Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi has said that Tehran will only resume diplomatic negotiations with Washington if it abandons its financial sanctions campaign.
Speaking after high-level meetings in Tehran with Qatari prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Araghchi said that restoring dialogue with the Trump administration “is not an impossible mission”.
In a post on X, the official said that progress “hinges on US understanding of one simple fact: pressure doesn’t work” as the war passed its six month anniversary.
The past week has seen Trump launch what has been termed an “economic D-day” against Iran, where Washington rolled out Operation Economic Outcast on Monday — an aggressive wave of secondary sanctions designed to sever Tehran’s access to global markets.
The diplomatic outreach comes as Qatar — a key US ally hosting major American military assets — continues mediating proposals to establish a temporary civilian navigation corridor and joint mine-clearing framework through the contested Strait of Hormuz.
US sanctions amounts to ‘state terrorism,’ says Tehran
Iran’s foreign ministry has condemned Trump’s campaign of economic pressure, warning the international community that following suit would amount to complicity in “state terrorism”.
In a statement on Friday, the ministry argued that the sanctions violate UN conventions, and are thereby clearly illegal under international law.
Suha Kidwai28 August 2026 13:02
Eritrea denies owning hijacked Iran-linked oil tanker
Eritrea’s government has said that a US-sanctioned oil tanker hijacked by suspected pirates off Yemen last week has no official registration or affiliation with the country, despite flying its flag.
Speaking to Reuters, information minister Yemane Gebremeskel confirmed the tanker is not registered in Eritrea.
While ship-tracking sites list the vessel under an Eritrean flag, the UN’s International Maritime Organisation explicitly registers its status as “Eritrea False,” indicating fraudulent flagging commonly used by shadow fleet ships evading sanctions.
The vessel — sanctioned by the US Treasury in December for transporting Iranian petroleum products — was seized by armed individuals in the Gulf of Aden and was last tracked Monday off the coast of northeastern Somalia.
Suha Kidwai28 August 2026 12:30
Hormuz traffic falls below 10-day average, data shows
Commodity vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has fallen sharply, with just seven ships transiting the chokepoint on Thursday.
Preliminary data from shiptracker Kpler shows that the figure has dropped well below the recent 10-day average of 15 transits.
Total transit figures could shift upward as some commercial vessels turn off transponders to navigate regional security risks undetected.
Suha Kidwai28 August 2026 12:00
US will ‘crush’ Iranian economy, says Bessent
America’s treasury secretary has said that his sanctions against Iran are set to inflict major damage on Tehran’s economy.
In a post on X, Scott Bessent said: “The Blockade and Operation Economic Outcast will crush the failing Iranian economy.
The USA has guided 130 millions barrels out over the past 14 days. Iran: 0.”
Iran’s exports cannot be verified, with dark-fleet operations and ship-to-ship transfers allowing the state to bypass sanctions.
Suha Kidwai28 August 2026 11:30
China continues to import Iranian crude
Chinese refiners are continuing to purchase Iranian crude oil, frustrating Washington’s push to choke off Tehran’s energy revenues through strict secondary sanctions.
Beijing’s choice to reject American sanctions has been shared by Iranian state broadcaster, Press TV, where reports on Friday say that trade between both states has continued.
Chinese buyers rely on non-dollar transactions and covert ship-to-ship transfers to keep shipments moving despite US naval enforcement.
Beijing has maintained that its commercial ties with Iran remain legitimate under international law, keeping a critical financial pipeline open for Tehran.
Suha Kidwai28 August 2026 11:00
Iran restores 40% of South Pars gas production, state media reports
Iran has revived approximately 40 per cent of its damaged gas production capacity at the South Pars natural gas field following repeated U.S. and Israeli military strikes, deputy oil minister Ahmad Zeraatkar has announced.
He said: “About 40 per cent of the damaged capacity has now returned to service, and production in this part has resumed.”
The minister confirmed that debris removal across the facility has now concluded and that local engineers are ahead of schedule in efforts to stabilise domestic energy supplies ahead of winter.
However, Zeraatkar stressed that full reconstruction of the giant gas complex will take at least two years due to extensive damage, relying entirely on domestic engineering, and domestic financing packages.
Suha Kidwai28 August 2026 10:30
UAE influenced Trump’s threats to bomb Oman, Iranian media reports
President Donald Trump’s threats to target Oman stemmed from direct coordination with UAE’s bin Zayed, who sought to undermine Omani influence over the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian media has reported.
According to Nournews, an state-linked outlet, bin Zayed urged Washington to push back against Muscat during a phone call earlier in the week, blaming Omani “greed” for complicating maritime negotiations with Tehran.
The report highlights growing friction between Abu Dhabi and neighbouring Gulf states over mediation roles and maritime control in the Persian Gulf.
Suha Kidwai28 August 2026 10:00
Tehran official says Iran will send Netanyahu ‘to hell’
Iran’s secretary of the supreme national security souncil (SNSC) has said that Iran will send Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu “to hell” and prove that his “great mistakes.”
In an interview with Lebanon’s Al-Manar programme, major general Mohsen Rezaei condemned Israel’s continued strikes in Lebanon.
He called for the United States to end its intervention across West Asia, especially in Lebanon and Gaza, and emphasised that Israeli attacks on Damascus must stop. “West Asia is like a chain,” he said. “Its conditions are interconnected.”
Suha Kidwai28 August 2026 09:30
Iranian minister says Tehran has changed ‘power equations’ in Gulf
Iranian acting defence minister Majid Ibn al-Reza has said that Tehran has “changed the regional power equations” and demonstrated that the era of “hit-and-run” attacks on the country was over, Al Jazeera reported.
Ibn al-Reza reportedly said a “ridiculous media show does not change the reality on the ground and the victorious side”.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar28 August 2026 09:00
Iran says diplomacy can get back on track if US recognises pressure does not work
Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araqchi said putting diplomacy back on track was not impossible but hinged on the US understanding that pressure does not work.
In a post on X, Araqchi said he had held what he described as “creative discussions” with Qatar’s prime minister and foreign minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, adding that Washington should build trust, speak respectfully, acknowledge Iran’s rights and uphold its commitments.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar28 August 2026 08:30NewerOlder