Iran war live: Trump claims US in ‘total control’ of Strait of Hormuz

By Alex Milan Durie and Ali Mustafa

Published On 12 Aug 202612 Aug 2026

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• US President Donald Trump says the situation with Iran is “going fine”, telling reporters at Joint Base Andrews that US forces are in “total control” of the Strait of Hormuz.
• US forces have disabled a Panama-flagged cargo ship attempting to sail towards an Iranian port by firing two Hellfire missiles at its steering gear after it ignored warnings.
• Iran demands a complete end to the US war and blockade, the release of its frozen assets, and a regional ceasefire before it reopens the Strait of Hormuz. Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said the strait would remain closed until all conditions were met.
• Yemen’s Houthis claim they targeted a Saudi ship carrying military equipment in the Bab al-Mandeb strait, according to the group’s Saba news agency.
• Qatar says negotiations between Oman and Iran over the future of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz are making major progress.
• Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi arrives in Tehran for discussions with Iranian officials as part of mediation efforts to halt the US-Israel war and unblock the Strait of Hormuz.

2m ago

(02:30 GMT)

Netanyahu doesn’t care what Trump wants on Iran

We have more analysis from David Hale, a former US undersecretary of state for political affairs.

“Netanyahu is the Israeli prime minister every American president loves to hate because he stands up for what he wants whether or not the US agrees with him,” Hale told Al Jazeera.

Hale pointed out that Israeli public sentiment aligns closely with Netanyahu’s stance on regional security.

“Most Israelis actually want to continue the war with Iran,” Hale said. “It is clear that President Trump wants this war to be brought to an end.”

“So, I think that’s the root of the gap here, and that’s been the point of contention between these two leaders all year long.”

Trump and Netanyahu meet at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida, December 29, 2025 [Jim Watson/AFP]

• 13m ago

  (02:15 GMT)

  WATCH: Cargo ship in flames after Houthi attack in Bab al-Mandeb

  Footage shows an Egyptian-owned cargo vessel engulfed in flames in the Bab al-Mandeb strait after a suspected attack by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis killed four crew members.

  If confirmed, the deaths would be the first from a Houthi strike on shipping since the Iran war began in February.

  

  0:12

  Cargo ship in flames after Houthi attack in Bab al-Mandeb strait
• 28m ago

  (02:00 GMT)

  

  Israel unconvinced by US Board of Peace plan for Gaza

  The Trump administration is trying to buy time to convince Israel to agree to the Gaza Board of Peace plan, but the Israelis remain unconvinced, according to David Hale, a former US undersecretary of state for political affairs.

  Hale told Al Jazeera that the White House may be keeping quiet about the proposal to refine its terms.

  “I suspect one reason that the White House has been quiet about this is that they may want to just go back to the drawing board and tinker with the 15 points, see if they can close the gap, see if there’s something that Israel can accept,” Hale said.

  However, Israel’s strict requirements regarding its security and the military capabilities of Hamas remain the core obstacles, he suggested.

  “Clearly, the red line for the Israelis is that they’re not going to withdraw until they see a complete and thorough disarming of Hamas,” Hale added.

  He pointed out that Israeli officials do not believe that “the paper solutions of this International Stabilization Force and the Board of Peace are adequate to reassure the public that Gaza will be safe for the foreseeable future”.
• 43m ago

  (01:45 GMT)

  Trump, Netanyahu may have become ‘election liability’ for each other

  By Richard Gaisford

  Reporting from Washington, DC, US

  There’s been no direct response from President Donald Trump, nor from the White House [to Israel’s rejection of Trump’s proposed peace plan in Gaza].

  The president was asked about it yesterday at a briefing he was giving inside the White House, and when he was asked about Gaza and Benjamin Netanyahu, he said, “Look at my Truth Social post”, but when you went on his account, there was nothing to see.

  Perhaps some sort of breakdown in communication there; certainly a breakdown in relationship between the two men, because it was just two weeks to the day that Netanyahu was right here in Washington, visiting the city for Lindsey Graham’s funeral, and came to the White House to meet with Trump.

  There were no cameras allowed and no information about what was really said, but there have been rumours that perhaps Donald Trump is getting angry about what he perceives to be negativity from Netanyahu.

  There was a time, not that long ago, when both men wanted to be seen to be at least on the same page for the sake of their supporters, but one might think that the opposite is true now, and both have become an election liability for the other.

• 1h ago

  (01:20 GMT)

  

  Trump says US in ‘total control’ of Strait of Hormuz

  Trump says the situation with Iran is “going fine”, claiming that US forces are in complete control of the Strait of Hormuz.

  “Iran is going fine – going just absolutely fine. We totally control the Strait of Hormuz. We have control over it; nobody else, only us. Our navy is unbelievable, and things going great for our country,” Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews.

  “I don’t trust Iran. I’m the last person to trust Iran; they’ve lied to me constantly. We have total control over the Hormuz Strait right now; they don’t have control,” he added.
• 1h ago

  (01:15 GMT)

  

  Oil prices climb towards $90 a barrel

  Oil prices are continuing their upward trajectory, with Brent crude futures gaining 72 cents as of 00:53 GMT, or 0.81 percent, to $89.63 per barrel.

  US West Texas Intermediate crude went up 71 cents, or 0.85 percent, to $83.91.

  The gains came after both benchmark contracts settled more than $1 higher on Tuesday, reaching their highest closes since July 31, according to Reuters.

  Prices extended gains following a roughly 5 percent jump on Monday as expectations for a US-Iran peace deal began to fade, despite industry data showing an expansion in US crude inventories.