US president Donald Trump said there was an “all-day negotiation” on Tuesday with Iran, characterising the talks positively, while also threatening to hit the country “really hard” if a deal was not reached.
During his cabinet meeting, Trump told reporters that the Strait of Hormuz was “going to be open very soon”. But he warned if that did not happen, Iran would be hit hard.
Iran had previously claimed Trump could “ignite the spark of World War III” after the US warned it was Tehran’s “last chance” to make a deal. The US president claimed the Iranian regime had “begged” for negotiations and that talks are currently ongoing.
“We will not allow a second corridor to be opened in the Strait of Hormuz, and any warship or military force that approaches it will be hit,” Mohsen Rezaei, an advisor to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, told Iranian television, according to Israeli public broadcaster Kan.
The seven times Trump threatened Iran before pulling back
President Donald Trump announced late Saturday that he had called off planned US strikes on Iran, saying renewed negotiations had raised hopes of easing the conflict and reopening shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
The announcement follows a familiar pattern in Trump’s handling of the five-month conflict, with repeated threats of military action followed by abrupt pauses as diplomatic efforts resume. Several previous ceasefires and negotiating windows have collapsed within days, leading to fresh rounds of US strikes.
More here.
The seven times Trump threatened Iran before pulling back
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar5 August 2026 07:17
US officials suggest strait deal imminent
Senior US officials struck an optimistic tone, suggesting a deal to reopen the strait could be reached soon.
Secretary of state Marco Rubio confirmed there has been progress made in talks between Iran and Oman, “but not finality yet.”
Treasury secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC that “there is a chance we may have a deal today or tomorrow to open the strait and move towards a more normalized position in this conflict.”
The Strait of Hormuz is the crucial waterway at the mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a fifth of the world’s traded oil and natural gas passed before the war. It has been effectively shut by Iran’s attacks on shipping since the start of the war in February.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar5 August 2026 06:53
Spike in antisemitism in UK after Iran war began – report
Antisemitism in the UK spiked in the immediate aftermath of the US and Israel launching their war on Iran and following a double stabbing of two visibly Jewish men in London, according to a report.
Data from the Community Security Trust (CST), showed there were 1,926 antisemitic incidents recorded across the UK in January to June of 2026 – up by a fifth on the first half of last year from 1,598.
It is the second-highest total reported to CST in the first six months of any year, exceeded only by the 2,019 incidents recorded in the first half of 2024.
The statistics have been branded “appalling” by policing and crime minister Sarah Jones, who said each incident represents “people living in fear just for being who they are”.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar5 August 2026 06:00
Trump says ‘all-day negotiation’ was held with Iran yesterday
US president Donald Trump said there was an “all-day negotiation” yesterday with Iran, characterizing the talks positively while also threatening to hit Iran “really hard” if a deal was not reached.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar5 August 2026 05:25
Oil prices slip below $80 a barrel
Oil prices fell below $80 a barrel after US official said there was progress in talks with Iran and Oman about ships moving through Strait of Hormuz.
However, US secretary of state Marco Rubio yesterday said a final agreement had yet to be reached. Treasury secretary Scott Bessent earlier said that a deal with Iran to reopen the strait could come as soon as yesterday or today.
Brent crude futures fell $4.41, or 5.3 per cent, to settle at $79.36 a barrel, the lowest since 13 July.
US West Texas Intermediate futures dropped $4.57, or 5.7 per cent, to settle at $75.77 a barrel, also a three-week low.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar5 August 2026 05:10
Ships attacked in Strait of Hormuz and in Red Sea
A cargo ship reported being “hit by an unknown projectile” while traversing the Strait of Hormuz, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center.
The center said the reported strike damaged the vessel at around 2 am local time while it was about 37km northeast of Al Khasab, a port city in Oman.
On the Red Sea, meanwhile, an Indian-flagged commercial ship sank off Yemen after being struck by an explosive-laden boat, Yemeni and Indian authorities said.
Yemen’s coast guard rescued the crew, which included 13 Indians and a Yemeni.
India’s foreign ministry condemned the attack, though no one immediately claimed responsibility. Iran-backed Houthi militants have repeatedly struck ships traversing the Red Sea near Yemen.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar5 August 2026 04:50
Trump says US having ‘very good discussion’ with Iran
Donald Trump has claimed that the US was having a “very good discussion” with Iran after issuing a “last chance” warning to Tehran to bring them back to the negotiating table.
Trump told Fox News that the Strait of Hormuz “will open very soon” or Iran “will take a very hard hit”.
“They called me and asked very politely, ‘Please, can we talk?'” Trump claimed.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar5 August 2026 04:35
US military says it has helped over 1,000 ships transit Strait of Hormuz
US Central Command has said it has helped more than 1,000 ships transit the Strait of Hormuz over the past three months.
CENTCOM claimed the key oil waterway in the Middle East “remains free and open,” but maritime traffic remains muted.
Rachel Dobkin5 August 2026 04:25
Yemen’s Houthis fire at airport in Saudi Arabia
A Yemeni military spokesperson for the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, said a drone hit a “sensitive target” at the airport in the southwestern city of Najran, without providing evidence.
Brig Gen Yahya Saree said the attack was in response to what he described as a Saudi breach of Yemen’s airspace over the provinces of Saada and Hajjah. There was no immediate comment from Saudi Arabia.
The Houthis recently announced a blockade on Saudi-linked shipping passing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait that leads to the Red Sea.
Saudi Arabia led an international coalition and imposed an air and sea blockade against the rebels after they seized the capital, Sanaa, and much of northern Yemen in a civil war that began in 2014. Major fighting ended in a truce in 2022.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar5 August 2026 04:15
Watch: Trump offers soundbite to recap US shooting down Iranian missiles
Rachel Dobkin5 August 2026 04:02NewerOlder