Middle East live: Iran says Hormuz strait still closed despite transit corridor talks with Oman
France 24
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France 24
Original Source
Iran maintains that the Strait of Hormuz remains closed despite negotiations with Oman over a temporary transit corridor and mine-clearing operations. Concurrently, UAE ports face sharp declines in passenger traffic and maritime activity as the six-month Middle East conflict continues to disrupt regional commerce.
26/08/2026 - 14:42
Key inflation indicator remains high as Iran war, US trade spats continue
Key inflation gauge remains elevated during Iran conflict and ongoing US trade fights.
26/08/2026 - 14:21
Dubai airport reports sharp drop in second quarter traffic due to Iran war's effects
Dubai International Airport, one of the world’s busiest hubs, has declared that it saw a sharp drop in passengers during the second quarter as the Iran war disrupted air travel and prompted many travelers to choose routes that avoided the Middle East.
The airport recorded 13 million passengers during the second quarter, following 31.5 million passengers in the first half. That was a 31.3% drop over passenger traffic in the first half of 2025, the airport said.
Air traffic in the United Arab Emirates and elsewhere in the Gulf region was disrupted by shutdowns and restrictions after the US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28. The Dubai airport itself suffered minor damage in attacks from Iran.
26/08/2026 - 13:59
Iran and Oman reach agreements on share of Hormuz and revenues, Revolutionary Guards say
Iran and Oman have reached agreements on their share of the Strait of Hormuz and its revenues, Iran's Revolutionary Guards spokesperson said, according to a report by the semi-official Tasnim news agency on Wednesday.
The spokesperson said the US was obstructing negotiations between Oman and Iran, leading to them being delayed.
26/08/2026 - 13:12
Weapons systems damaged during war 'rebuilt', Iran army says
Iran's army on Wednesday said all weapons systems that were damaged so far in the Middle East war have been "rebuilt" and that new systems have been imported to the country.
"Systems in all branches of the military, including those that were damaged, have been rebuilt, and new systems have also been imported," said army spokesperson, Mohammad Akraminia, according to state TV.
"New systems have come through the defense industry and the army, and some have also been imported from abroad, and this equipment has enhanced our combat capabilities," he added.
The United States and Israel initiated the Middle East war with a massive wave of strikes against Iran on February 28, triggering Iranian retaliation across the region.
26/08/2026 - 13:11
USS Abraham Lincoln will stop in Thailand on its way home
The US aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln will make a stop in Thailand after its grueling deployment in the Middle East, Thai officials said.
The Lincoln was supporting the US war against Iran, and its deployment included a record-setting uninterrupted time at sea of more than 250 days. Concerns have grown about the Lincoln’s lengthy deployment following reports of deteriorating mental health among the crew and shortages of supplies including food and hygiene products.
Thai defense ministry spokesperson Surasant Kongsiri said that the Lincoln will stop in Thailand next week for rest and recovery before returning to its US base.
26/08/2026 - 13:02
Iran urges Qatar to address fate of missing Iranian pilots
Iran said Qatar has told Tehran it is unaware of the fate of Iranian pilots missing since their aircraft were shot down after entering Qatari airspace, and urged Doha to step up efforts to determine their status, according to state media.
Tehran said it had followed up through diplomatic and military channels but had yet to receive a clear response from Qatar on the pilots' fate.
26/08/2026 - 12:59
Lebanon accuses Israel of burning forest, farmland in south
Lebanese officials and residents have accused Israel's military of systematically sparking blazes that have burnt swathes of forest and farmland in the country's south.
An AFP photographer this month saw multiple fires raging in south Lebanon, mostly inside Israel's self-declared "security zone", which runs around 10 kilometres deep inside Lebanese territory along the border.
Lebanon's governmental National Council for Scientific Research (CNRS) says Israeli military activity has caused 160 square kilometres of land, half of it agricultural, to go up in flames since hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah began in October 2023.
26/08/2026 - 12:43
Iran says 'US will achieve nothing' with economic pressure
"Given the measures the government has undertaken, America will not achieve anything with economic pressure at this stage, just as it was unable to achieve anything in the war," Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said, according to ISNA news agency.
26/08/2026 - 12:43
Gulf expats hunker down between bouts of war
Six months into the Middle East war, the army of foreign workers and expats in the Gulf has largely stayed put -- hoping to ride out the uncertainty caused by conflict rather than return to dim prospects back home.
"I stayed because I had no other option," a Syrian woman told AFP. "Most of us are here because... it was just unlivable where we came from."
For most of the oil-rich Gulf states, foreigners from Global South countries make up the majority of the population, forming the bedrock of the economy as high-end consultants, manual labourers, healthcare professionals and everything in between.
26/08/2026 - 12:38
Sri Lanka tracks 11 US-sanctioned Iranian tankers off coast
Sri Lanka's maritime authorities were monitoring a fleet of 11 US-sanctioned Iranian oil tankers just off the island's southern coast, the foreign minister said Wednesday.
The tankers were spotted close to the Galle harbour where an Iranian frigate, IRIS Dena, was sunk by a US submarine in March, killing 104 sailors. Sri Lanka's navy rescued 32 Iranian sailors from that frigate.
Iranian vessels have been in limbo, unable to return to their home port because of a US blockade. Sri Lanka's Foreign minister Vijitha Herath said the tankers were in international waters where they had freedom of navigation.
26/08/2026 - 10:30
Netanyahu says no diplomatic deal possible with Iran 'savages'
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a diplomatic deal was not possible with the "savages" who rule Iran as he hailed US President Donald Trump's new campaign of economic pressure.
Recounting a recent meeting with Trump, Netanyahu told an event late Tuesday that they had discussed the possibility of diplomacy with Iran and said: "I doubt, however, that an agreement can be reached with that group there, with those savages. I tell you - an agreement cannot be reached."
26/08/2026 - 10:13
Israel takes control of UN training centre for Palestinians
Israeli forces took control of a vocational training centre run by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees in an east Jerusalem suburb on Tuesday, in its latest move targeting the beleaguered organisation. The raid drew condemnation from UN chief Antonio Guterres, and followed warnings by UNRWA that Israeli authorities were threatening its Qalandia training centre. The centre was established in 1952 and offers vocational training to around 340 Palestinians from the occupied West Bank every year, according to UNRWA.
26/08/2026 - 09:56
Supertankers with 4 million barrels of Saudi oil head for China, data shows
Two supertankers carrying 4 million barrels of Saudi crude are bound for China after loading the cargoes via ship-to-ship transfers off Oman, shipping data showed on Wednesday.
26/08/2026 - 09:50
Britain backs US measures for diplomatic solution on Iran
British Finance Minister John Healey said on Tuesday that the country supports U.S. efforts to secure a diplomatic solution on Iran and welcomed steps to increase pressure, including the expanded sanctions on Iran announced Monday.
Healey also called on Iran to cease its "de-stabilising activity" across the region, including in the Strait of Hormuz.
26/08/2026 - 07:34
Iran says Hormuz strait still closed despite transit corridor talks
Iran and Oman are discussing a temporary transit corridor and mine-clearing for the Strait of Hormuz, but Tehran
Key inflation indicator remains high as Iran war, US trade spats continue
Key inflation gauge remains elevated during Iran conflict and ongoing US trade fights.
26/08/2026 - 14:21
Dubai airport reports sharp drop in second quarter traffic due to Iran war's effects
Dubai International Airport, one of the world’s busiest hubs, has declared that it saw a sharp drop in passengers during the second quarter as the Iran war disrupted air travel and prompted many travelers to choose routes that avoided the Middle East.
The airport recorded 13 million passengers during the second quarter, following 31.5 million passengers in the first half. That was a 31.3% drop over passenger traffic in the first half of 2025, the airport said.
Air traffic in the United Arab Emirates and elsewhere in the Gulf region was disrupted by shutdowns and restrictions after the US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28. The Dubai airport itself suffered minor damage in attacks from Iran.
26/08/2026 - 13:59
Iran and Oman reach agreements on share of Hormuz and revenues, Revolutionary Guards say
Iran and Oman have reached agreements on their share of the Strait of Hormuz and its revenues, Iran's Revolutionary Guards spokesperson said, according to a report by the semi-official Tasnim news agency on Wednesday.
The spokesperson said the US was obstructing negotiations between Oman and Iran, leading to them being delayed.
26/08/2026 - 13:12
Weapons systems damaged during war 'rebuilt', Iran army says
Iran's army on Wednesday said all weapons systems that were damaged so far in the Middle East war have been "rebuilt" and that new systems have been imported to the country.
"Systems in all branches of the military, including those that were damaged, have been rebuilt, and new systems have also been imported," said army spokesperson, Mohammad Akraminia, according to state TV.
"New systems have come through the defense industry and the army, and some have also been imported from abroad, and this equipment has enhanced our combat capabilities," he added.
The United States and Israel initiated the Middle East war with a massive wave of strikes against Iran on February 28, triggering Iranian retaliation across the region.
26/08/2026 - 13:11
USS Abraham Lincoln will stop in Thailand on its way home
The US aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln will make a stop in Thailand after its grueling deployment in the Middle East, Thai officials said.
The Lincoln was supporting the US war against Iran, and its deployment included a record-setting uninterrupted time at sea of more than 250 days. Concerns have grown about the Lincoln’s lengthy deployment following reports of deteriorating mental health among the crew and shortages of supplies including food and hygiene products.
Thai defense ministry spokesperson Surasant Kongsiri said that the Lincoln will stop in Thailand next week for rest and recovery before returning to its US base.
26/08/2026 - 13:02
Iran urges Qatar to address fate of missing Iranian pilots
Iran said Qatar has told Tehran it is unaware of the fate of Iranian pilots missing since their aircraft were shot down after entering Qatari airspace, and urged Doha to step up efforts to determine their status, according to state media.
Tehran said it had followed up through diplomatic and military channels but had yet to receive a clear response from Qatar on the pilots' fate.
26/08/2026 - 12:59
Lebanon accuses Israel of burning forest, farmland in south
Lebanese officials and residents have accused Israel's military of systematically sparking blazes that have burnt swathes of forest and farmland in the country's south.
An AFP photographer this month saw multiple fires raging in south Lebanon, mostly inside Israel's self-declared "security zone", which runs around 10 kilometres deep inside Lebanese territory along the border.
Lebanon's governmental National Council for Scientific Research (CNRS) says Israeli military activity has caused 160 square kilometres of land, half of it agricultural, to go up in flames since hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah began in October 2023.
26/08/2026 - 12:43
Iran says 'US will achieve nothing' with economic pressure
"Given the measures the government has undertaken, America will not achieve anything with economic pressure at this stage, just as it was unable to achieve anything in the war," Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said, according to ISNA news agency.
26/08/2026 - 12:43
Gulf expats hunker down between bouts of war
Six months into the Middle East war, the army of foreign workers and expats in the Gulf has largely stayed put -- hoping to ride out the uncertainty caused by conflict rather than return to dim prospects back home.
"I stayed because I had no other option," a Syrian woman told AFP. "Most of us are here because... it was just unlivable where we came from."
For most of the oil-rich Gulf states, foreigners from Global South countries make up the majority of the population, forming the bedrock of the economy as high-end consultants, manual labourers, healthcare professionals and everything in between.
26/08/2026 - 12:38
Sri Lanka tracks 11 US-sanctioned Iranian tankers off coast
Sri Lanka's maritime authorities were monitoring a fleet of 11 US-sanctioned Iranian oil tankers just off the island's southern coast, the foreign minister said Wednesday.
The tankers were spotted close to the Galle harbour where an Iranian frigate, IRIS Dena, was sunk by a US submarine in March, killing 104 sailors. Sri Lanka's navy rescued 32 Iranian sailors from that frigate.
Iranian vessels have been in limbo, unable to return to their home port because of a US blockade. Sri Lanka's Foreign minister Vijitha Herath said the tankers were in international waters where they had freedom of navigation.
26/08/2026 - 10:30
Netanyahu says no diplomatic deal possible with Iran 'savages'
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a diplomatic deal was not possible with the "savages" who rule Iran as he hailed US President Donald Trump's new campaign of economic pressure.
Recounting a recent meeting with Trump, Netanyahu told an event late Tuesday that they had discussed the possibility of diplomacy with Iran and said: "I doubt, however, that an agreement can be reached with that group there, with those savages. I tell you - an agreement cannot be reached."
26/08/2026 - 10:13
Israel takes control of UN training centre for Palestinians
Israeli forces took control of a vocational training centre run by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees in an east Jerusalem suburb on Tuesday, in its latest move targeting the beleaguered organisation. The raid drew condemnation from UN chief Antonio Guterres, and followed warnings by UNRWA that Israeli authorities were threatening its Qalandia training centre. The centre was established in 1952 and offers vocational training to around 340 Palestinians from the occupied West Bank every year, according to UNRWA.
26/08/2026 - 09:56
Supertankers with 4 million barrels of Saudi oil head for China, data shows
Two supertankers carrying 4 million barrels of Saudi crude are bound for China after loading the cargoes via ship-to-ship transfers off Oman, shipping data showed on Wednesday.
26/08/2026 - 09:50
Britain backs US measures for diplomatic solution on Iran
British Finance Minister John Healey said on Tuesday that the country supports U.S. efforts to secure a diplomatic solution on Iran and welcomed steps to increase pressure, including the expanded sanctions on Iran announced Monday.
Healey also called on Iran to cease its "de-stabilising activity" across the region, including in the Strait of Hormuz.
26/08/2026 - 07:34
Iran says Hormuz strait still closed despite transit corridor talks
Iran and Oman are discussing a temporary transit corridor and mine-clearing for the Strait of Hormuz, but Tehran
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Source: France 24
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