushner opposes Netanyahu's plans for ongoing targeted killings in Gaza Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told US President Donald Trump’s envoy Jared Kushner that the army will continue targeted killings in the Gaza Strip, according to Israeli channel Channel 15. Kushner opposed the continuation of Israeli assassination operations in the besieged enclave, one source was cited as saying. "There was no agreement between Netanyahu and Kushner on the continuation of the assassination operations," the source said.
Iran's Araghchi says no justification for 'reckless attack' on Iraq’s Kurdish region Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said that "nothing justifies the reckless attack" that targeted the Iraqi Kurdistan prime minister's office overnight. "Kurdish friends should be vigilant against false-flag ploys to sow discord between neighbors," he said in a post on X. "We protected our Kurdish friends against Saddam and DAESH, and we're thankful for security they've provided on our border.
Woman, child injured in Houthi shelling Yemen’s al-Dhale A woman and a child have been injured after the Houthis shelled southwestern Yemen’s Al-Dhale governorate, according to Yemen’s state-run Saba News Agency. The report quoted local sources as saying that the targeted area was residential, adding that Houthi attacks have intensified in the Hajar and Murais districts of the country.
Erbil [Iraq], August 18 (ANI): Iraq's Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) on Monday (local time) accused Iran of carrying out drone strikes targeting the office of Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and the residence of the head of the Kurdish intelligence agency Parastin. No casualties were reported in the incident, while there was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks, CNN reported.
Washington DC [US], August 18 (ANI): US President Donald Trump said South Korean President Lee Jae Myung declined his request for assistance in a US military operation against Iran, questioning why Washington should continue spending billions of dollars to protect Seoul from North Korea.
US envoy backs Yemen government’s fight against Houthis Neil Hope, the Chargé d’Affaires of the US embassy in Yemen, signalled his support for the Saudi-backed Yemeni government’s fight against the Houthis in a meeting with the vice president of the Presidential Leadership Council, Abdulrahman al-Mahrami, in Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh, on Monday. Hope condemned what he described as “deliberate attacks targeting Yemeni civilians” and said that al-Mahrami leads “one of the most effective forces in the fight for freedom against Iranian hegemony through its proxies in Yemen”.
Washington DC [US], August 18 (ANI): United States President Donald Trump on Monday (local time) reiterated his remarks about declaring the Strait of Hormuz as a 'US territory,' asserting Washington DC has 'total control' in the region. Speaking to reporters, Trump emphasised the effectiveness of the US naval blockade on Iran and stressed that oil prices are coming down and the Strait of Hormuz is open.
Iraq, Iran discuss drone attack on Kurdish PM's office Iraq’s Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein held a phone call with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi to discuss the drone strikes on the Kurdistan prime minister's office in Erbil. According to a statement from Iraq’s Foreign Ministry, Hussein asked for clarification of Iran’s official position on the attack on the residence and personal office of Iraqi Kurdistan Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, saying the attack “will have negative repercussions on Iraq’s security and the stability of the region”. Araghchi “expressed his surprise at the occurrence of such an attack, explaining that he does not have information that the attacks were launched from Iranian territory”, stressing “there is no justification for such actions, in light of the positive and strong relations between the Iranian government and the Kurdistan Regional Government, especially with the two main parties in the region”.
Centcom says it redirected 64 ships amid Hormuz blockade US Central Command (Centcom) said on Monday that the US Navy has redirected 64 commercial ships during its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz since mid-July, two more than in its last announcement on Friday. It added that three vessels have been disabled and two were boarded “to ensure compliance”. A U.
Israel can 'finish the job properly' in Gaza if Hamas does not disarm, Kushner says US President Donald Trump's son-in-law and Gaza envoy Jared Kushner said on Monday that he had a "very cordial" meeting with Hamas and that getting the group to disarm and move forward with Trump's peace plan could materialise in about a month. “Our meeting with Hamas was very cordial, and they said all the right things, so we’re going to give them a chance to prove it,” Kushner said, adding that “it will depend on Hamas’ actions and practical steps and I hope they are sincere in that”. "We could be seeing progress...
DUBAI/WASHINGTON, D. C. : Iran has decided to change its war policy from a defensive approach to a "fully offensive" one because efforts to reach a permanent end to its war with the United States have reached a deadlock, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on August 17.
UNIFIL records ‘marked increase’ in Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon The United Nations peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon (UNIFIL) said on Monday “the past two weeks have seen a marked increase in Israeli military activity in south Lebanon”. “Between 5 and 16 August, UNIFIL recorded an average of 137 projectiles per day, including 208 on Saturday and 185 on Sunday”, it posted on X. “As tensions rise, civilians are once again paying the highest price, with many families displaced or forced to change their daily routines because of insecurity and uncertainty,” the post added.
Iran condemns 'suspicious' attack on Iraqi Kurdistan PM's office Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei condemned on Monday a drone attack that targeted the Iraqi Kurdistan prime minister's office overnight, Iranian media reported. Baqaei denounced the attack, describing it as "a highly suspicious development that requires vigilance and careful attention", according to a statement carried by IRNA.
Washington DC [US], August 17 (ANI): US President Donald Trump on Monday warned Oman against getting involved in a deal with Iran over control of the Strait of Hormuz, saying the United States would 'bomb the s*** out of them' if Muscat interferes with Washington's position on the strategic waterway.
Israeli forces raid town, bulldoze Palestinian land west of Ramallah Israeli forces tore up the landscape for the construction of a road in Deir Ammar town, west of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank on Monday, according to Wafa news. Local sources told Wafa that troops escorted bulldozers to the al-Wajh al-Gharbi and al-Misha areas of the town and began levelling Palestinian lands for the construction of a new road, raising concerns that the move is linked to the expansion of nearby outposts. Israeli settlers broke into a house under construction in the al-Wajh al-Gharbi area and raised the Israeli flag at the site, Wafa added.
Fire breaks out in town near Jerusalem, following Israeli military raid A fire broke out on Monday evening local time in the town of Beit Anan, northwest of Jerusalem, after Israeli forces fired tear gas canisters during a military raid, Wafa news reported, citing local sources. Sources reported that Israeli forces stormed the town and deployed tear gas canisters towards residents, sparking a fire in nearby lands. The extent of the damage remains unknown, and no casualties have been reported so far.
Tehran and Muscat are discussing a parallel Hormuz deal as talks with Washington stall US President Donald Trump has threatened to "bomb the sh*t out of" Oman if it strikes a separate deal with Iran on control of the Strait of Hormuz, despite Oman's key role as a mediator between Washington and Tehran.
Tehran and Muscat are discussing a parallel Hormuz deal as talks with Washington stall US President Donald Trump has threatened to "bomb the sh*t out of" Oman if it strikes a separate deal with Iran on control of the Strait of Hormuz, despite Oman's key role as a mediator between Washington and Tehran.