Trump sends Saudi civil nuclear agreement to Congress for review
US President Donald Trump has submitted a civilian nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia to Congress for review, an administration official said.
The classified pact, sent to Capitol Hill on Monday, is aimed at bolstering Riyadh’s nuclear programme but remains contingent on Saudi Arabia normalising relations with Israel, AFP reports.
Oil prices slide 2% on Iran-Oman talks to reopen Strait of Hormuz
Oil prices dropped about 2% on Wednesday, adding to the previous session's losses, on fresh hopes the Strait of Hormuz could reopen after Iran said it had resumed talks with neighbour Oman on managing the strategic waterway, Reuters reported.
Brent crude futures fell $1.78, or 2.0%, to $86.80 a barrel by 0027 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures were down $1.49, ?or 1.8%, at $80.87. Both benchmarks lost more than 3% on Tuesday.
US is not expected to launch new strikes against Iran 'for the time being': Rubio
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has told several foreign ministers from allied countries in recent days that the United States is not expected to launch new strikes against Iran “for the time being” and will instead focus on other forms of pressure, Axios reported on Tuesday.
The report, citing a US official and a second source familiar with the matter, comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran.
US blockade pushes Iranian tankers toward Asian waters
The US naval blockade is forcing Iranian-flagged oil tankers to remain away from Iranian ports, with at least 20 empty vessels now anchored off Sri Lanka after completing ship-to-ship transfers of Iranian crude in Southeast Asia, United Against Nuclear Iran said on Tuesday.
The tankers have remained away from Iranian ports because of the blockade, with several moving away from the Galle anchorage on August 23, possibly because of increased regulatory or enforcement pressure following recent media coverage of the vessels, the report said.
Other Iran-flagged tankers reached the Singapore Strait, with 26 vessels tracked there and expected to carry out ship-to-ship transfers at an anchorage off Malaysia, according to the report.
As U.S. forces continue to enforce the naval blockade, 50 tankers laden with Iranian oil and petrochemicals remain at anchorages along Iran’s coastline. While 20 empty Iran-flagged tankers are loitering near Sri Lanka, Iran-flagged cargo ships continue to operate openly across… pic.twitter.com/hXx3RuhR2f
— UANI (@UANI) August 25, 2026
Iran and Oman propose temporary Strait of Hormuz deal
Iran and Oman outlined a proposal Tuesday to jointly establish a temporary shipping channel through the Strait of Hormuz, according to regional officials, after weeks of fraught discussions between the two countries.
Tehran and Muscat discussed a “phased framework” for a joint project facilitating a “temporary shipping corridor” and to “clear mines,” a press statement from the Iranian and Omani foreign ministries said.
Officials will carry on talks “with the aim of reaching agreement on a permanent shipping corridor and the future administration of the Strait,” the statement added.
Omani Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi visited Iran and held consultations with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, the state-run Oman News Agency (ONA) reported earlier.
Constructive dialogue in Tehran with my colleague Dr @Araghchi. I am hopeful we will soon announce a temporary corridor for the Strait of Hormuz and practical arrangements to restore safe navigation. Future management of the Strait and a permanent solution will follow in due… pic.twitter.com/UBkKE2j4SL
— Badr Albusaidi - ??? ????????? (@badralbusaidi) August 25, 2026
After the meeting, the Omani foreign minister said he was “hopeful” both nations would “soon announce a temporary corridor” for the strait. “Future management of the Strait and a permanent solution will follow in due course,” he posted on X.
Iran says Oman understanding bars military vessels from Hormuz route
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said an understanding with Oman would allow only commercial vessels to transit the Strait of Hormuz, saying “no military vessel will be allowed to pass,” in an interview with state television Tuesday.
“Under the understanding, the inbound route to the Persian Gulf will be through Iranian waters and the outbound route through Omani territorial waters, and on both routes ships will pass through Iranian waters,” he added.
Gharibabadi said the route would be temporary and that Iran and Oman would negotiate a new permanent route within 30 to 60 days to replace the previous maritime traffic scheme.
Turkiye faces gas supply risk as US targets Iran trade: Bloomberg
Turkiye could lose a significant source of natural gas if the United States follows through on threats to economically isolate Iran, Bloomberg reported Tuesday.
Turkiye sourced about 13% of its natural gas imports from Iran last year, or 7.7 billion cubic meters, according to data from Turkey’s energy regulator, making Iran its fourth-largest supplier after Russia, Azerbaijan and the United States.
Gas flows from Iran have continued despite the war, aside from a brief interruption following an attack on the South Pars gas field, Bloomberg reported.
Bilateral trade stood at about $3.1 billion in the first half of 2026, down 3% from a year earlier, according to Turkish trade data.
Iranian speaker ridicules US 'Economic D-Day' campaign
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf mocked the US campaign against Iran on Tuesday, ridiculing Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s description of the new sanctions drive as an “Economic D-Day” and questioning Washington’s stated concern about disrupting the global financial system.
“Him: “Economic D-Day.” Also him, five seconds later: “ why would I want to blow up the global financial system?” Sir this ain’t Normandy, this is improv night and you forgot your own script,” Ghalibaf posted on X.
Him: “Economic D-Day.”
— ???????? ??????? | MB Ghalibaf (@mb_ghalibaf) August 25, 2026
Also him, five seconds later: “[lol] why would I want to blow up the global financial system?”
Sir this ain’t Normandy, this is improv night and you forgot your own script.
#-Day https://t.co/61CCGZWPfC
UK backs further economic pressure on Iran, supports US campaign
Britain will continue working with the United States and other partners to increase economic pressure on Iran and has imposed more than 240 sanctions since taking office, Chancellor of the Exchequer John Healey said in a statement Tuesday.
Healey said Britain supported US efforts to secure a diplomatic solution and welcomed increased pressure on Tehran, including through Operation Economic Outcast.
“We will continue to work with partners to protect our interests, take the necessary steps to re-open the Strait and counter Iran’s dangerous activity,” he said.
Healey called on Iran to cease its destabilizing activity across the region, including in the Strait of Hormuz, and to engage in diplomatic talks “in good faith.”
Iran says regional solutions stressed in Pakistan, Oman talks
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said talks with Pakistani and Omani officials had emphasized regional solutions to current tensions.
“Iran’s commitment to peace and stability is matched by steadfast diplomacy with our neighbors,” Araghchi wrote in a post on X Tuesday.
He said a proposed framework for a new corridor through the Strait of Hormuz, joint mine-clearing and future management of the strait was “a case in point.”
Trump says all mines removed from Strait of Hormuz
US President Donald Trump has claimed that all mines have been cleared or detonated in the Strait of Hormuz.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the US Navy had warned Iran that any vessel attempting to lay new mines would be “immediately and systematically destroyed”.
He said the US Space Force was monitoring every part of the strategic waterway, as well as Pickaxe Mountain and three other nuclear sites that he said had already been destroyed.
Trump also reiterated that a “zero-tolerance policy” was in place against any further mine-laying in the Strait.
No talks with Iran underway or planned, White House official says
A White House official has said the United States currently has no talks or discussions underway with Iran, nor are any scheduled, according to Al Jazeera Arabic.
The official reiterated President Donald Trump’s position that Washington is not engaged in negotiations with Tehran.
The official also said the US naval blockade remains firmly in place, while the Strait of Hormuz is open and operational.
The source added that sea mines in the strategic waterway had been removed or destroyed.