Trump says US will not extend MoU with Iran, claims control of Hormuz

Lebanese Armed Forces Commander General Rodolph Haykal met former US ambassador Edward Gabriel, president of the American Task Force on Lebanon (ATFL), in Yarzeh.

The two discussed the latest developments in Lebanon and the wider region, as well as the Lebanese army's responsibilities and the challenges it faces. Members of the ATFL board also attended the meeting.

Haykal said the army would continue carrying out its duties under the framework agreement within its available capabilities, despite continued Israeli attacks and violations of the understandings.

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said there were no conversations taking place with Iran, and none were scheduled, adding that the naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz remained in full force and effect.

He made the comments in a Truth Social post. 

The Turkish Foreign Ministry said, on Tuesday, that Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan discussed with the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani, and the Syrian Foreign Minister, Asaad Al-Shaibani, the latest developments in the region.

Diplomatic sources in the Turkish Foreign Ministry reported to the media that Fidan telephoned Al Thani and discussed with him the situation in the Strait of Hormuz.

Sources added that Fidan's call with Syrian Foreign Minister reviewed the latest developments in the region, without adding details.

The phone call with Al-Shaibani also came after an Israeli air strike on the Abu Al-Duhur military airport near the Turkish border.

The US dollar rose slightly on Tuesday but remained near multi-month lows against its peers as traders reduced their bets on rate hikes, although the threat of renewed violence in the US-Israeli war on Iran left sentiment fragile.

The euro eased away from two-month highs of $1.161 touched on Monday and was last little changed at $1.157.

Sterling was at $1.352, dipping 0.1% on weak UK labour market data, just shy of the three-month peak it hit in the previous session.

Data in the past few weeks have pointed to a softer US economy, including unexpected job losses last month and mild inflation readings, leading investors to scale back expectations of a rate hike by the US Federal Reserve.

Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman, Majed Al-Ansari, said that in April, the Qatari authorities ended the search for the two Iranian pilots who violated Qatari airspace, and the remains of one of them were handed over to the Iranian side.

Al-Ansari added that Qatar called on the Iranian side to send a technical team to review the search operations, but it did not respond to the invitation.

Al-Ansari confirmed that Iran and Qatar are in direct contact regarding the issue of the Iranian pilots, describing Iran's request for the International Committee of the Red Cross to intervene in the case as a "media stunt."

He stressed that Qatar should not be involved in Iran's internal problems, pointing out that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi spoke in some way yesterday about this issue.

US President Donald Trump posted an image on his Truth Social platform showing a map of the Strait of Hormuz, with a caption titled “New US Territory”.

New media post from Donald J. Trump

( TS: Aug 18 2026, 7:09 AM ET )​‍‌​​​‌‍‌‌​‍‍​​‌​‌‍‍‍‍‌​​​​‍‌‌​​​​‌‍‌ pic.twitter.com/MXZtcwYrhB

— Commentary Donald J. Trump Truth Social Posts On X (@TrumpTruthOnX) August 18, 2026

Renewed hostilities between the Houthis and government forces have shattered three years of an uneasy truce.

Many now fear all-out war is inevitable, writes Carolina Pedrazzi.

Read more below:

The US special presidential envoy for Syria and Iraq said on Tuesday that Israeli airstrikes on the Abu al-Duhur military airbase in northwestern Syria constitute an "unnecessary escalation" that does not advance regional stability.

In a statement on X, Ambassador Tom Barrack said the United States was deeply concerned concerned by the attacks, and added that Washington was encouraging all parties to prioritise "logical discourse" over further military incidents.

Qatar's foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari says during a press conference that parties mediating between Iran and the US will return to efforts to end the US-Israeli war on Iran after Iran and Oman announce a bilateral agreement on transit through the Strait of Hormuz.

An explosion at a petroleum products depot in eastern Iraqi Kurdistan injured 18 people, Kurdish media outlet Rudaw reported Tuesday, without specifying the cause.

Hirsh Salim, deputy director general of health in Sulaimaniyah governorate, told the outlet that there were no fatalities.

Iraqi security forces have detained a senior commander in the Iran-aligned Harakat al-Nujaba group, in a move that could intensify tensions between the government and armed factions resisting efforts to bring weapons under state control.

Abbas Hussein al-Yaqoubi, a senior Nujaba figure who also serves as an intelligence official within Iraq's Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), was detained on Monday in the southern province of Dhi Qar, according to Iraqi officials and security sources.

Security sources in Baghdad told The New Arab that a special unit linked to Iraq's Counter Terrorism Service raided a residential building about 360 kilometres south of Baghdad and detained Yaqoubi.

Read more below:
 

A selloff in US government bonds picked up pace on Tuesday, sending the 30-year Treasury yield to a near two-decade high as fears of an escalation in the Iran war fuelled inflation worries and pressured stocks.

Oil prices also climbed for the third consecutive day, with Brent crude hitting its highest since late last month after the latest signals from Washington and Tehran crushed hopes of an imminent end to the conflict.

The market's reaction shows that tensions in the region remain a potent source of risk, with a renewed escalation capable of reverberating across oil, bonds, currencies and equities.

The number of Israelis returning to live in Israel has fallen sharply in recent years, while the number leaving the country for extended periods has risen, according to a new Knesset report that points to a widening migration problem.

The report, prepared by the Knesset Research and Information Centre and cited by the Israeli newspaper Maariv, found that the number of returning residents fell by 53%, from around 8,000 in 2020 to just 3,800 in 2024, the lowest figure recorded in recent years.

Read more below:

Iran's top negotiator Qalibaf said that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the US meets the conditions underscored by the interim deal, according to state media.
 

Saudi Aramco resumed oil loading from inside the Strait of Hormuz last week and has more tankers waiting to load as the state energy giant offers spot heavy crude cargoes, according to shipping data and trade sources.

On Monday, the world's top oil exporter offered some Asian refiners Arab Medium and Arab Heavy crude cargoes for loading via ship-to-ship (STS) transfers off Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates this month.

The move came after it had halted sales for weeks following attacks on its tanker fleet in the Strait of Hormuz during an escalation of the U.S.-Iran conflict last month.

The resumption of Saudi exports could help ease tight supply of heavier grades that produce more residue fuel which can be used to refuel ships or processed further at refineries, to yield higher quality fuels such as gasoline and diesel.

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis have targeted an oil refinery on Saudi Arabia's southern Red Sea coast, rebel media reports.

The Houthis "targeted the Aramco refinery in Jazan with a number of drones… in response to airspace violations over the governorates of Saada and Hajjah" in Yemen, Houthi news agency Saba says, citing a military source.

A source at Syria's defence ministry told The New Arab that Israeli aircraft carried out the strikes at Abu al-Duhur airfield in the eastern countryside of Idlib.

Iranian parliament speaker and top negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, is scheduled to arrive in Baghdad on Wednesday to lead a high-level delegation for talks with Iraqi leaders on regional developments and strategic bilateral cooperation, state media reports.

An "unknown projectile" struck a vessel transiting the Strait of Hormuz causing a crew casualty, British maritime agency UKMTO reported on Tuesday.

"The impact caused damage to the engine room and resulted in a crew casualty," the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said on X.

"The remaining crew are currently being assisted by the Omani Coast Guard," the agency said.

Preliminary shipping data showed on Tuesday that ship transit through the Strait of Hormuz remained in the single digits yesterday, Monday, but rose slightly compared to its levels at the weekend in light of the faltering talks to end the war between the United States and Iran.

Ship tracking data issued by Kpler indicated that six ships loaded with primary goods crossed the strait yesterday, Monday, three of which left the Gulf and three headed to it, compared to a 10-day average of 11 ships.

Three ships crossed the strait on Saturday, while two ships passed on Sunday. No giant crude oil tankers or tankers carrying liquefied natural gas crossed the strait.

Some ships may pass through the strait with their transponders disabled, so they are not counted in these numbers. The data showed that the giant gas tanker "Xavia" entered the strait via the Iranian route and was not carrying any cargo. This category of tankers is usually used to transport types of liquefied petroleum gas such as propane and butane.

The data also indicated that a medium-range fuel tanker and another medium-range tanker entered the Gulf, while a medium-sized liquefied petroleum gas tanker, a “Panamax” bulk cargo ship, and a “Panamax” fuel tanker left it.