US President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC.
Day 172 | Trump threatens Oman: latest developments in US-Iran war
US President Donald Trump threatened on Monday to bomb Oman, 60 days after the signing of a memorandum of understanding towards a peace deal to end the war between the United States and Iran.
Trump threatened to bomb Oman if it "gets in the way" of a US deal with Tehran on the Strait of Hormuz and called for Iran to surrender.
"If Oman gets in the way, we'll bomb the shit out of them," Trump told Fox News journalist Trey Yingst, referring to ongoing talks between Oman and Iran on control of the strait, while Washington is also pursuing its own talks.
Tehran and Muscat have been talking for weeks on future maritime navigation arrangements through the shipping route, and the foreign ministry in Tehran said earlier Monday that the two sides were working on a joint declaration.
Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said on Monday that a 60-day deadline for negotiations included in June's memorandum of understanding was "irrelevant" because the US had violated the deal early on.
"We did not begin any negotiations because, a few weeks after the signing, widespread violations of the agreement began, thereby rendering the 60-day provision irrelevant."
The Yemen's Houthis said on Monday they had targeted a Saudi military vessel and four accompanying boats in the Red Sea, as part of their maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia.
Yahya Saree, military spokesperson for the Iran-backed Houthis, said they had "succeeded in targeting a military landing ship belonging to the Saudi enemy, accompanied by four military patrol boats, in the Red Sea off the coast of Mokha, using several ballistic missiles".
The Houthis have been at war with Saudi Arabia since it intervened in Yemen's civil war in 2015, but a ceasefire had been in place since 2022.
It broke down last month as Yemen was sucked into the wider Middle East war.
Iran's foreign ministry said on Monday it would consider three missing pilots to be prisoners in Qatar, despite Doha's denials, until it clarified their fate.
Tehran has said the Iranians went missing while carrying out an operation against the United States' Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar on March 2.
On Saturday, Iranian authorities alleged for the first time that the pilots had been captured in Qatar. Doha denied holding the pilots and said it had invited Tehran "to be briefed on the details of the search and rescue operations in April".
Baqaei said: "Until the pilots' situation is clarified, we consider them prisoners and will spare no effort to shed light on their fate."
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Read more: Day 173 | UAE accuses Iran of firing ballistic missiles at shipping
UAE suspends all trade & financial dealings with Iran
The United Arab Emirates announced on Tuesday that it had suspended all trade and financial dealings with Iran.
"In light of regional escalations... all trade, commercial exchanges, and financial transactions with Iran have been halted until further notice," UAE foreign ministry communications director Afra Al Hameli said.
UAE says Iranian missiles targeted maritime traffic
The UAE’s Ministry of Defense said two ballistic missiles launched from Iran toward the country were targeting maritime traffic before falling into the sea.
The ministry had earlier said its air defenses detected the missiles, with one falling outside UAE territorial waters and the other within them.
In an update on X, the ministry said it remains prepared to confront threats to the UAE’s security and maritime navigation in the region.
The statement said the UAE would take measures to protect its sovereignty, security, stability, national interests and resources.
Maritime incident reported off Yemen’s coast: UKMTO
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said it received a report of a maritime incident in the Red Sea, about 40 nautical miles southeast of al-Makha (Mocha) in western Yemen.
According to UKMTO, a cargo ship was struck by several unidentified projectiles.
US charges 17 Iranians over cyberattacks
The US Justice Department has charged 17 Iranians with carrying out a widespread campaign to steal data through cyberattacks.
According to the department, the suspects targeted 144 US universities, 178 foreign universities, 42 companies and government agencies.
US authorities said more than 31 terabytes of academic data and intellectual property were stolen.
The Justice Department also alleged that some of the attacks were conducted on behalf of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iranian government entities and universities.
‘Israeli’ forces shell Syria’s Daraa
‘Israeli’ forces shelled the valley of Abdeen village in western Daraa countryside, Syria, according to Syria’s Al-Ikhbariya news channel.
Ghalibaf slams ‘misplaced’ US attempts at ‘squeezing Iran harder’
Iranian Parliament Speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the US is mistaken in believing that increasing pressure on Tehran will force it to make concessions.
In a post on X, Ghalibaf said Washington was seeking concessions that “were never part of the agreement.”
He also criticized US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and War Secretary Pete Hegseth, saying they were “way out of their league” and accusing the US administration of creating the current situation.
“Stop waiting for the clown crew to pull a rabbit out of their hat and clean up the mess you made,” Ghalibaf said.
Iran targeted UAE with two ballistic missiles: Ministry
The UAE’s Defense Ministry said its air defense systems detected two ballistic missiles launched from Iran toward the country.
The ministry said the first missile fell outside the UAE’s territorial waters, while the second fell within them.
In a statement posted on X, the ministry said it remains on high alert and is prepared to respond to threats against the UAE’s security, sovereignty and stability.
‘Israeli’ military claims killing three Hamas commanders
The ‘Israeli’ military claimed it killed a Hamas company commander and three platoon commanders in a strike on a café in western Gaza City.
According to ‘Israeli’ Channel 14, the four Hamas members were meeting at the café when they were targeted.
Yemeni forces shoot down Houthi drone in Hadramout
Forces aligned with Yemen’s internationally recognized government shot down a suspected drone launched by the Iran-backed Houthi group in Hadramout, according to the media center of the Yemeni Emergency Forces.
The media center published photos of the destroyed drone, saying it was downed near the al-Thaniyah camp by the air defense system of the First Division of the Yemeni Emergency Forces.
Meanwhile, Yemen’s Saudi-backed government said it carried out several drone attacks on Houthi positions in al-Makha, Harib, Bayhan and other areas of Shabwa governorate on Tuesday.
A circulating image reportedly shows the interception of a missile threat over the UAE
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Unverified reports of explosion sounds over Dubai’s Jebel Ali
Unverified reports of sounds resembling explosions over Jebel Ali in Dubai have circulated online, with social media users claiming to have heard loud blasts in the area.
Roya News English has not independently verified the reports, and no official confirmation was immediately available by UAE authorities.
UAE residents warned of potential missile threat
UAE residents have been urged to immediately seek a safe place inside the nearest secure building and stay away from windows, doors, and open areas amid potential missile threats.
The emergency alert, issued by the UAE Ministry of Interior, advised residents to await further official instructions.
Trump says US having no talks with Iran
US President Donald Trump said there are no conversations taking place or scheduled with Iran, reversing his claim from a day earlier that Washington was holding back-channel talks with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
In a Truth Social post, Trump said the naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz remains in “full force and effect.”
He also said the waterway remains “open and operating,” claiming that mines in the strait “have been removed or detonated.”
Trump’s latest comments mark another shift in his account of US-Iran contacts. Tehran had rejected his earlier claim that Washington was engaged in back-channel discussions with the IRGC.
Iranian foreign minister: US now ‘begging’ for talks on our terms
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the US entered the war seeking to force Iran to surrender, but Tehran refused to give in.
“America is now begging to negotiate with us according to our conditions,” Araghchi said, adding that a memorandum of understanding with Washington contained “13 provisions in our favour and one in theirs.”
He accused ‘Israel’ of doing everything possible to sabotage the agreement and prevent its implementation.
“We won the war, and we also won in diplomacy, and we forced the enemy to accept our conditions,” Araghchi said.
He added that Iran’s military and battlefield capabilities strengthened its hand during negotiations, giving its diplomats greater leverage at the negotiating table.
US soldiers write anti-'Israel' messages on warplane
- Dust scribbles mock US war and 'Israel' ties.
- Analyst cites low morale among deployed troops.
- Parsi calls for an end to the war.
Foreign policy analyst and executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, Trita Parsi, published an image received from US servicemen stationed in the Persian Gulf showing messages written into the dust coating an aircraft's flap mechanism.
The photo displays handwritten commentary criticizing the mission's intent, featuring phrases such as "be a good guy and do what Israel tells you to", "Operation Epstein Fury", and "Peace Deal #64 Incoming... ALL THIS FOR THE HOLY LAND".
Parsi noted that while he lacks direct historical context to compare these messages with previous conflicts, the open nature of the expression reflects a distinct shift in sentiment among military personnel.
This image was sent to me from the field. These are messages US servicemen in the Persian Gulf have scribbled on the dust of an aircraft flap.
— Trita Parsi (@tparsi) August 16, 2026
"Be a good guy and do what Israel tells you to"
"Operation Epstein Fury"
"Peace deal #64 incoming... ALL THIS FOR THE HOLY LAND"
I… pic.twitter.com/Zc6JwKtNV0
Absence of morale
Relaying a direct account from a serviceman in the field, Parsi highlighted the internal frustration felt by personnel deployed indefinitely in the region.
"What people in the media don't understand when they compare past conflicts to this one, is this operation has no morale behind it," the serviceman told Parsi. "That makes a world of difference to service members deployed to undesirable locations indefinitely."
Drawing his own conclusion from the field report and image, Parsi argued that traditional objectives cannot apply under such operational conditions:
"When a war has no morale behind it, winning means that you simply end it," Parsi wrote. "There is no other 'winning' in such an unjust war."
Qatar recovers remains of Iranian pilot from March airspace incident
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari said on Tuesday that search teams recovered the remains of one of two pilots whose aircraft violated Qatari airspace on March 19.
Ghalibaf to visit Iraq for high-level talks on Wednesday
- Ghalibaf leads Iraq visit amid regional tensions.
- Iran delegation heads to Baghdad for talks.
- Talks focus on security and economic ties.
- Visit follows disputed drone strikes in Erbil.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf will head a senior parliamentary delegation to Iraq on Wednesday morning, aimed at bolstering bilateral cooperation and discussing regional stability across the Middle East.
The official diplomatic visit focuses on enhancing strategic relations between Tehran and Baghdad.
High-level meetings with top Iraqi leadership and political figures will address border security, counter-terrorism initiatives, expanding economic partnerships, and advancing the implementation of joint bilateral agreements.
Visit coincides with Erbil drone strike
The high-stakes diplomatic mission unfolds against a backdrop of heightened security tensions following a recent drone strike targeting key installations in Iraqi Kurdistan.
Two explosive-laden "Hadid-110" kamikaze drones struck the private office of Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and the residence of the "Parastin" security agency director in Pirmam, Erbil. While the attack resulted in no casualties, it sparked immediate friction over attribution:
- Iraqi Kurdistan Authorities: Stated that the attack was directly executed using drones launched from within Iranian territory.
- Iranian Authorities: Denied any involvement in or launching of the unmanned aerial vehicle strikes toward Erbil.
Ghalibaf’s consultations in Baghdad are expected to address the security fallout from the incident as both capitals navigate broader efforts to maintain regional calm.
“Fantasies”: Iran hits back at Trump’s backchannel claims
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has denied US President Donald Trump’s claim that Washington is holding behind-the-scenes talks with IRGC officials, calling the assertion false.
IRGC spokesperson Hossein Mohebbi said there was "no ongoing conversation" between the Guard and the United States, adding that Trump’s claim was the result of what he described as "illusions and nightmares resulting from defeat" in the war.
“There is no ongoing conversation between IRGC officials and the Americans, and this lie of Trump's is merely a fantasy that has afflicted him due to the illusions and nightmares resulting from defeat and despair in the war,” He said.
"Trump's mental fantasies will not help him in the field,” he added.
Mohebbi also said diplomatic contacts, if any, fall under Iran’s Foreign Ministry, but claimed that no talks with Washington were currently taking place there either.
Trump confirms reported backchannel
Trump said Monday that the United States had established a backchannel with IRGC officials as Washington and Tehran remain at odds over efforts to end the war.
In an interview with Fox News, Trump confirmed that US officials were communicating with the IRGC through a backchannel and said he was "not in a hurry" to reach a deal.
The comments came as the deadline for a 60-day US-Iran memorandum expired without a final agreement.
Reports say that negotiations had stalled, particularly over control of the Strait of Hormuz, while Iran warned it could adopt a "fully offensive" posture if diplomacy failed.
A report by Axios published Sunday said the Trump administration had sought a secret backchannel channel to the IRGC, with Iraqi Kurdistan President Nechirvan Barzani reportedly helping relay messages to the Guard’s leadership.
Mohebbi rejected the claims, saying the IRGC represents Iran’s military power and that any diplomatic engagement should be handled through the country’s formal institutions.
He also accused Trump of using talk of negotiations to influence global oil and energy prices, and said Washington’s only option was to accept what he described as its defeat and Iran’s conditions.
Trump approval falls to all-time low of 33%
US President Donald Trump’s approval rating has fallen to 33 percent, matching the lowest level of his presidency, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll.
Just 33 percent of respondents in the four-day survey that concluded Monday said they approved of how Trump is handling his job in the White House, while 64 percent disapproved.
The figure is down from 35 percent in a Reuters/Ipsos poll from earlier this month and ties the low he reached in December 2017 during his first term.
The online survey of 1,166 US adults carried a margin of error of 3 percentage points.
A separate Economist/YouGov poll conducted August 7–10 among 1,589 adults also put Trump’s approval at 33 percent, with 62 percent disapproving, for a net rating of –29—the lowest recorded by that pollster across either of his terms.
Only 17 percent strongly approved, while 50 percent strongly disapproved.
The decline coincides with public frustration over the ongoing conflict with Iran, which began after US and ‘Israeli’ strikes earlier this year.
The war has disrupted oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz and driven up gasoline prices, which remain significantly higher than a year ago.
About 80 percent of Americans—including 87 percent of Democrats and 71 percent of Republicans—believe US involvement “will go on for an extended period of time,” the Reuters/Ipsos poll found.
Just 16 percent expect it to end in a few weeks. Only about one in five Americans overall, and half of Republicans, say the war has been worth it.
Trump has defended the higher fuel costs.
At a rally in Garden City, New York, on Friday, he said paying “a tiny little bit more for your gasoline” is worth ensuring “a very evil country” cannot obtain a nuclear weapon. “I’ll never apologize, I did the right thing,” he added.
The softening support is visible among key groups. Independents’ approval has fallen sharply, and other recent surveys show weakness among women, college graduates, and Hispanic voters.
Broader polling averages remain underwater, with Trump’s net approval in the negative teens or worse.
Concerns over the economy and cost of living have also grown; a Financial Times poll found 53 percent of voters saying they are worse off under Trump.
The numbers raise pressure on Republicans ahead of the November midterm elections.
Voters in recent Reuters/Ipsos surveys have begun favoring Democrats on economic stewardship for the first time in roughly a decade, and the generic congressional ballot has tilted toward Democrats.
Analysts note that an unpopular president’s party often loses seats in midterms, potentially limiting Trump’s influence in the second half of his term.
