September 19, 2026

Iran Watch

Iran, Oman Discuss Temporary Hormuz Corridor As Impasse With US Drags On– www.ndtv.com

pgnewser August 26, 2026 0

Iran, Oman Discuss Temporary Hormuz Corridor As Impasse With US Drags On– www.ndtv.com
News Source
EXCERPT:

 Iran said it had restarted talks with neighbor Oman to manage the Strait of Hormuz as it faces heightened economic pressure from US President Donald Trump in the wider conflict.

Iran and Oman have been in on-and-off talks for weeks about controlling traffic through the strategic waterway, which handled one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments before the war began in February.

Most shipping has been shut down since then.

The two countries said on Tuesday that they discussed “a joint temporary navigational corridor” through the strait and agreed to clear it of mines.

Trump said all mines in the strait had been cleared, repeating comments that he has previously made.

Iran War Half Drags On

pgnewser August 21, 2026 1

The on-again, off-again (and not-quite, but nearly) ceasefire trend of the Iran War continues. President Trump has cut off all negotiations with Iran, however, and is calling on Iran to surrender. The administration announced plans to step up its economic war against Iran. The administration also claims it has mostly re-opened the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump declared, “ANY country that allows its financial institutions, businesses, airports, or government entities ⁠to provide any type of lifeline to Iran will itself face TREMENDOUS Economic Consequences.”

Iran war live: Tehran accuses Trump of ‘economic terrorism’ – The Independent
News Source

EXCERPT:

Iran has accused US president Donald Trump of threatening “economic terrorism” after the US treasury said it would introduce the “toughest sanctions in history” against Tehran.

Trump has promised to wage “Economic Warfare and Isolation on an unprecedented scale”, suggesting the US will extend sanctions to allies that have helped mediate peace ‌talks.

Israel says No to Gaza Withdrawal

pgnewser August 21, 2026 0

Israel has informed the United States that it will not agree to any deal with Hamas that does not include their complete disarmament. As a response, the U.S.’s negotiator, Jared Kushner, stated “We will not allow Gaza to be rebuilt until the demilitarization occurs. Nobody wants to put more money into a place that’s gone on for so long if it’s just going to be taken over by terrorists or blown up again.”

‘We will not allow Gaza to be rebuilt’ until Hamas disarms, Kushner says | Israel-Palestine conflict News– www.aljazeera.com
News Source
EXCERPT:

United States envoy Jared Kushner has stressed that the administration of President Donald Trump will not allow reconstruction in the devastated Gaza Strip until Hamas gives up its weapons.

Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, held talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, but the meeting did not produce a breakthrough to implement a roadmap for Gaza that Hamas already agreed to.

“We have a plan to rebuild Gaza, but we will not allow Gaza to be rebuilt until the demilitarisation occurs,” Kushner told Fox News in an interview.

“Nobody wants to put more money into a place that’s gone on for so long if it’s just going to be taken over by terrorists or blown up again.”

President Trump Says South Korea Refused To Help With “Denuclearization” Of Iran – Instructs Pete Hegseth To Reduce Joint Military Exercises– wltreport.com

pgnewser August 21, 2026 0

President Trump Says South Korea Refused To Help With “Denuclearization” Of Iran – Instructs Pete Hegseth To Reduce Joint Military Exercises– wltreport.com
News Source
EXCERPT:

President Trump on Sunday said he instructed Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to “reduce” joint military exercises with South Korea due to his “very good relationship” with Kim Jong Un of North Korea.

Trump said he is “not happy” that the United States, long ago, agreed to joint military exercises with South Korea.

“These exercises are not only costly, with much of these costs paid for by the United States of America (as usual!), but send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile, to a Country that, as long as Donald J. Trump has been President, has been unthreatening and respectful. Therefore, and based on the fact that it is too late to cancel, I have instructed Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to substantially reduce the Joint Military Exercises!” Trump explained.

“While somewhat unrelated (?), I recently asked the President of South Korea if they would like to join us in the Denuclearization of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and they said, ‘No thanks!’” he added.

Scott Bessent urges US partners to back plans to ‘squash’ Iran economy– www.bbc.co.uk

pgnewser August 21, 2026 0

Scott Bessent urges US partners to back plans to ‘squash’ Iran economy– www.bbc.co.uk
News Source
EXCERPT:

The Iranian economy has long been struggling under the weight of decades of international sanctions, which left it in tatters.

Earlier this year, Iran experienced weeks of protests due to the spiralling cost of living and inflation – with everyday Iranians blaming the regime for their difficulties.

Official figures show that in the 12 months to February 2026, the price of basic necessities increased by an average 60%, while food prices doubled in the same period.

At the time, Trump told demonstrators “help is on the way” as he urged them to “keep protesting”.

A little over a month later, the US joined Israel in its attack on Iran – and later implemented a blockade on Iranian ports, threatening further sanctions.

In April, the US launched a wave of sanctions on foreign banks and firms doing business with Tehran after it became apparent military operations had not led to the overthrow of Iran’s regime nor its surrender, as Trump had initially hoped.

U.S. Conducting Successful ‘Stealth Operation’ in the Strait of Hormuz: Report– www.westernjournal.com

pgnewser August 21, 2026 0

U.S. Conducting Successful ‘Stealth Operation’ in the Strait of Hormuz: Report– www.westernjournal.com
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EXCERPT:

The United States is moving oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz even as Iran refuses to come to the table for peace talks.

A new report from Axios said that between 15 and 20 tankers per night have navigated the strait for the past several weeks. About 10 million barrels of oil are shipped out per day, which is roughly half of the pre-war level.

Tankers come in empty with a U.S. military escort and then leave full with oil from nations that are working with the U.S.

U.S. Military Opens Hormuz Shipping Corridor, Restoring Millions of Barrels of Oil to Global Market › American Greatness– amgreatness.com

pgnewser August 21, 2026 0

U.S. Military Opens Hormuz Shipping Corridor, Restoring Millions of Barrels of Oil to Global Market › American Greatness– amgreatness.com
News Source
EXCERPT:

The U.S. military has established a protected shipping corridor through the Strait of Hormuz that is moving nearly 10 million barrels of oil a day into global markets despite continued Iranian attacks, according to U.S. officials.

The operation has been underway for several weeks, with 15 to 20 tankers regularly traveling through a southern channel near Oman, two U.S. officials told Axios. Current shipments amount to roughly half the oil that passed through the strait before the war disrupted traffic.

The effort provides a significant boost to global energy supplies after the conflict sent oil prices sharply higher.

“We have been controlling the southern lane of the Strait of Hormuz for two months now,” one U.S. official told Axios. “The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps can be a nuisance, but they don’t control the strait. We do.”

The operation includes escorting loaded tankers out of the Persian Gulf while helping empty vessels enter, collect oil from Gulf countries and return safely through the strait.

New US carrier strike group arrives in Middle East to relieve long-deployed USS Abraham Lincoln– www.euronews.com

pgnewser August 21, 2026 0

New US carrier strike group arrives in Middle East to relieve long-deployed USS Abraham Lincoln– www.euronews.com
News Source
EXCERPT:

A new US aircraft carrier strike group has arrived in the Middle East, the US military announced on Thursday, after conditions aboard a long-deployed carrier provoked fresh criticism of President Donald Trump’s war against Iran.

“The George Washington Carrier Strike Group is operating in Middle East during a scheduled deployment after arriving in the CENTCOM theatre yesterday,” Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees US forces in the Middle East, said in a post on X.

The update comes just days after media reports on grim conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier, deployed since November 2025, had created an unwelcome distraction for Trump in his attempt to sell the already unpopular war.

Trump dismissed concerns last Friday over living conditions and the mental health of service members on the Lincoln, while confirming the ship would soon rotate out.

Asked by reporters whether family members were worried about the situation on the USS Abraham Lincoln, Trump said “no, they’re not.”

Netanyahu, Kushner agree US general to verify Hamas disarmament before Israel withdraws from Gaza– www.france24.com

pgnewser August 21, 2026 0

Netanyahu, Kushner agree US general to verify Hamas disarmament before Israel withdraws from Gaza– www.france24.com
News Source
EXCERPT:

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US envoy Jared Kushner agreed on Monday that an American general would verify Hamas‘s disarmament, an Israeli official said, as the premier insisted there would be no pullout from Gaza until then.

The understanding marks a new attempt by President Donald Trump‘s administration to satisfy Israel after Netanyahu, facing a tough re-election fight, publicly rejected the latest part of a US plan aimed at ending the devastating Gaza war.

Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and a longtime family friend of Netanyahu, met the Israeli leader in Jerusalem a day after holding rare direct talks in Egypt with Hamas, which has publicly committed itself to the plan.

Read moreKushner, Hamas delegation in Egypt for talks on Gaza peace plan

The two sides “agreed that no redeployment or reconstruction would take place in the Gaza Strip before Hamas is disarmed throughout Gaza”, a senior Israeli official told AFP.

Trump says there are no talks between US and Iran– www.washingtonexaminer.com

pgnewser August 21, 2026 0

Trump says there are no talks between US and Iran– www.washingtonexaminer.com
News Source
EXCERPT:

“There are no talks or conversations going on, or scheduled, with the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the president wrote Tuesday on Truth Social. “The Naval Blockade remains in full force and effect. The Hormuz Strait is open and operating. All water mines have been removed or detonated.”

The memorandum of understanding with Iran was initially signed in June at the Palace of Versailles in France, as Trump was wrapping up his attendance at the G7 summit. The agreement was meant to “instantly reopen” the Strait of Hormuz and“immediately lift” the U.S. naval blockade on all Iranian vessels.

But the 60-day deadline passed without either side agreeing on how to end the Iran war that began on Feb. 28.

On Monday, Trump signaled that no extension of the agreement would occur, although the ceasefire had already fallen apart between the two sides.

“Look, we’re in there for one reason: Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, you understand that?” Trump told reporters while speaking in the Oval Office. “Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, and they won’t have a nuclear weapon.”

He also told Fox News yesterday he has “no time schedule” and is “not in a hurry” to negotiate with Iran.

Trump calls on Iran to surrender, threatens Oman over Strait of Hormuz – Al Jazeera– news.google.com

pgnewser August 21, 2026 0

Trump calls on Iran to surrender, threatens Oman over Strait of Hormuz – Al Jazeera– news.google.com
News Source
EXCERPT:

  1. Trump calls on Iran to surrender, threatens Oman over Strait of Hormuz  Al Jazeera
  2. As Iran Truce Expires and Options Shrivel, Trump Lashes Out  The New York Times
  3. Trump swings hard at Oman and South Korea, but his foreign policy misses are piling up  CNN
  4. Trump threatens to bomb US ally Oman if it ‘gets in the way’ over Iran deal  BBC
  5. CNBC Daily Open: Markets caught between Mideast worries and AI optimism  CNBC

 

Iran’s Enemies Within: The Regime, Its Terror Proxies and the Foreign Powers Devouring a Nation– gellerreport.com

pgnewser August 21, 2026 0

Iran’s Enemies Within: The Regime, Its Terror Proxies and the Foreign Powers Devouring a Nation– gellerreport.com
News Source
EXCERPT:

Determining which factions, governments, or movements constitute the greatest threat to a nation relies on subjective political analysis and ideological perspectives. Analysts, political theorists, and citizens view the dynamics surrounding Iran through vastly different lenses depending on their priorities regarding statehood, human rights, international relations, and governance.

To understand the complex political landscape of modern Iran and the broader Middle East, observers evaluate several key internal and external actors.

To begin with, let us analyze the Internal Political Structures and Domestic Governance:

·         The clerical establishment systematically diverts domestic economic reserves toward pan-Islamic expansion, starvations of national development, and ideological campaigns. Conversely, supporters view the system as a bastion of anti-imperialist sovereignty that safeguards traditional values against Western dominance.

·         Security forces, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), command significant influence over the economy and political administration. These entities are primary agents of domestic repression and regional instability, hiding under the veneer of indispensable defenders against foreign aggression and regional chaos.

U.S. signals it can keep up naval blockade indefinitely, increase economic pressure on Iran– www.cbc.ca

pgnewser August 17, 2026 0

U.S. signals it can keep up naval blockade indefinitely, increase economic pressure on Iran– www.cbc.ca
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EXCERPT:

The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.

The United States on Thursday said it could maintain a naval blockade of Iran indefinitely and would ratchet up economic pressure on Tehran as ceasefire talks have floundered, global ‌oil supply is dropping and regional tensions are rising.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth told reporters that the U.S. military could keep a naval presence in the region to enforce its blockade of Iran, which has inflicted severe economic damage on the country.

“Indefinitely, the United States Navy can maintain a blockade like that because we’ll rotate ships in and out, as we have, and we’ll continue to,” Hegseth ​told reporters on a trip to Panama.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott ​Bessent said on Thursday that the United States planned to inflict more financial damage on Iran.

Trump threatens to bomb Oman if it gets in way of Iran deal: Report– www.channelnewsasia.com

pgnewser August 17, 2026 0

Trump threatens to bomb Oman if it gets in way of Iran deal: Report– www.channelnewsasia.com
News Source
EXCERPT:

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump on Monday (Aug 17) threatened to bomb Oman if it “gets in the way” of a US deal with Iran 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.

Iranian and Omani officials 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.

However, Trump has repeatedly insisted that the strait – which Tehran effectively closed at the start of the Middle East war on Feb 28 – is under US control despite traffic remaining throttled.

On Friday, Trump claimed that he would even declare the Strait of Hormuz part of US territory, while Iran retorted that the crucial energy waterway it has blockaded “will remain Iranian”.

Prior to the launch of the US-Israeli war against Iran, the Hormuz Strait was considered an open, international waterway. It carries significant portions of global energy shipments, as well as other commodities.

 

Trump cuts military drills with South Korea citing ‘very good relationship’ with Kim Jong-un – US politics live | Donald Trump– www.theguardian.com

pgnewser August 17, 2026 0

Trump cuts military drills with South Korea citing ‘very good relationship’ with Kim Jong-un – US politics live | Donald Trump– www.theguardian.com
News Source
EXCERPT:

US president Donald Trump said he ordered the Pentagon to scale back “inappropriate and hostile” military drills with South Korea, hours before the exercises began on Monday.

The drills under Ulchi Freedom Shield, one of two major annual exercises held by South Korea and the US, start on Monday and run until 27 August.

They were expected to involve about 18,000 South Korean troops, alongside US forces and personnel from 11 of the 18 member states of the United Nations Command (UNC), the multinational body that oversees the 1953 armistice that halted hostilities of the Korean war.

However, on Sunday evening, the US president said he was “not happy” with US participation “based on my very good relationship with Kim Jong-un”. He added that they were costly and “send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile, to a country that, as long as Donald J Trump has been president, has been unthreatening and respectful”.

Iran-US war latest: Tehran’s army chief tells Trump ‘we’ll break your legs’ and places $30k bounty on US soldiers– www.independent.co.uk

pgnewser August 17, 2026 0

Iran-US war latest: Tehran’s army chief tells Trump ‘we’ll break your legs’ and places $30k bounty on US soldiers– www.independent.co.uk
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EXCERPT:

An Iranian military official said on Sunday that Qatar should let an Iranian team in to investigate the fate of Iranian pilots who Tehran says are being held there, Iranian media said on Sunday. Qatar denies holding ⁠any pilots.

Mohammad Baqerzadeh, commander of the Committee for the Search for Missing Persons of Iran’s Armed Forces General Staff, said the air force and fact-finding team had been waiting for months to enter Qatar, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency.

Baqerzadeh accused Qatari officials of repeatedly delaying the investigation and ‌preventing the pilots’ ​return to Iran. ‌He called for ⁠the International Committee of ⁠the Red Cross to urgently follow ‌up ​on the ‌case.

Houthi attack kills six in first death in Red Sea since Iran war began– www.cnbc.com

pgnewser August 12, 2026 0

Houthi attack kills six in first death in Red Sea since Iran war began– www.cnbc.com
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EXCERPT:

The US Coast Guard seized advanced weapons and lethal aid from Iran, destined for Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen in the Red Sea on Jan. 28, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said Thursday, on February 15, 2024 in Tampa, Florida, United States. The boarding team discovered over 200 packages that contained medium-range ballistic missile components, explosives, unmanned underwater/surface vehicle (UUV/USV) components, military-grade communication and network equipment, anti-tank guided missile launcher assemblies, and other military components. (Photo by CENTCOM / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Iran-backed Houthi rebels killed six people aboard a cargo ship in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Tuesday, the first reported fatalities from attacks targeting Red Sea shipping in more than a year.

Within hours, U.S. forces said they had fired missiles at a container ship that allegedly attempted to breach Washington’s blockade of Iranian ports in the Gulf of Oman.

The twin incidents illustrate how the war, stretched into its sixth month, is inflicting a widening toll on two of the world’s most critical shipping lanes, even as diplomats signal progress towards reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump Responds to WaPo Leak on His Secret Flight From Turkey and Plane Switch Amid Iranian Threat (VIDEO) * The Gateway Pundit * by Cristina Laila– www.thegatewaypundit.com

pgnewser August 12, 2026 0

Trump Responds to WaPo Leak on His Secret Flight From Turkey and Plane Switch Amid Iranian Threat (VIDEO) * The Gateway Pundit * by Cristina Laila– www.thegatewaypundit.com
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EXCERPT:

President Trump on Tuesday evening confirmed he secretly switched planes last month as he departed Ankara, Turkey.

Trump stopped to talk to reporters after he returned to DC from attending the Patriot Games final in Ohio.

A reporter asked President Trump about a leak to the Washington Post that revealed he secretly switched planes as he departed Turkey for the UK and used Air Force One as a ‘decoy.’

“It’s only up to the Secret Service. I just follow what they’d like to do. So, I go by the Secret Service and the military. They wanted me to go on a different flight, a different plane,” Trump told reporters.

“I guess there was a threat out there. I didn’t really ask too much about it,” Trump said.

“I think actually the plane that I flew on was at greater risk. I think it was at greater risk because that would be the plane I think that they would be more likely to go for,” Trump said.