Donald Trump has claimed the Strait of Hormuz is “sort of open” and predicted that the war with Iran will “end pretty soon”.
The US president said although the shipping route was under US control, there was a possibility that Tehran could still “shoot things” or “drop a mine.”
"I think it's going to end pretty soon. I don't think they (Iran) can go much longer," Trump said in the Oval Office.
Trump also denied the US was running low on key munitions amid its war with Iran, insisting the country has "massive amounts" of ammunition and threatened lengthy prison sentences for officials who leak information about US weapons stockpiles.
The president was responding to US media reports that he had reprimanded defence secretary Pete Hegseth during a Cabinet meeting in which low ammunition stockpiles were discussed.
Earlier, Iran claimed a deal with Oman to fully open up shipping through the strait was on the brink of being agreed, with negotiations now in their “final stages”. The proposed deal would give Tehran control over ships entering the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the biggest concessions yet to Iran.
Key Points
- Strait of Hormuz is 'sort of open' - Trump
- Trump denies US low on key munitions in war with Iran
- Oil prices slip as Iran-Oman talks fuel hopes for US-Iran peace deal
- ‘US may accept Iran’s demand for fees to transit Hormuz’, experts say
Strait of Hormuz is 'sort of open' - Trump
05:50 , Shweta Sharma
Saudi Arabia expects imminent attacks from north and south, senior official says
05:30 , Shweta Sharma
Saudi Arabia expects imminent coordinated attacks from the north and south by Iraqi militias and Yemen's Houthis under the supervision of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a senior Saudi official said on Thursday.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said intelligence reports from Saudi Arabia, the United States and other regional countries indicated civilian and economic sites could be targeted, including energy infrastructure, ports and airports.
Saudi Arabia had also observed drones and missiles being moved, suggesting coordinated operations from both directions, the official said.
The official said the reported threats were particularly alarming as Riyadh continued to pursue de-escalation and a negotiated settlement, adding that contacts with all parties, including Iran, and mediation efforts appeared to be moving "in the right direction." The official said the planned attacks could be intended to disrupt those diplomatic efforts.
The official said Saudi-US cooperation remained "very high" at all levels, including operationally with US Central Command, and said Saudi Arabia was prepared to take all necessary measures to respond to any aggression.
Trump says Americans will see gas for $1.85 a gallon soon. The national average is currently above $4
05:03 , Rachel Dobkin
Donald Trump has said Americans will see gas for $1.85 a gallon soon.
“We'll see those days pretty soon again, based on everything I see”, the US president told reporters Thursday. “As soon as the war ends, and I think it's going to end pretty soon”.
The national average price for a gallon of gas is currently above $4. It was below $3 at the start of the Iran war in late February.
Trump denies shortage of key munitions in war with Iran
04:51 , Shweta Sharma
Donald Trump has denied reports that the United States is running low on key munitions amid its war with Iran, insisting the country has "massive amounts" of ammunition and threatening lengthy prison sentences for officials who leak information about US weapons stockpiles.
In a post on Truth Social on Thursday, Trump said: “Defence companies are building the largest number of plants and factories in our country’s history.”
The president claimed more weapons were being manufactured and shipped to the region, though he did not provide evidence or specify which munitions he was referring to.
His comments followed reports that he confronted defence secretary Pete Hegseth during a Cabinet meeting at Camp David last week over alleged shortages of critical weapons.
According to the Washington Post, citing two unnamed sources familiar with the discussion, Trump told Hegseth he felt misled because he believed the issue "had been fixed".
The newspaper reported that Hegseth defended his handling of the matter and sought to place responsibility on his deputy, Stephen Feinberg.
Trump later lashed out at the reports, accusing the media of publishing "treasonous statements".“The ‘leakers’ of these treasonous statements are being hunted down,” he wrote. “Long term jail sentences will be sought!”
Dollar drifts higher as traders eye Iran talks
04:19 , Shweta Sharma
The dollar drifted higher against the yen and euro on Friday, building on the previous day's gains as doubts about an Iran peace deal buffed the US currency's appeal as a haven.
The greenback also drew support from higher Treasury yields after a Financial Times report citing sources close to Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh pointed to the potential for a September interest rate hike, depending on incoming data.
The monthly US payrolls report, due later on Friday, could provide more clues on the Fed's rate path.
The dollar rose slightly to 158.505 yen in the Asian morning, after gaining 0.4 per cent on Thursday, putting it on course to rise around 0.7 per centthis week as it recovered from a bout of joint Japan-US. intervention that sent the US currency tumbling from near a four-decade high above 163 yen on Thursday to a 13-week low of 155.20 on Monday.
Against the euro, the greenback edged up to $1.1521 after strengthening about 0.3 per cent in the prior session.
Brent crude rose a little over a dollar on Friday to trade at $83.55 per barrel, after settling up more than $3 in the previous session.
US military says it redirected 49 ships, disabled 2 during blockade
04:02 , Rachel Dobkin
US Central Command said it has redirected 49 ships, disabled 2 and boarded 2 while enforcing its blockade of Iranian ports.
U.S. Marine Corps aviation assets and personnel embarked aboard USS Boxer (LHD 4) support ongoing enforcement of the U.S. blockade against Iran. As of Aug. 6, CENTCOM redirected 49 commercial vessels, disabled 2, and boarded 2. pic.twitter.com/tbdPdKe7RH
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) August 6, 2026
Houthi rebel attacks injure 11 people in Saudi Arabia
03:52 , Shweta Sharma
At least 11 civilians, including a four-year-old child, were injured after Yemen's Houthi rebels launched an attack on Saudi Arabia's southern Najran province, Saudi officials said.
The kingdom accused the Iran-aligned Houthis of indiscriminately shelling civilian areas.
A senior Saudi official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Saudi, US and other Middle Eastern countries' intelligence found that the Houthis and Iraqi militias under the supervision of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps could soon launch coordinated attacks on Saudi civilian sites including energy infrastructure, ports and airports.
The Saudi official said the reported threats were alarming as Riyadh continued to support de-escalation and a negotiated settlement of the conflict with Iran, adding that mediation efforts appeared to be moving "in the right direction."
The official said the planned attacks could be intended to disrupt the diplomacy.
Trump says US has 'massive amounts of munitions'
03:00 , Alex Croft
Donald Trump has said the US has “massive amounts of munitions” and was expanding domestic production, rejecting leaked claims about US stockpiles.
“Defense companies are building the largest number of plants and factories in our country’s history,” he wrote on Truth Social.
“The ‘leakers’ of these treasonous statements are being hunted down. Long term jail sentences will be sought!!”
His post came after US media reports suggested the US has used nearly all of its global stockpile of long-range precision missiles during the war with Iran.
Iran threatens to strike critical energy infrastructure in response to US attacks
01:29 , Alex Croft
Iran has warned Gulf states that any fresh US attack on its territory would trigger retaliation against critical energy infrastructure across the region, according to five sources cited by Reuters.
"The Iranian warning was unequivocal: if America targeted Iran's infrastructure, they would retaliate by striking Gulf energy facilities and other regional targets," one Gulf source told Reuters.
The warning comes as Iran and Oman discuss a potential deal that could give Tehran a greater role in overseeing ships transiting the strategic waterway, though key issues remain unresolved, Reuters reported.
A source said that the proposed deal between Iran and Oman to help end five months of war between Iran and the United States would give Tehran control over ships entering the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the biggest concessions yet to Iran.
While president Donald Trump has said a deal reopening the strait is imminent, US officials have repeatedly insisted they would never agree to Iran controlling access to the world's most important trade route for energy supplies.
Trump’s Iran deal: Three scenarios for what could happen next
Friday 7 August 2026 00:01 , Alex Croft
As Iran and Oman close in on a deal to open the Strait of Hormuz, there is growing optimism that the main hurdle preventing peace talks to end Donald Trump’s war may be cleared.
Esmaeil Baghaei, the spokesperson for Iran’s foreign ministry, said an agreement is in its “final stages”, while US president Donald Trump said an "all-day negotiation" had taken place with Tehran on Tuesday.
Senior Trump administration officials, including secretary of state Marco Rubio and treasury secretary Scott Bessent, suggested a deal was imminent earlier this week – but an agreement had not been reached by Thursday morning.
Alex Croft reports:
Trump’s Iran deal: Three scenarios for what could happen next
Americans believing US war on Iran will destabilise Middle East vastly outnumber those who don't: poll
Thursday 6 August 2026 23:01 , Alex Croft
US citizens widely expect the Middle East to continue sliding towards chaos as a result of ongoing war with Iran, a new poll by Reuters and Ipsos has found.
The poll concluded on Monday, as Donald Trump again backed away from his threatened "massive attacks" on Iran, underscoring uncertainty surrounding a conflict he initially predicted would bring a swift victory.
Half of the respondents said they believed military action in Iran would destabilise the Middle East in the coming year, around three times the 17 per cent who said it would lead to more stability.
Some 16 per cent said stability levels would remain around the same, and 17 per cent said they were unsure.
The majority of respondents (58 per cent) also believe has prices will continue to worsen, with only 15 per cent expecting them to improve.
Watch: Iran on brink of deal to open Hormuz as Trump denies munitions shortage
Thursday 6 August 2026 22:36 , Harriette Boucher
Watch: Trump says ‘we may have to’ send oil prices 'up again' as Iran war continues
Thursday 6 August 2026 22:00 , Alex Croft
Trump insists US has 'unlimited supply' of munitions
Thursday 6 August 2026 21:52 , Harriette Boucher
The US president has insisted that there are no munition shortages, denying reports about the state of the military’s arsenal.
He said America had “virtually unlimited supply”, but added that supply “was a bit tighter” for certain types of munitions.
It comes amid America’s supplemental request for $21bn to restock supply.
He said this was because the US “need more all the time,” adding: “We gave a tremendous amount of Ukraine. The Biden people did. And they were given free of charge
“Fortunately, I built up so much during my term, I rebuilt the military. I also loaded it up with a lot of stuff.
“We have certain types of munitions that are very powerful, we have virtually unlimited supply. We have other where it’s a bit tighter.”
Strait of Hormuz is 'sort of open'
Thursday 6 August 2026 21:41 , Harriette Boucher
The Strait of Hormuz is “sort of open”, but Iran still poses a threat to vessel, Donald Trump has said.
Speaking to reporters at the Oval Office, he said that while the key shipping route was under US control, Iran still has the ability to “shoot things” or “drop a mine.”
Asked if a deal had be reached to reopen Hormuz, the US president said: “It's sort of open right now...And now we control it, but they can always shoot things. They always have something or drop a mine.
“And if you have one mine sitting out there, you sort of mess things up because people don't want to take their billion-dollar boats and accidentally get hit by a mine, but I think we're doing very well...I'm involved in the negotiation. I think we're doing fine. Could be, it could be soon.”
Trump thinks war will 'end pretty soon'
Thursday 6 August 2026 21:38 , Harriette Boucher
Donald Trump has called reporters into the Oval Office, telling them he thinks the war in Iran is going to “end pretty soon”.
“When I started the very important excursion into the Islamic Republic of Iran, it was a very important excursion,” the president said.
He said the US had “no choice” but to invade Iran, saying it would have “catastrophic” for the world if it did not.
“We had oil down to less than two in many places like Iowa. Oil was down...gasoline was down at numbers that people hadn't seen in years.
“We'll see those days pretty soon again, based on everything I see.
“As soon as the war ends, and I think it's going to end pretty soon. I don't think they can go much longer.”
Oil prices slip as Iran-Oman talks fuel hopes for US-Iran peace deal
Thursday 6 August 2026 21:00 , Alex Croft
Oil prices dropped on Thursday as investors assessed whether progress in Iran-Oman talks could pave the way for a deal to end the US-Iran war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Brent crude futures fell 37 cents, or 0.5 per cent to $79.08 a barrel by 12.24am GMT.
US West Texas Intermediate futures declined 53 cents, or 0.7 per cent, to $74.69 a barrel.
Brent settled up slightly on Wednesday, while WTI edged lower.
Trump confronted Hegseth at Camp David over Iran munitions shortage, report says
Thursday 6 August 2026 20:01 , Alex Croft
Donald Trump confronted Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at Camp David last week over a munitions shortage that could limit the president’s military options in the Iran war, according to a new report.
During the exchange on the sidelines of Trump’s Cabinet meeting on Friday, Trump asked Hegseth to explain why he had apparently been misled on the dwindling weapons stockpile, saying that he thought the issue “had been fixed,” two people familiar with the matter told The Washington Post.
Hegseth had blamed his deputy, Stephen Feinberg, for the shortages and for not making sure Trump was fully informed of the issue, according to the Post’s sources. The Trump administration has denied the reporting.
As the war drags into its sixth month, the Pentagon is reportedly running low on missile interceptors.
Rachel Dobkin reports:
Trump confronted Hegseth at Camp David over Iran munitions shortage, report says
UN rights chief expresses alarm over Iran executions
Thursday 6 August 2026 19:00 , Alex Croft
At least 56 people have been executed in Iran on national security-related charges since 19 March, including 27 in cases linked to protests at the start of the year, the UN human rights chief said on Wednesday.
Volker Türk added in the statement that there has been a rise in executions and death sentences since March and urged authorities to halt all executions and move towards abolition of the death penalty.
"I am alarmed by the rise in executions and death sentences issued in Iran since March, and that capital punishment continues to be used to instil fear among the population and suppress dissent," he said.
Over 100 others are at risk of execution on similar charges.
Executions for drug-related offences are also continuing at an alarming rate, he said.
Two Israeli soldiers killed and one person killed in Lebanon, say authorities
Thursday 6 August 2026 18:01 , Alex Croft
Two Israeli soldiers were killed in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, before which Israeli retaliatory attacks killed at least one person, according to Israeli and Lebanese authorities.
It marks a flare-up in violence that coincided with the latest round of talks between the two countries.
The Rome talks, which began on Tuesday and are expected to continue through Thursday, come after the two countries agreed in June to a US-brokered security arrangement intended to ease hostilities along the border.
Despite the ceasefire, Israel declared a buffer zone in southern Lebanon where its troops continue to operate to eliminate what it says is the threat of the Iran-backed group, Hezbollah, on its border.
The two soldiers were killed and four others wounded by an explosion in a building they had entered as part of a security sweep, according to Israel's Army Radio on Thursday.
Saudi, Egypt and others issue joint statement condemning 'ongoing Israeli violations' in Gaza
Thursday 6 August 2026 17:00 , Alex Croft
A joint statement by foreign ministers of several countries in Asia and the Middle East on Thursday strongly condemned "ongoing Israeli violations" in Gaza.
The joint statement was signed by Turkey, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Egypt, Pakistan, Indonesia, Jordan.
Ministers expressed their "strongest condemnation and denunciation of the ongoing Israeli violations in the Gaza Strip".
The statement specifically condemned Israeli attacks on healthcare facilities, medical infrastructure, civilian infrastructure, continued loss of civilian lives.
“These violations constitutes a clear breach of Israel’s obligations under international law and the Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict, undermines international and regional efforts aimed at implementing the second phase of the Plan, particularly following the announcement by US President Donald Trump that the Palestinian factions accepted the roadmap,” the statement said.
‘US may accept Iran’s demand for fees to transit Hormuz’, experts tell The Independent
Thursday 6 August 2026 16:30 , Alex Croft
Washington could, experts believe, agree to a deal negotiated between Iran and Oman - but it would likely see a major concession to Tehran.
A deal which could be acceptable to the US would be one which results in paid “service” fees being paid to Iran, under the guise of “environmental fees”, Dr Neil Quilliam, professor on the Middle East and North Africa programme at Chatham House, says.
This would ultimately be a win for Iran, who for months have been demanding a toll for passage through the Strait of Hormuz. For the US, it could only be seen as a concession.
Trump’s central concern is getting Hormuz open again, Dr Quilliam says. “Even with ‘environmental service fees’ he will claim it is a victory, and add that he has destroyed Iran’s nuclear programme, its navy and its airforce and so on.
“He just needs the Gulf Arab states to sign up and live with the service fees. And given the alternative is a continuous war of attrition, this looks increasingly likely now,” he adds.
Maziyar Ghiabi, the director for the Centre of Persian And Iranian Studies at the University of Exeter, says Trump, who has “attempted to play the role of kingmaker in diplomacy”, may see the ongoing negotiations as a way out from the quagmire in Iran.
“The US and much of the world need a steady flow of oil resources from that region, and we have reached the point where whatever arrangement guarantees that may be somehow reluctantly welcomed.”
In pictures: Israel strikes Burj al-Shamali village in southern Lebanon
Thursday 6 August 2026 16:01 , Alex Croft
Sterling struggles for direction before possible Hormuz deal
Thursday 6 August 2026 15:30 , Samuel Indyk
The British pound was steady against both the euro and the dollar on Thursday as investors awaited updates on a possible deal between Iran and Oman that could reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Global financial markets are watching events in the Middle East closely, as expectations have risen that a deal that could potentially reopen the strait – one of the biggest sticking points in wider efforts to end the U.S.-Iran war – could be close.
"There was a clear intention from the latest de-escalation not to create too prolonged disruption in the Strait of Hormuz," said Francesco Pesole, FX strategist at ING. "I think that's what markets are caring about at the moment."
Sterling was little changed against the dollar GBP= at $1.3460 on Thursday as markets bided their time before a possible announcement on a deal.
Against the euro, the pound EURGBP= was flat at 85.73 pence.
With Reuters
Fallout from war in Iran is leaving millions vulnerable to hunger
Thursday 6 August 2026 15:03 , Alex Croft
As the US, Iran and Oman edge towards an interim agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, months of insecurity and disruption are leaving millions more vulnerable to hunger in Yemen.
The economic fallout from the regional conflict has driven up food and fuel prices, while more than four months of conflict with Iran has driven renewed escalation in Yemen, compounding one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.
More than half the population were already facing hunger, but slow progress from world leaders to re-open the Strait has caused months of disruption to global food and energy supplies, disrupting humanitarian aid operations.
Fuel imports into Yemen’s sea ports declined sharply in the first quarter of this year, with the cost of a litre of petrol spiking by as much as 42 per cent in Aden and Lahj, according to analysis by Save the Children.
The Independent’s global health correspondent Liz Cookman reports:
Fallout from war in Iran is leaving millions vulnerable to hunger
Trump’s Iran deal: Three scenarios for what could happen next
Thursday 6 August 2026 14:30 , Alex Croft
As Iran and Oman close in on a deal to open the Strait of Hormuz, hopes are growing that the main hurdle preventing peace talks to end Donald Trump’s war may be cleared.
Esmaeil Baghaei, the spokesperson for Iran’s foreign ministry, said an agreement is in its “final stages”, while US president Donald Trump said an "all-day negotiation" had taken place with Tehran on Tuesday.
Senior Trump administration officials, including secretary of state Marco Rubio and treasury secretary Scott Bessent, suggested a deal was imminent earlier this week - but an agreement had not been reached as of Thursday morning.
The contents of the current agreement remain unclear. Tehran says the proposed deal would give it control over ships entering the Gulf through the Strait, in what would represent one of Trump’s biggest concessions yet.
Read more here:
Trump’s Iran deal: Three scenarios for what could happen next
JD Vance's message to critics of his negotiating efforts with Iran
Thursday 6 August 2026 13:59 , Alex Croft
Speaking on Wednesday, JD Vance told critics of his negotiating efforts with Tehran that “the Iranians are extraordinarily difficult people”.
The US vice president told Fox News Laura Ingraham that Iran has a “fractured system.”
“So there are people in their system who want the war to be over, and there are also people within their system who are crazy radicals who want the war to continue.
“Our job is to navigate through that and get the best outcome for the American people, but for the president of the United States as well”, Vance said.
Recap: Houthis claim to have attacked Saudi oil tankers
Thursday 6 August 2026 13:27 , Jane Dalton
Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis say they have launched a missile attack on a Saudi oil tanker off the coast of the kingdom's Red Sea port city of Yanbu and another missile attack on a Saudi oil tanker in the Gulf of Aden.
There was no confirmation from Saudi Arabia.
The Houthis' military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, did not say when the attacks took place.
The Houthis have imposed a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea since last month in response to what they described as a Saudi siege on Yemen, an allegation Riyadh has denied.
Watch: Trump says he would rather make deal to end Iran war because he 'doesn't want to kill people'
Thursday 6 August 2026 12:55 , Alex Croft
Americans believing US war on Iran will destabilise Middle East vastly outnumber those who don't: poll
Thursday 6 August 2026 12:22 , Alex Croft
US citizens widely expect the Middle East to continue sliding towards chaos as a result of ongoing war with Iran, a new poll by Reuters and Ipsos has found.
The poll concluded on Monday, as Donald Trump again backed away from his threatened "massive attacks" on Iran, underscoring uncertainty surrounding a conflict he initially predicted would bring a swift victory.
Half of the respondents said they believed military action in Iran would destabilise the Middle East in the coming year, around three times the 17 per cent who said it would lead to more stability.
Some 16 per cent said stability levels would remain around the same, and 17 per cent said they were unsure.
The majority of respondents (58 per cent) also believe has prices will continue to worsen, with only 15 per cent expecting them to improve.
Iran threatens to strike critical energy infrastructure in response to US attacks
Thursday 6 August 2026 11:59 , Alex Croft
Iran has warned Gulf states that any fresh US attack on its territory would trigger retaliation against critical energy infrastructure across the region, according to five sources cited by Reuters.
"The Iranian warning was unequivocal: if America targeted Iran's infrastructure, they would retaliate by striking Gulf energy facilities and other regional targets," one Gulf source told Reuters.
The warning comes as Iran and Oman discuss a potential deal that could give Tehran a greater role in overseeing ships transiting the strategic waterway, though key issues remain unresolved, Reuters reported.
A source said that the proposed deal between Iran and Oman to help end five months of war between Iran and the United States would give Tehran control over ships entering the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the biggest concessions yet to Iran.
While president Donald Trump has said a deal reopening the strait is imminent, US officials have repeatedly insisted they would never agree to Iran controlling access to the world's most important trade route for energy supplies.
Trump confronted Hegseth at Camp David over Iran munitions shortage, report says
Thursday 6 August 2026 10:38 , Alex Croft
Donald Trump confronted Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at Camp David last week over a munitions shortage that could limit the president’s military options in the Iran war, according to a new report.
During the exchange on the sidelines of Trump’s Cabinet meeting on Friday, Trump asked Hegseth to explain why he had apparently been misled on the dwindling weapons stockpile, saying that he thought the issue “had been fixed,” two people familiar with the matter told The Washington Post.
Hegseth had blamed his deputy, Stephen Feinberg, for the shortages and for not making sure Trump was fully informed of the issue, according to the Post’s sources. The Trump administration has denied the reporting.
As the war drags into its sixth month, the Pentagon is reportedly running low on missile interceptors.
Rachel Dobkin reports:
Trump confronted Hegseth at Camp David over Iran munitions shortage, report says
Oil prices slip as Iran-Oman talks fuel hopes for US-Iran peace deal
Thursday 6 August 2026 10:19 , Alex Croft
Oil prices dropped on Thursday as investors assessed whether progress in Iran-Oman talks could pave the way for a deal to end the US-Iran war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Brent crude futures fell 37 cents, or 0.5 per cent to $79.08 a barrel by 12.24am GMT.
US West Texas Intermediate futures declined 53 cents, or 0.7 per cent, to $74.69 a barrel.
Brent settled up slightly on Wednesday, while WTI edged lower.
Vance says oil prices will 'come down and stay down' as Iran war drags on
Thursday 6 August 2026 10:19 , Alex Croft
It’s been a little over five months since the Iran war began, and oil prices remain high.
“Oil prices are going to come down and stay down. Iran will never have a nuclear weapon, and the United States will be in a stronger position”, US Vice President JD Vance told the American people on Fox News.
The national average for a gallon of gas in the US still sits above $4. It was below $3 a gallon at the start of the war.
Watch: Trump says ‘we may have to’ send oil prices 'up again' as Iran war continues
Thursday 6 August 2026 09:35 , Alex Croft
Two Israeli soldiers killed and one person killed in Lebanon, say authorities
Thursday 6 August 2026 09:17 , Alex Croft
Two Israeli soldiers were killed in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, before which Israeli retaliatory attacks killed at least one person, according to Israeli and Lebanese authorities.
It marks a flare-up in violence that coincided with the latest round of talks between the two countries.
The Rome talks, which began on Tuesday and are expected to continue through Thursday, come after the two countries agreed in June to a US-brokered security arrangement intended to ease hostilities along the border.
Despite the ceasefire, Israel declared a buffer zone in southern Lebanon where its troops continue to operate to eliminate what it says is the threat of the Iran-backed group, Hezbollah, on its border.
The two soldiers were killed and four others wounded by an explosion in a building they had entered as part of a security sweep, according to Israel's Army Radio on Thursday.
UN rights chief expresses alarm over Iran executions
Thursday 6 August 2026 08:47 , Shweta Sharma
At least 56 people have been executed in Iran on national security-related charges since 19 March, including 27 in cases linked to protests at the start of the year, the UN human rights chief said on Wednesday.
Volker Türk added in the statement that there has been a rise in executions and death sentences since March and urged authorities to halt all executions and move towards abolition of the death penalty.
"I am alarmed by the rise in executions and death sentences issued in Iran since March, and that capital punishment continues to be used to instill fear among the population and suppress dissent," he said.
Over 100 others are at risk of execution on similar charges.
Executions for drug-related offences are also continuing at an alarming rate, he said.
Iran president admits interaction with supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei is ‘very difficult’
Thursday 6 August 2026 08:00 , Shweta Sharma
Interaction with Iran’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is currently “very difficult”, Iran’s president has said.
Khamenei, 56, has not been seen in public since assuming the role after his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in February in a joint US-Israeli air strike.
His absence from visibility has prompted widespread speculation about the state of his health.
President Masoud Pezeshkian made the cryptic comment in an interview on state television but gave no further detail and it was not clear what he meant by “interaction”.
Iran president says interaction with supreme leader Khamenei is ‘very difficult’
Vance says oil prices will 'come down and stay down' as Iran war drags on
Thursday 6 August 2026 07:30 , Shweta Sharma
Trump says US has 'massive amounts of munitions'
Thursday 6 August 2026 07:28 , Shweta Sharma
Donald Trump has said the US has “massive amounts of munitions” and was expanding domestic production, rejecting leaked claims about US stockpiles.
“Defense companies are building the largest number of plants and factories in our country’s history,” he wrote on Truth Social.
“The ‘leakers’ of these treasonous statements are being hunted down. Long term jail sentences will be sought!!”
His post came after US media reports suggested the US has used nearly all of its global stockpile of long-range precision missiles during the war with Iran.
Gulf shipping traffic down after Houthis say they attacked Saudi tanker
Thursday 6 August 2026 07:15 , Shweta Sharma
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab-el-Mandeb strait, the key maritime chokepoints in the Gulf, reduced significantly on Wednesday from the previous day, shipping data showed.
Just two vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz, including a Panama-flagged coal-laden carrier entering the waterway and another Marshall Islands-flagged commodity vessel exiting, shipping data from Kpler showed, down from eight vessels a day earlier.
Roughly 130 to 140 ships would typically transit the waterway before the US-Israeli war with Iran began on 28 February and Iran responded by closing the strait.
In the Bab el-Mandeb, only one commodity vessel, a Bahamas-flagged dry bulk carrier, crossed the strait on Wednesday, Kpler data showed, down from 20 the previous day.
Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis said on Wednesday they had launched a missile attack on a Saudi oil tanker off the coast of the kingdom's Red Sea port city of Yanbu and another missile attack on a Saudi oil tanker in the Gulf of Aden.
There was no confirmation from Saudi Arabia on either incident.
The Houthis have imposed a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea since last month in response to what they described as a Saudi siege on Yemen, an allegation Riyadh has denied.
One killed and 12 injured in Israeli strikes on Lebanon
Thursday 6 August 2026 06:50 , Shweta Sharma
Lebanon's health ministry said one person was killed and 12 wounded in an Israeli strike on the town of Tebnine on Wednesday.
The state-run National News Agency reported more people wounded in overnight strikes on the village of Burj al-Shemali, but the number was not clear.Artillery shelling also targeted the areas of Mansouri and Majdal Zoun, it said.
Two Israeli soldiers were killed in southern Lebanon on the same day, the Israeli military said on Thursday, with four more severely injured in the same incident.
The latest Israel-Hezbollah war erupted on 2 March, when Hezbollah fired rockets across the border two days after the US and Israel launched their attacks on Iran.
More than 4,000 people have been killed by Israeli strikes in Lebanon since then, including hundreds of civilians.
The Lebanese army entered the town of Zawtar al-Gharbieh and some civilians returned, although many came only to find their homes destroyed and left again.
Pictures: Israel launches fresh strikes in Lebanon
Thursday 6 August 2026 06:30 , Shweta Sharma
Several people have been injured in overnight Israeli air strikes in southern Lebanon, according to the National News Agency.
Israel launched strikes on the towns of Burj Shemali and al-Mansouri.
For the first time in weeks, Israel's military told residents of an area of Lebanon to evacuate. The military said the warning for the village of Mansouri was in response to what it described as "a blatant violation of the ceasefire" by the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group.
Sailors on USS Lincoln outside Iran are exhausted and suffering from poor morale on ship, families warn
Thursday 6 August 2026 06:00 , Shweta Sharma
Morale is plummeting on an American aircraft carrier that's running short of food and other supplies as its exhausted crew wages President Donald Trump's war against Iran, worried family members say.
Sailors and Marines serving on the USS Abraham Lincoln have told relatives about being served a half-cup of rice and two tortillas for a meal, and said the ship's store often lacks soap, deodorant and toothpaste, MS NOW reported Wednesday.
Crew members are also worn out by working long, grueling shifts, with some rarely getting a day off, and described broken toilets, moldy showers without hot water and no laundry service for weeks at a time, relatives said.
Exhaustion, low morale plague USS Lincoln crew outside Iran, family members say
Iran threatens to strike critical energy infrastructure in response to US attacks
Thursday 6 August 2026 05:44 , Shweta Sharma
Iran has warned Gulf states that any fresh US attack on its territory would trigger retaliation against critical energy infrastructure across the region, according to five sources cited by Reuters.
"The Iranian warning was unequivocal: if America targeted Iran's infrastructure, they would retaliate by striking Gulf energy facilities and other regional targets," one Gulf source told Reuters.
The warning comes as Iran and Oman discuss a potential deal that could give Tehran a greater role in overseeing ships transiting the strategic waterway, though key issues remain unresolved, Reuters reported.
A source said that the proposed deal between Iran and Oman to help end five months of war between Iran and the United States would give Tehran control over ships entering the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the biggest concessions yet to Iran.
While president Donald Trump has said a deal reopening the strait is imminent, US officials have repeatedly insisted they would never agree to Iran controlling access to the world's most important trade route for energy supplies.
Trump confronted Hegseth at Camp David over Iran munitions shortage, report says
Thursday 6 August 2026 05:30 , Shweta Sharma
Donald Trump confronted Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at Camp David last week over a munitions shortage that could limit the president’s military options in the Iran war, according to a new report.
During the exchange on the sidelines of Trump’s Cabinet meeting on Friday, Trump asked Hegseth to explain why he had apparently been misled on the dwindling weapons stockpile, saying that he thought the issue “had been fixed,” two people familiar with the matter told The Washington Post.
Hegseth had blamed his deputy, Stephen Feinberg, for the shortages and for not making sure Trump was fully informed of the issue, according to the Post’s sources. The Trump administration has denied the reporting.
Trump confronted Hegseth at Camp David over Iran munitions shortage, report says
Vance says oil prices will 'come down and stay down' as Iran war drags on
Thursday 6 August 2026 05:03 , Rachel Dobkin
It’s been a little over five months since the Iran war began, and oil prices remain high.
“Oil prices are going to come down and stay down. Iran will never have a nuclear weapon, and the United States will be in a stronger position”, US Vice President JD Vance told the American people on Fox News.
The national average for a gallon of gas in the US still sits above $4. It was below $3 a gallon at the start of the war.
Two Israeli soldiers killed in southern Lebanon, Israeli military says
Thursday 6 August 2026 04:57 , Shweta Sharma
Two Israeli soldiers were killed in southern Lebanon, the Israeli military said on Thursday, with four more severely injured in the same incident.
The soldiers were killed in an explosion in the Lebanese town of Majdal Zoun, the military said.
The army has since launched a series of attacks across southern Lebanon, killing at least one person
Vance says Iran has a 'fractured system'
Thursday 6 August 2026 04:38 , Shweta Sharma
US vice president JD Vance said Iranians are “an extraordinarily difficult people” with a “fractured system” as he explained the continued impasse in reaching a final deal with Iran.
Speaking in an interview with Fox News, Vance said: “There are people within their system who want the war to be over, but there are also people within their system who are crazy radicals who want the war to continue.”
“Our job is to navigate through that and get the best outcome for the American people, but for the president of the United States as well,” he said.
He said reaching deal is “gonna be messy and it’s gonna take some time to get there”.
“Oil prices are gonna come down and stay down, Iran will never have a nuclear weapon, and the United States will be in a stronger position, but we’re kind of in the middle of a game, and I think people are trying to pre-judge exactly how this is gonna go.”
Oil prices slip as Iran-Oman talks fuel hopes for US-Iran peace deal
Thursday 6 August 2026 04:30 , Shweta Sharma
Oil prices dropped on Thursday as investors assessed whether progress in Iran-Oman talks could pave the way for a deal to end the US-Iran war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Brent crude futures fell 37 cents, or 0.5 per cent to $79.08 a barrel by 12.24am GMT.
US West Texas Intermediate futures declined 53 cents, or 0.7 per cent, to $74.69 a barrel.
Brent settled up slightly on Wednesday, while WTI edged lower.
US military says it has redirected nearly 50 ships during blockade
Thursday 6 August 2026 04:01 , Rachel Dobkin
US Central Command said it has redirected 48 ships, disabled two and boarded two during its blockade of Iranian ports.
A U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter jet is refueled during a patrol over regional waters in the Middle East while the U.S. continues enforcement of the blockade against Iran. As of Aug. 5, CENTCOM forces have redirected 48 commercial vessels, disabled 2, and boarded 2. pic.twitter.com/2Q15fC5iZm
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) August 5, 2026
Tanker reports two explosions in Strait of Hormuz
Thursday 6 August 2026 03:49 , Shweta Sharma
A tanker reported hearing two explosions while transiting the Strait of Hormuz off Oman on Wednesday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said early on Thursday, adding that the vessel and its crew were safe.
UKMTO said in an advisory that the incident occurred about 9 nautical miles southeast of Oman's Kumzar, and that no environmental damage had been reported.
JD Vance has a message to critics of his negotiating efforts with Iran
Thursday 6 August 2026 03:03 , Rachel Dobkin
JD Vance has told critics of his negotiating efforts with Tehran that “the Iranians are extraordinarily difficult people”.
The US vice president told Fox News Laura Ingraham that Iran has a “fractured system.”
“So there are people in their system who want the war to be over, and there are also people within their system who are crazy radicals who want the war to continue.
“Our job is to navigate through that and get the best outcome for the American people, but for the president of the United States as well”, Vance said.
Pentagon chief blamed his deputy when Trump confronted him about weapons shortages: report
Thursday 6 August 2026 01:58 , Rachel Dobkin
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth blamed his deputy, Stephen Feinberg, when US President Donald Trump confronted him about extreme weapons shortages, according to a new report.
Trump asked Hegseth to explain why he had apparently been misled on the shortages, which could limit military operations in Iran, at Camp David last week, The Washington Post reported, citing two people familiar with the matter.
Hegseth blamed Feinberg for the shortages and for not ensuring Trump was fully informed of the issue, according to the Post’s sources.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called the reporting “100% fake news”.
“Literally never happened. And President Trump has the utmost confidence in Secretary Hegseth”, she said.
Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell also denied the reporting.
“Secretary Hegseth did not mislead anyone about our munitions posture, and he did not blame Deputy Secretary Feinberg. These claims about depleted stockpiles, internal disagreements, the Secretary’s position on Iran…are equally fictional”, he said.
The Independent has reached out to the White House and Pentagon for comment.
Trump issues latest threat to Iran: 'I don't want to kill people'
Thursday 6 August 2026 00:54 , Rachel Dobkin
Donald Trump has issued his latest threat to Iran during an event in Las Vegas.
"I'd rather make a deal because I don't want to kill people”, the US president said.
“We were all set for the biggest attack since World War II, and they called me, and they say 'Please, don't do it. Let's talk. And then, they say, 'we've never said that'", Trump continued.
Houthis claim to have attacked Saudi oil tankers
Thursday 6 August 2026 00:30 , Jane Dalton
Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis say they have launched a missile attack on a Saudi oil tanker off the coast of the kingdom's Red Sea port city of Yanbu and another missile attack on a Saudi oil tanker in the Gulf of Aden.
There was no confirmation from Saudi Arabia.
The Houthis' military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, did not say when the attacks took place.
The Houthis have imposed a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea since last month in response to what they described as a Saudi siege on Yemen, an allegation Riyadh has denied.
Israel hits Lebanese targets
Wednesday 5 August 2026 23:30 , Jane Dalton
For the first time in weeks, Israel's military has told residents of an area of Lebanon to evacuate their homes.
The military said the warning for the village of Mansouri was in response to what it described as "a blatant violation of the ceasefire" by the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group.
The military later said it was conducting "precise strikes" in southern Lebanon.
Lebanon's health ministry said one person was killed and 12 wounded in an Israeli strike in the town of Tebnine.
Lebanese and Israeli negotiators met in Rome for a second day to discuss implementation of a deal under which Israeli forces are supposed to withdraw from areas they occupy in southern Lebanon in exchange for Hezbollah's disarmament.
Iran executes at least 56 people in five months, says UN rights chief
Wednesday 5 August 2026 22:31 , Jane Dalton
At least 56 people have been executed in Iran on national security-related charges since 19 March, including 27 in cases linked to the protests at the start of the year, according to the UN rights chief.
Volker Turk said: “I am alarmed by the rise in executions and death sentences issued in Iran since March, and that capital punishment continues to be used to instil fear among the population and suppress dissent.”
Iranian authorities killed thousands of people during anti-government protests in January, Iran's worst domestic unrest in decades.
Iran warns of retaliation against energy infrastructure
Wednesday 5 August 2026 21:30 , Jane Dalton
Iran has warned Gulf states that any new US attack on its territory would trigger retaliation against critical energy infrastructure across the region, according to five sources, as Tehran seeks to raise the cost of military action by threatening Washington's closest regional allies.
The warning was delivered through a flurry of high-level diplomatic contacts after President Donald Trump threatened on July 28 to strike Iran's energy network and infrastructure, the sources said.
Two senior Iranian officials, two Gulf sources and a senior regional diplomat with knowledge of the discussions said Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi spoke with his Saudi, Turkish and Qatari counterparts, as well as Pakistan's army chief. All spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.
Araqchi urged Washington's Gulf allies to use their influence with Trump to dissuade him from launching renewed strikes, the senior diplomat said, warning that any attack on Iran would prompt retaliation against US assets and energy facilities across the Gulf.
US lifts sanctions on three Iran-linked companies
Wednesday 5 August 2026 20:30 , Jane Dalton
The US has lifted sanctions on three Iran-linked companies, but a Treasury official said it came after an appeal and was not indicative of any shift in US policy toward the Islamic Republic.
One company is Fly Baghdad Airlines, sanctioned in January 2024 for allegedly providing assistance to Iran's Revolutionary Guard and Iran-backed armed groups in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon.
Sanctions also were lifted on Iraq Express and another Fly Baghdad-linked firm.
Houthis claim to have attacked Saudi oil tankers
Wednesday 5 August 2026 20:05 , Jane Dalton
Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis say they have launched a missile attack on a Saudi oil tanker off the coast of the kingdom's Red Sea port city of Yanbu and another missile attack on a Saudi oil tanker in the Gulf of Aden.
There was no confirmation from Saudi Arabia on either incident.
The Houthis' military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, did not say when the attacks took place.
The Houthis have imposed a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea since last month in response to what they described as a Saudi siege on Yemen, an allegation Riyadh has denied.
Interaction with supreme leader 'very difficult' Iranian president says – TV report
Wednesday 5 August 2026 19:56 , Jane Dalton
Iran’s president Masoud Pezeshkian has said interaction with the country’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is very difficult currently, state television is reporting.
Mr Khamenei has not been seen in public since assuming the role after his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in a joint US-Israeli air strike.
Breaking news: more follows
In focus: Inside Iran’s ‘deal on the sly’ with Oman to reopen Strait of Hormuz
Wednesday 5 August 2026 19:00 , James Reynolds
The US and Iran can’t even agree on whether they are negotiating or not as disruption in the strait deepens global economic woes.
Experts tell Alex Croft that Washington may eventually accept key Iranian demands:
Inside Iran’s ‘deal on the side’ with Oman to open new route in Strait of Hormuz
Iran denies US talks held in recent days
Wednesday 5 August 2026 18:25 , Jane Dalton
Iran’s deputy foreign minister has denied talks with the US have been held in recent days.
He also said a potential transit route through the Strait of Hormuz negotiated by Iran and Oman could be viable for two to four months.
Breaking news - more to come
Will the Strait of Hormuz reopen today?
Wednesday 5 August 2026 18:00 , James Reynolds
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s busiest waterways in peacetime, carrying around a fifth of global oil shipments.
That makes its closure very expensive for global energy prices, as supply is squeezed and commercial ships have to find workarounds.
It is an issue that also concerns Donald Trump - despite the US’s vast reserves - as voters face higher fuel costs, energy costs and inflation from the impact on businesses.
Mr Trump insisted that his administration had held “very good discussions” with Iran during all-day negotiations on Tuesday, prompting oil prices to fall and stocks to jump.
He told Fox News that the Strait of Hormuz “is going to be very open very soon” - or Iran will “get hit really hard”.
Iterations of that promise and ultimatum have appeared in Mr Trump’s remarks and social media posts throughout the five-month war, and critics remain skeptical.
This time, a US official and two regional sources told Axios that the US and Iran are closing in on an interim agreement to reopen the strait with buy-in from Oman, which also borders part of the waterway.
But casting doubt on progress, Iran said an agreement with Oman will be delayed “as long as the United States continues to threaten Iran”. They said on Wednesday afternoon a joint announcement could be on the way unless “certain third parties” try to interfere.
Iran has long demanded control of the Strait of Hormuz, which it says it should share with Oman on the opposite shore. But last week they rejected an Omani proposal that would have allowed shared overnight and the collection of fees from ships.
Before the war, the channel was an international waterway and free to pass. But since the war, Iran has taken steps towards taking money from passing ships, something else that can be expected to push up global prices.
Deal not imminent as details to be agreed, says Iran
Wednesday 5 August 2026 17:22 , Jane Dalton
Iranian and regional sources pushed back against claims by Donald Trump that a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz was imminent, saying important details still had to be agreed.
Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei described the negotiations between Tehran and Muscat as "professional" and "moving forward", saying "the two sides had reached a mutual understanding on the geographical parameters of the route under discussion".
He said the joint statement between the two countries, containing the main considerations and key points of understanding, was in the final stages of review and drafting, if the process was not obstructed.
Deal would mean big concession to Iran
Wednesday 5 August 2026 17:12 , Jane Dalton
The proposed deal between Iran and Oman would give Tehran control over ships entering the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz, an Iranian source and two regional officials said.
It would be one of the biggest concessions yet to Iran.
US removes sanctions from three IRGC-linked entities
Wednesday 5 August 2026 17:00 , James Reynolds
The United States has removed counterterrorism sanctions from two aircraft and three airlines with links to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, according to details posted to the US Treasury Department's website on Wednesday.
