Live: Trump insists Iran pay war damages as condition for peace talks

Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Raza Naqvi departed for Tehran on Tuesday, August 11, to hold discussions with Iranian leadership as diplomatic mediation continues to diffuse the confrontation between Washington and Tehran, according to Iranian press reports. Iranian state news agency IRNA quoted a diplomatic source confirming that Naqvi left for Tehran early Tuesday morning to address bilateral concerns and regional stability. Neither Pakistani nor Iranian government agencies have issued an official confirmation regarding the trip. This delegation follows a prior visit a month ago when Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni journeyed to Islamabad for high-level talks with Pakistani officials.

Authorities in Yemen confirmed that four individuals lost their lives after Iranian-aligned Houthi forces launched an attack targeting a ship navigating through the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

Discussions between Oman and Tehran regarding maritime navigation through the Strait of Hormuz have reached a late stage, a spokesperson for Qatar's foreign ministry stated during a Tuesday media briefing.

Fresh Israeli bombardments in southern Lebanon on Tuesday injured two individuals and severely damaged an ambulance, Lebanon's health ministry reported, forcefully denouncing repeated attacks against emergency first responders. The strike represents a fresh violation of the declared ceasefire governing the conflict involving Israel and Tehran-backed Hezbollah. Lebanon's official National News Agency reported that an initial strike targeted a vehicle in Nabatieh. According to health officials, a secondary Israeli strike occurred as emergency teams from the Risala Scouts Association—affiliated with the Hezbollah-aligned Amal movement—arrived at the location, damaging their emergency vehicle.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi informed journalists that Tehran has amazed the international community during its military conflict with Washington and Israel, demonstrating its resilience as an unyielding power. Tehran continues to insist that American authorities must lift the naval blockade imposed on Iranian ports and meet all prerequisite demands before Iran permits unrestricted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. Writing on Telegram, Araghchi highlighted a Monday conversation with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, stressing that maritime safety in the Strait of Hormuz depends directly on the US halting aggressive measures, revoking the illegal port blockade, and adhering to its international commitments.

US President Donald Trump frequently claims that military action against Tehran was launched after five decades of economic sanctions failed to halt Iran's nuclear expansion—yet his White House is now returning to severe financial pressure to conclude the war. American policymakers are banking on the idea that prolonged military strikes have shattered the Iranian economy, potentially compelling Iranian leadership to abandon nuclear ambitions and completely unblock the Strait of Hormuz for commercial energy tankers.

Iran-backed Houthi insurgents targeted the Red Sea port city of Mokha along with multiple regions across Yemen, raising serious alarms regarding maritime safety along crucial shipping lanes and the escalation of internal conflict. According to Yemeni military commanders, rebel forces launched drone and missile strikes directed at both Mokha and Marib province, though further specifics were withheld. In recent days, Houthi fighters hit military and civilian sites in Marib and Hadramout, causing dozens of casualties. Over the weekend, prior attacks on Mokha resulted in at least seven fatalities, including three soldiers. Mokha serves as a critical maritime hub for Yemen's internationally recognized government, having been updated to divert trade away from the rebel-controlled port of Hodeida.

Yemeni coast guard personnel and government military officials confirmed that three crew members died Tuesday when Houthi forces hit a deck cargo vessel in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Separately, maritime security agencies reported that a cargo vessel was struck in Red Sea waters, though initial reports could not immediately verify the condition of all personnel on board.

US President Donald Trump was quietly flown out of Turkiye on a backup military airplane following last month's NATO summit in Ankara, while the White House maintained the appearance that he traveled aboard Air Force One, according to a report by The Washington Post on Monday, August 10, 2026. The publication disclosed that secret security protocols were triggered due to an Iranian assassination plot aimed at the American leader. The covert operation was hastily arranged after intelligence identified a direct threat to Trump's life from Iranian sources following the summit in Turkiye.

Brent crude remained unchanged at $87.72 per barrel, while the American benchmark crude also stood flat at $82.13 per barrel. Brent registered a 5% spike yesterday. During the previous month, prices fluctuated between $72 and $102 as expectations wavered over whether Washington and Tehran could strike a deal enabling oil tankers to safely exit West Asia and transport crude across the globe.

U.S. President Donald Trump departed Turkey last month aboard a secret military aircraft despite official White House statements indicating he was traveling on Air Force One, an extraordinary measure taken due to an Iranian assassination plot, the Washington Post reported yesterday. Trump had arrived in Ankara for the NATO summit using the newly refurbished aircraft donated by Qatar, but he unexpectedly boarded an older Air Force One to exit the nation, triggering concerns regarding the safety of the newer plane. This trip to the NATO gathering marked the initial international journey for the upgraded plane, whose accelerated modifications raised doubts over its costs and security, occurring as hostilities flared with neighboring Iran.

Maritime movement across the Strait of Hormuz plummeted to six ships yesterday, down from a 10-day daily mean of roughly 11 vessels, according to shipping metrics, as hopes for a diplomatic breakthrough between the U.S. and Iran waned. Kpler data as of 0420 GMT today revealed that four commercial ships, including a pair of empty oil product carriers, entered the strategic pass. Meanwhile, two vessels—a small tanker carrying liquefied petroleum gas and another conveying residual oil—departed the narrow passage. Prior to the conflict, approximately 130 to 140 vessels regularly navigated the channel each day.

Oil prices recorded further gains today as prospects for reopening the Strait of Hormuz grow slim, fueling renewed fears of inflation and increasing expectations of at least one U.S. interest rate hike later this year. Crude has jumped roughly 10% over the past week, with the United States and Iran showing no sign of nearing an agreement regarding the key shipping lane, despite earlier optimistic statements from the White House this month.

Following the NATO summit in Ankara last month, US President Donald Trump departed Turkey in secrecy aboard an alternate military plane while official channels created the illusion that he was traveling on Air Force One, a report in The Washington Post revealed yesterday. The newspaper stated that this covert maneuver was executed in response to intelligence concerning an Iranian threat against the Republican leader. During the operation, press personnel and certain White House aides were under the impression that they shared the flight with Mr. Trump on his return trip to Washington from the yearly NATO leaders' assembly.

Amid ongoing military conflict with Iran that has disrupted fuel supplies and raised prices, US President Donald Trump yesterday renewed an exemption permitting foreign vessels to transport petroleum and other goods between American ports. This 90-day extension temporarily suspends provisions of the Jones Act—a law mandating that domestic port-to-port maritime trade be handled strictly by US vessels—just days before the previous waiver was scheduled to lapse in mid-August. A White House representative confirmed yesterday that the newly issued waiver is more restricted in scope, placing greater emphasis specifically on energy product shipments.

US President Donald Trump stated yesterday that American forces hold full command over the Strait of Hormuz after clearing the vital maritime oil passage of naval mines planted by Iran. Speaking to journalists inside the Oval Office, Mr. Trump asserted that the United States Navy is currently the sole entity exercising authority over the Strait of Hormuz, adding that troops have cleared mines throughout the entire channel.

Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei designated Revolutionary Guards General Ali Abdollahi as head of the nation's military yesterday, while also ratifying a new commander for the Guards to assert his leadership over defence forces. Prior to this assignment, Mr. Abdollahi served as director of Khatam al-Anbiya, the central military headquarters responsible for overseeing joint operational activities across Iran's armed branches. An official release on Mr. Khamenei's website declared that Major General Ali Abdollahi is named Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, while Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi assumes the position of Commander-in-Chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps with the rank of major general.

Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has authorized six fresh leadership assignments across the armed forces and Revolutionary Guards, according to posts published on his official social channels. The changes feature Major General Pilot Ali Abdollahi taking over as military chief of staff, alongside Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi assuming command of the IRGC.

Iran's President noted yesterday that the Supreme Leader has emphasized the necessity for internal unity and solidarity while the country navigates economic distress and sanctions caused by conflict with the United States. This dialogue took place against a backdrop of emerging frictions within Tehran's political leadership. During a broadcast on Iranian state television yesterday, President Masoud Pezeshkian recounted details from an almost seven-hour session with Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei. Speaking to state broadcaster IRIB, Pezeshkian mentioned that discussions centered on public living conditions, economic stability, job creation, housing concerns, and the severe obstacles currently generated by US economic sanctions.

American President Donald Trump stated yesterday that he plans to press Iran for war damages during any potential peace talks, citing decades of attacks and fatalities allegedly sponsored or carried out by Tehran. Discussions focused on terminating the conflict and reopening the Strait of Hormuz remain deadlocked, with this latest condition threatening to push a swift agreement further out of reach. The declaration from Mr. Trump served as an immediate reaction to Tehran's requirement that Washington settle war reparations prior to any resolution of the current hostilities. "I am likewise demanding compensation from Iran," he remarked, emphasizing that his claim covers not only losses from the ongoing battle, but also strikes against American targets over the past 20-plus years and financial restitution for relatives of Iranian protesters slain by state authorities across the last five decades.