Iran war live: Trump denies Iran talks, Tehran claims US ‘begging’

By Tracy J. Jawad and Heba Habib

Published On 19 Aug 202619 Aug 2026

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• US President Donald Trump says that no conversations are taking place or scheduled with Iran, while maintaining that the US naval blockade remains in full force and mines in the Strait of Hormuz have been cleared.
• Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says the US is now “begging” to negotiate on Iranian conditions after failing to force Tehran to surrender.
• The UAE’s Ministry of Defence says that Iran launched two ballistic missiles at maritime traffic, with one landing in the UAE’s territorial waters and the other falling outside them into the sea.
• Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei, has called the UAE’s accusation “baseless”, adding that such claims harm good neighbourly relations and undermine regional trust.

• 1m ago

  (05:00 GMT)

  If you’re just joining us

  Here’s a recap of the latest events:

  • South Korea’s foreign minister said neither Seoul nor Washington had prior warning of Trump’s order to trim joint military exercises by six days, hinting that the decision was meant to press South Korea into joining the war on Iran.
  • Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi rejected the idea of a temporary truce in the ongoing conflict, stating that Tehran is seeking a permanent resolution.
  • Oil prices are on the rise again, with Brent ticking up 0.29 percent to $91.28 per barrel and WTI reaching $85.31.
  • Strait of Hormuz traffic slowed further on Tuesday as only six vessels crossed the waterway, down from nine on Monday and far off the 10-day average of 11, Kpler tracking data shows.
  • A Syrian Foreign Ministry source has denied the existence of any security agreement with Israel, dismissing Israeli claims as “false”, following Israeli attacks on a military airport in Idlib.
  • Hamas says it remains committed to a ceasefire deal but accuses Netanyahu of deliberately sabotaging negotiations, calling an Israeli strike that killed seven Palestinians, including a child, in Gaza City a “deliberate escalation” meant to derail Trump’s Gaza peace plan.
• 16m ago

  (04:45 GMT)

  Prominent Russian general says Israel risks ceasing ‘to exist as a state’

  A senior Russian military official has claimed that Israel’s primary objective is to escalate conflict in the Middle East to draw the United States and NATO into war.

  Speaking to Russia’s state-owned news agency TASS, Lieutenant General Apty Alaudinov, deputy chief of the Russian army’s Main Military-Political Directorate and commander of the Akhmat special forces unit, argued that the situation in the region will only continue to intensify.

  “We must realise that the war in the Middle East will only escalate. I believe that is precisely Israel’s objective: to ramp up the conflict as much as possible and drag both the US and the entire NATO bloc into it,” Alaudinov said.

  “Ultimately, they [Israel] will overestimate their strength and cease to exist as a state,” he added.
• 31m ago

  (04:30 GMT)

  

  ‘Diplomacy’ is Syria’s only option against Israeli attacks

  We have more from Abdul Karim al-Omar, a Damascus-based political researcher.

  He said Syria’s government has no realistic option beyond diplomacy in response to repeated Israeli attacks, given the country is still rebuilding its military.

  “Syria really has no options but to act diplomatically to stop the repeated Israeli attacks on Syria, through the Security Council and the United Nations,” said al-Omar, citing Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani’s comments on the government’s approach.

  He pointed out Damascus has already sent two letters to the UN and the Security Council seeking intervention, alongside outreach to Arab states, the US and the European Union.

  Al-Omar said Israel is well aware Syria’s military “is in its infancy, newly formed” and lacking advanced weapons or air defence systems, but argued the strikes stem less from any genuine security threat than from unease over Syria’s political stabilisation under President Ahmed al-Sharaa.

  “Israel wants Syria to remain a permanent arena of conflict,” the researcher said.

  He added that this leaves Damascus to pursue international pressure rather than confrontation, working through the UN, EU and Arab allies to push Israel to halt what he described as its interference in Syrian affairs.

• 41m ago

  (04:20 GMT)

  

  Israeli forces conduct overnight explosions and shelling in south Lebanon

  Israeli forces have carried out a series of explosions and shelling across several southern Lebanese towns overnight and at dawn, Lebanon’s National News Agency is reporting.

  Demolitions were reported in Haddatha at dawn following overnight explosions in al-Mansouri, while artillery shells struck Majdal Zoun and surrounding valleys.

  Illumination flares were also dropped over the Tyre and Bint Jbeil regions as military drones patrolled above the Litani River from Qasmiyeh to the Qaqaiyat al-Jisr, NNA said.
• 46m ago

  (04:15 GMT)

  Photos: Occupied West Bank village of Qusra under settler siege for 10th day

  

  Israeli soldiers stand in front of an Israeli settler who entered the property of Palestinian-American Loui Ridi, in Qusra, Israeli-occupied West Bank, [Ammar Awad/Reuters]

  

  Yousef Hassan (whose house was encircled by settlers and later taken over by the Israeli military) films an Israeli settler who entered the property of Palestinian-American Loui Ridi in Qusra [Ammar Awad/Reuters]

  

  [Ammar Awad/Reuters]

  

  [Ammar Awad/Reuters]
• 1h ago

  (04:00 GMT)

  Egypt condemns Israeli strike on Syria’s Abu al-Duhour airport

  Egypt’s Foreign Ministry has condemned Israeli air strikes on the Abu al-Duhur military airport in the eastern countryside of Syria’s Idlib province, calling them a “dangerous escalation that threatens security and stability in the region”.

  In a statement, the ministry said Egypt “fully rejects” Israel’s continued violations of Syrian sovereignty. Cairo warned that the strikes risk further destabilising Syria at a critical time, when the country requires support to restore stability and pursue political solutions.

  The statement called on the international community to “assume its responsibilities” by putting an end to repeated Israeli violations and adopting firm measures to deter actions that fuel a broader regional conflict.
• 1h ago

  (03:45 GMT)

  Strait of Hormuz transit slows again on Tuesday with just six vessels crossing

  Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz slowed on Tuesday, preliminary shipping data showed on Wednesday, as most shipowners avoided the key waterway because of a lack of clear signalling on a reopening, Reuters is reporting.

  According to Kpler data as of 02:58 GMT on Wednesday, six commodity vessels crossed the strait on Tuesday, down from nine a day earlier and below the 10-day daily average of 11.
• 1h ago

  (03:35 GMT)

  

  South Korea says Trump’s drill cuts appear aimed at pushing Seoul into Iran war

  South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun says that US President Donald Trump’s message ordering the scaling back of joint military drills appeared to include pressure on Seoul to become involved in the Iran war, Reuters reports.

  During a parliamentary hearing on Wednesday, Cho said that neither South Korean nor US government officials had prior knowledge of Trump’s order to reduce joint military exercises.

  In response to a lawmaker’s question regarding whether Seoul was notified in advance, he noted, “Of course, neither our government officials nor US government officials were aware of this beforehand,” according to the Reuters report.

  The annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises, which began on Monday, will now end six days early on August 21.
• 1h ago

  (03:30 GMT)

  Qatar and Gulf walking diplomatic tightrope over US-Iran war

  

  By Osama Bin Javaid

  Reporting from Doha, Qatar

  There’s a concern in the GCC after the 60-day MoU time has lapsed; there have been a number of calls between various leaders across the Gulf Cooperation Council, including Qatar.

  According to the Qatari Foreign Ministry, they’re watching this situation closely, and they’re insisting that their relationship with Iran continues to be one of trying to find a pathway to reconcile the Iranians and the Americans and bringing them both back to the table.

  There is also the situation taking place in Oman regarding how to navigate the Strait of Hormuz, and there seem to be two paths working side by side as the negotiations between Oman and Iran continue; there is some coordination between the Americans and the Iranians as well.

  I asked the Qatari Foreign Ministry how the relationship between Qatar and Iran is faring, especially after allegations that Qatar has not been giving them the bases, which the Foreign Ministry denied. He told me that this relationship is built on Qatar’s longstanding view that it will continue to protect its sovereignty and talk to Iran on the basis of trying to find a diplomatic solution.