Iran has reportedly drawn up plans to target US military assets in Europe if Donald Trump escalates the conflict, as the US president claimed the Strait of Hormuz as American territory.
Tehran has considered strikes on US targets in south-eastern Europe, including Bulgaria, which last month approved the use of its Bezmer air base by US refuelling aircraft, two Iranian regime insiders told the Financial Times.
Cyprus has also been identified as a potential target, one of the insiders said. A British air base on the island was struck by a drone in March.
Iranian forces have separately examined the possibility of targeting subsea fibre-optic cables in the Strait of Hormuz if the conflict escalates, according to the sources.
It came as Trump said there were “no talks or conversation” going on or scheduled with Iran. Calling Hormuz as “New US territory” he shared a crude map of the region with a large blue circle over Hormuz.
Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates has imposed an indefinite trade embargo on Iran after it accused Tehran of firing two ballistic missiles at the country.
Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson rejected the UAE’s claims as "baseless”.
Key Points
- Iran weighs strikes on US targets in Europe - report
- UAE imposes trade embargo on Iran after missile attack
- Donald Trump declares Strait of Hormuz as US territory
- Oil prices rise for a fourth consecutive day
- Trump says US has no talks planned with Iran
- Ship traffic drops significantly in Strait of Hormuz
- Egypt says Iran-Oman agreement could open door to Iran-US deal
Ship traffic drops significantly in Strait of Hormuz
08:30 , Shweta Sharma
Ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz dropped significantly last week, with confirmed crossings falling 19.5 per cent to 95 transits.
Only three vessels made it through the waterway on Sunday, according to shipping data platform Kpler.
The ships used the Iranian-designated route through the strait, with no crossings recorded through the Omani routes.
Crossings through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait increased 6.7 per cent to 254 transits, while so-called dark transits, in which ships turn off the transponders that broadcast their location, fell from 40 to 16, Kpler said.
Iran weighs strikes on US targets in Europe - report
07:45 , Shweta Sharma
Iran is considering attacks on US military targets in Europe if Donald Trump escalates the conflict, according to people close to the Iranian regime.
Two regime insiders told the Financial Times that Iranian forces have assessed potential strikes against US assets in south-eastern Europe, including Bulgaria.
The country approved the use of its Bezmer air base by refuelling US aircraft last month, making it a potential target in any renewed escalation.
Cyprus, which houses a major British base, has also reportedly been considered as a possible target for retaliation.
Iran is considering attacks on US military targets in Europe if Donald Trump escalates the conflict, according to people close to the Iranian regime.
Two regime insiders told the Financial Times that Iranian forces have assessed potential strikes against US assets in south-eastern Europe, including Bulgaria.
The country approved the use of its Bezmer air base by refuelling US aircraft last month, making it a potential target in any renewed escalation.
Cyprus, which houses a major British base, has also reportedly been considered as a possible target for retaliation.
Gaza was deadliest place for aid workers in 2025, UN says
07:00 , Shweta Sharma
A record number of humanitarian workers were attacked last year, driven partly by increased use of armed drones, the United Nations said on Wednesday, calling the trend "appalling".
Some 907 aid workers were killed, injured or kidnapped in 2025 versus 833 the year before, according to the Aid Worker Security Database, a platform funded by Canada and Australia that compiles major security incidents affecting aid workers.
Of those, 350 were killed, down slightly from a record 387 in 2024.
United Nations secretary-general Antonio Guterres said the level of violence was appalling and urged states to respect the rules of war and hold perpetrators accountable.
"Serving others has become more dangerous than ever," he said, ahead of UN ceremonies planned for World Humanitarian Day with flags at half-staff in New York and Geneva in honour of those killed.
UN aid chief Tom Fletcher said the proliferation of cheap and adaptable armed drones in conflicts has increased the risks.
In March, drone strikes hit Goma in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, killing at least three people including a French aid worker, while aid convoys in Sudan and Ukraine have been repeatedly hit.
Gaza was by far the most deadly place for aid workers in 2025 with 186 humanitarians killed there last year, the database showed, followed by Sudan.
The UN Palestinian refugee agency has reported at least 393 staff killed there since the Israel-Gaza war began on October 7, 2023.
Hamas accuses Israel of undermining talks with new strikes
06:22 , Shweta Sharma
Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad have accused Israel of undermining the stalled peace process in Gaza after an airstrike killed six people.
Leaders of the groups said the strike was “in clear defiance of the mediators’ efforts to solidify the ceasefire agreement and ensure its implementation”.
Hamas called for stepped-up efforts to “put an end to these violations and compel the occupation to cease them completely.”
The Israel Defence Forces, however, said it had “struck several Hamas commanders” in the attack.
The Israel Defence Forces, however, said it had “struck several Hamas commanders” in the attack.
An Israeli plane fired two missiles at a small cafe inside the fishing harbour in western Gaza City on Tuesday.
The seaport has turned into a large displacement camp for Palestinian families during the war that began in October 2023.
A 13-year-old boy and his father were among those killed, while more than a dozen others were injured, medical officials at Gaza’s al-Shifa Hospital said.
Azerbaijan sues CNN in US over report on Israeli forces deployed during Iran war
06:00 , Shweta Sharma
Azerbaijan’s government has sued CNN over alleged defamation following the American network’s 5 June report that said Israel deployed elite military and intelligence personnel to Azerbaijan for operations against Iran.
The lawsuit has been filed in a US federal court, accusing CNN of “falsely reporting” that Israeli forces used Azerbaijani territory for military and intelligence operations against Iran, reported Politico.
Baku is seeking damages and a retraction, according to the court filing.
The report cited four unnamed sources to claim that Israel has sent several dozen personnel, including special operations forces and Mossad operatives, to locations near the Iranian border.
Baku denied allowing its territory to be used for such operations.
According to the report, Azerbaijan contacted CNN before filing the case and demanded a retraction, but the network declined, saying it stood by its reporting.
UAE imposes trade embargo on Iran after missile attack
05:45 , Shweta Sharma
The United Arab Emirates' defence ministry imposed an indefinite trade embargo on Iran after saying that two ballistic missiles launched on Tuesday were fired by Iran.
The ministry said the missiles targeted "maritime traffic" based on its assessments. Both missiles fell into the sea, it said.
“All trade, commercial exchanges and financial transactions with Iran have been halted until further notice,” it said.
"The defence ministry affirms its full readiness to deal with any threats and firmly confront anything that aims to destabilise the state's security," it added.
On Tuesday, some residents received an alert warning of a missile threat. Later, the alert was lifted, and residents were asked to resume normal activities.
The first missile fell outside the country's territorial waters, while the second fell within territorial waters, according to the ministry of defence.
Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei rejected early on Wednesday the statement by the UAE, describing it as "baseless” and a “false flag operation”.
US military official blames Biden administration after reports of dwindling weapons stockpile
05:31 , Rachel Dobkin
US Under Secretary of War Michael Duffey has blamed the Biden administration following reports of the military’s dwindling weapons stockpile.
As the Iran war drags on, there have been multiple reports of the US military burning through long-range missiles and interceptors. US President Donald Trump has maintained that the military has “massive amounts” of munitions.
“We would always like to have more weapons than we have right now, which is why we are so focused on engaging with our industrial partners, entering these deals, and ensuring that we ramp the production of these key missiles as quickly as possible”, Duffey told Fox News.
“We are making up for lost time. The Biden Administration did not deliver — they did not focus on developing the industrial base that we need in order to ensure that we have munitions for the foreseeable future. President Trump and [US Defense] Secretary [Pete] Hegseth are delivering”, he added.
Oil prices rise for a fourth consecutive day
05:20 , Shweta Sharma
Oil prices extended gains for a fourth consecutive session on Wednesday, with Brent crude futures up 26 cents, or 0.29 per cent, at $91.28 a barrel as of 0.04am GMT.
US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures rose 37 cents to $85.31 a barrel.
The gains came after prices closed on Tuesday at their highest levels since 24 July, as fading hopes of a peace deal between the US and Iran fuelled concerns over supplies. Investors were also weighing conflicting statements from Washington and Tehran over the passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz.
US envoy for Syria says Israeli strikes on airbase ‘unnecessary escalation’
05:01 , Shweta Sharma
Tom Barrack, the US ambassador to Turkey and special envoy for Syria and Iraq, said on X that Washington was very concerned by Israel’s bombing of an airbase in Syria on Tuesday.
He said the confirmed Israeli airstrikes on Abu al-Duhur Airbase "constitute an unnecessary escalation that does not advance regional stability."
"The United States continues to believe that restraint and engagement offer the more constructive course. We encourage all parties to prioritise logical discourse over further military incidents," he added.
Syrian foreign minister Assad al-Shibani called for the attacks to stop, saying Israel should recalculate its position toward Syria because it was confronting not only Damascus, but also Syria's allies.
Israeli airstrikes hit Syrian airbase
04:45 , Shweta Sharma
Israel bombed an airbase in Syria on Tuesday, Syrian state media said, drawing condemnation from Turkey.
Syria's state-run Ekhbariya television, citing a military source, said Israel carried out eight airstrikes on the runway and storage facilities at the Abu al-Duhur base near Aleppo in northwest Syria. A separate military source and a civilian who lives near the base said there were no casualties.
The attack appeared to be Israel's first strike on Syrian government assets since March. The Turkish foreign ministry said the attacks violated Syria's territorial unity and integrity.
"We call on the international community to take a more decisive stance to end Israel's escalating aggression against Syria," it said in a statement.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said late Tuesday that Syria was on the "verge" of violating a "status quo agreed with Israel in security matters" by allowing Turkish troops to deploy at the airbase.
"Israel repeatedly warned Syria that such a deployment would pose a threat to Israel's security. Syria chose to ignore these warnings," Netanyahu's office said.
"Israel will not tolerate threats to its security," yet "would welcome a return to the status quo".
Turkey's statement did not say if its troops were at the Syrian base.
Iran calls Trump 'deluded' man after he claims Hormuz American territory
04:30 , Shweta Sharma
Iranian deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi has hit back at Donald Trump after the US president claimed the Strait of Hormuz was “open and operating” and posted a map depicting the waterway as US territory.
“Just as Trump correctly wrote the name of the eternally Persian Gulf, his delusion about the Strait of Hormuz will soon either be corrected, or we will correct the delusions of this delusional man,” Gharibabadi wrote on X.
The remarks come as Iran and Oman negotiate a deal to reopen the strategic waterway, with the Trump administration reportedly opposing parts of the proposed agreement.
Trump says US has no talks planned with Iran
03:55 , Shweta Sharma
US president Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the US has no talks planned with Iran, but insisted that the Strait of Hormuz remains “open and operating”, despite limited traffic and a reported strike on a ship leaving the waterway.
As Oman and Iran say they are nearing a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Trump said on social media on Tuesday that the US blockade of Iranian ports remains "in full force and effect," but asserted that all water mines have been removed and that other marine traffic was free to pass.
Trump posted a map depicting the strait as US territory.
Earlier this week, Trump also threatened to bomb Oman as the country sought a deal with Iran to manage shipping traffic through the strait, two regional officials said on Tuesday.
The officials spoke a day after Trump reportedly warned that he would strike Oman if it “gets in the way”. Iran has said the waterway will not be reopened until the US meets its conditions.
Egypt says Iran-Oman agreement could open door to Iran-US deal
02:30 , Dan Haygarth
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that the Iranian-Omani deal could pave the way for Washington and Tehran to return to negotiations for a "comprehensive and permanent deal that addresses all concerns and enhances regional security and stability."
The statement came after a meeting between Egyptian foreign minister Badr Abdelatty and Omani counterpart Badr al-Busaidi. But it did not address Trump's latest threat against Oman.
The 60-day negotiating period ended this week between the U.S. and Iran with no clear end to the war in sight.
Ship traffic drops significantly in Strait of Hormuz
01:30 , Daniel Haygarth
Ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz dropped significantly last week, with confirmed crossings falling 19.5 per cent to 95 transits.
Only three vessels made it through the waterway on Sunday, according to shipping data platform Kpler.
The ships used the Iranian-designated route through the strait, with no crossings recorded through the Omani routes.
Crossings through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait increased 6.7 per cent to 254 transits, while so-called dark transits, in which ships turn off the transponders that broadcast their location, fell from 40 to 16, Kpler said.
Trump looms over negotiations to reopen Strait of Hormuz
Wednesday 19 August 2026 00:30 , Dan Haygarth
As Oman and Iran say they are nearing a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Donald Trump said on social media Tuesday that the US blockade of Iranian ports remains "in full force and effect," but asserted that all water mines have been removed and that other marine traffic was free to pass.
Trump posted a map depicting the strait as U.S. territory.
Iranian deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi appeared to respond to Trump's post.
"Just as Trump correctly wrote the name of the eternal Persian Gulf, soon his delusion regarding the Strait of Hormuz will either be corrected or we will correct the delusions of this deluded man," he wrote on X.
The Trump administration has told Oman it opposes parts of the yet-to-be-announced deal, according to officials briefed on the US position.
Those include joint Iranian and Omani management of the passage's exit route and the collection of voluntary fees from vessels, even if the money is used for security and maritime environmental protection.
The White House on Tuesday referred to Trump's remarks in the Oval Office and declined to comment further about Oman, the Associated Press reports
Recap: Trump declares Strait of Hormuz as US territory
Tuesday 18 August 2026 23:34 , Daniel Haygarth
President Donald Trump has declared the Strait of Hormuz as US territory in a new post on Truth Social.
Sharing a crude map of the region with a large blue circle over Hormuz, the picture declared the vital shipping route as “NEW US territory”.
“The Naval Blockade remains in full force and effect,” he continued. “The Hormuz Strait is open and operating. All water mines have been removed or detonated.”
However, data shared by Kpler with The Independent shows that only ten vessels passed through on Monday, compared to 130 to 140 before the outbreak of war.
Trump earlier confirmed that there are “no talks or conversations going on, or scheduled” with the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Iran had earlier said the shipping route is to remain closed until the US meet the conditions agreed in an interim deal, according to Iran’s top negotiator Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf in comments shared by state media.
Conditions include lifting a marine blockade and sanctions as well as freeing Iran’s frozen assets.
Trump threatened to bomb Oman because he's unhappy with country's deal with Iran, officials say
Tuesday 18 August 2026 23:12 , Dan Haygarth
Donald Trump threatened to bomb Oman because he is unhappy the country is close to a deal with Iran to manage ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, two regional officials said on Tuesday, a day after Trump leveled the threat.
The officials said the Trump administration has told Oman it is opposed to parts of the yet-to-be-announced deal, including the joint Iranian and Omani management of the exit route out of the passage that's critical to global supplies of oil and natural gas. The officials were briefed on the U.S. position and how the administration views Oman's position.
Meanwhile, a projectile hit a ship as it sailed out of the strait, and a cargo vessel was rendered a "constructive total loss" by multiple projectiles off the coast of Yemen, according to the British military's maritime monitoring agency. The defense ministry of the United Arab Emirates said two ballistic missiles were launched from Iran toward the UAE.
An Iranian official said the strait would not reopen until the United States meets Iran's conditions.
Iran says it rejects UAE statement on missile launches
Tuesday 18 August 2026 22:03 , Dan Haygarth
Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei rejected a statement by the UAE that said Iran was behind missiles launched against the Gulf country.
He said in a statement the UAE's "accusations" were "baseless."
France to expel two Iranian diplomats in coming days, foreign minister says
Tuesday 18 August 2026 21:15 , Dan Haygarth
France will expel two Iranian diplomats in the coming days in response to an incident in July involving two staff of the French embassy in Tehran.
"I had announced that this intolerable act would have consequences. And so it has. Two Iranian diplomats in France will be expelled in the very near future," foreign mMinister Jean-Noel Barrot said in a post on X.
Last month, the French ministry said the two French embassy staff had been detained and physically intimidated by Iranian security services in Tehran.
Barrot had summoned the Iranian charge d'affaires in Paris in protest following the incident on 19 July.
Barrot's comments came one day after the Iranian ministry said two French embassy employees, who were involved in July in a diplomatic dispute in Tehran, would not be allowed to return to Iran.
Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said the two French staff had violated the Vienna Convention — which defines the rules and privileges of diplomatic missions — by engaging in activities supporting Iranian civil society.
French foreign ministry spokesperson Pascal Confavreux said in a statement that "the Iranian authorities have chosen to make completely false accusations against our agents and to fabricate a case of interference to justify their actions."
France to expel two Iranian diplomats in coming days, foreign minister says
Tuesday 18 August 2026 21:15 , Dan Haygarth
France will expel two Iranian diplomats in the coming days in response to an incident in July involving two staff of the French embassy in Tehran.
"I had announced that this intolerable act would have consequences. And so it has. Two Iranian diplomats in France will be expelled in the very near future," foreign mMinister Jean-Noel Barrot said in a post on X.
Last month, the French ministry said the two French embassy staff had been detained and physically intimidated by Iranian security services in Tehran.
Barrot had summoned the Iranian charge d'affaires in Paris in protest following the incident on 19 July.
Barrot's comments came one day after the Iranian ministry said two French embassy employees, who were involved in July in a diplomatic dispute in Tehran, would not be allowed to return to Iran.
Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said the two French staff had violated the Vienna Convention — which defines the rules and privileges of diplomatic missions — by engaging in activities supporting Iranian civil society.
French foreign ministry spokesperson Pascal Confavreux said in a statement that "the Iranian authorities have chosen to make completely false accusations against our agents and to fabricate a case of interference to justify their actions."
Comment - Donald Trump has found exciting new ways to embarrass America – can this one man stop him?
Tuesday 18 August 2026 20:45 , Daniel Haygarth
Donald Trump has found exciting new ways to embarrass America
Israeli airstrikes hit Syrian airbase, drawing Turkish condemnation
Tuesday 18 August 2026 20:15 , Dan Haygarth
Israel bombed an airbase in Syria on Tuesday, Syrian state media said, carrying out what appeared to be its first strike on Syrian government assets since March and drawing condemnation from Turkey and criticism from a US envoy who called it an "unnecessary escalation".
Syria's state-run Ekhbariya, citing a military source, said Israel carried out eight airstrikes on the runway and storage facilities at the Abu al-Duhur base, while a separate military source and a civilian who lives near the base said there were no casualties.
The Israeli military declined to comment on the strikes, while the Syrian defence ministry did not respond.
"We are deeply concerned that the confirmed Israeli airstrikes on Abu al-Duhur Airbase constitute an unnecessary escalation that does not advance regional stability," ambassador Tom Barrack, the US special presidential envoy for Syria and Iraq, said on X.
"The United States continues to believe that restraint and engagement offer the more constructive course. We encourage all parties to prioritize logical discourse over further military incidents," he added.
Syrian foreign minister Assad al-Shibani called for the attacks to stop, saying Israel should recalculate its position toward Syria because it faced not only Damascus, but also its allies through its strikes.
Trump is threatening to bomb Oman, but why?
Tuesday 18 August 2026 19:45 , Dan Haygarth
Explainer by the Associated Press
Oman has played a relatively low-profile role since the Iran war began, including as a mediator.
But its geography has thrust it into the uncomfortable position of negotiating with Tehran over management of the strait while facing Trump's threats.
Trump this week told Fox News reporter Trey Yingst that the U.S. would bomb Oman if it "gets in the way," using an expletive for emphasis. It's not the first such threat he's made. Oman has not commented.
Trump is not happy about the emerging Oman-Iran deal
Trump threatened Oman because he's not happy that it's close to a deal with Iran over the strait, two regional officials said Tuesday.
US-Iran negotiations have dried up.
This week ended the 60-day period that launched when the US and Iran signed an interim agreement. It had been meant to open the way for more detailed talks.
There's no sign of it being extended. Trump now says there are no planned talks with Iran.
So the only confirmed discussions happening now are between Iran and Oman about shipping on the strait.
These have been going on for weeks. Oman hasn't said much about them publicly.
Tehran says they're finalising a joint statement.
Trump has made plenty of threats against Iran. Now he's venting his frustration at Oman, too.
Now Oman is in discussions that appear to be driven by Iran, which has described the talks as aiming to "develop mechanisms to ensure safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz while respecting the sovereign rights and sovereignty of both coastal states, as well as Iran's security and national interests."
The mechanisms might include fees.
How the Iran war is forcing families to choose between schooling and survival
Tuesday 18 August 2026 19:15 , Maira Butt
Sou Sreynich dreams of becoming a teacher. But she knows she's far behind.
The 13-year-old first entered a classroom at 10, an age when most Cambodian children already have been in school for years. Her mother waited until she was old enough to swim, fearing the boat to school could capsize — a decision familiar to many parents on Cambodia's Tonle Sap, the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia.
Now, the price of gasoline has spiked because of the Iran war, an additional burden. Unlike outright school closures during Covid-19, the Iran war’s impact on education is less visible.
How the Iran war is forcing families to choose between schooling and survival
From America’s ‘oldest ally’ in the Middle East to a bombing target: Trump is trying to wreck the US-Omani relationship
Tuesday 18 August 2026 18:45 , Maira Butt
On Monday, President Donald Trump made yet another unprecedented and violent threat against a country in the Middle East.
But this time the target of his ire was unexpected. Oman, an American ally for almost 200 years, would be bombed “to s***” if it interfered with a potential US-Iran peace deal, Trump told a FOX News reporter.
It was not the first time that Trump had threatened Oman, previously warning the country in May to “behave” or face potential military action.
Throughout the US-Israeli war in Iran, Muscat has endured retaliatory strikes across its ports and energy infrastructure but has nevertheless taken part in negotiations towards a resolution.
How Trump wrecked relationship with America’s ‘oldest ally’ in the Middle East
