Iran-US war latest: Tehran drafting list of conditions to open Hormuz as Trump sends new warship to Middle East

Trump says Hormuz is a 'very functioning Strait despite the odd rocket or drone' in bizarre rantIranian official Mohsen Rezaei said his country was preparing a list of conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz after mediators asked Tehran to set them ​out.The Supreme National Security Council secretary also warned that Tehran would retaliate against US economic interests if president Donald Trump continued with the blockade of Iranian ports.His statement comes as the US is preparing to send another aircraft carrier to the Middle East after Trump vowed to continue the war with Iran “for as long as necessary” and without a timetable to resume peace talks.Senior US Navy officials told CNN that the USS Theodore Roosevelt Carrier would be deployed for at least seven months. It is expected to relieve the George Washington, USNI reported.News of the deployment emerged as Trump told Al Jazeera that the US is "achieving a very big victory" over Iran on the eve of the six-month anniversary of the conflict. The US president was insistent that he was “not in a hurry” to get back to peace talks with Tehran and has “no time line” to work to. Six months on, the Iran war has changed the Middle EastIt's been six months since the US and Israel attacked Iran with the perennial goal of transforming the Middle East through military force. The region has changed, but not in the way they had hoped.The Islamic Republic survived the assassination of its top leaders and weeks of heavy bombing, and found a potent form of leverage in the Strait of Hormuz. Gulf Arab nations saw worrying gaps open up in the American security umbrella they have relied on for decades — and some are looking at alternatives.More here.Alisha Rahaman Sarkar28 August 2026 07:20Iranian official threatens US economic interestsIran’s Supreme National Security Council secretary Mohsen Rezaei has warned that Tehran would retaliate against US economic interests if the US continued with the blockade of Iranian ports.“If the blockade continues, we will target US economic interests 100 percent, with intensity and force,” Rezaei told Lebanon’s Al-Manar television.He claimed that Iran had “broken the maritime blockade” during the ceasefire and exported almost 80 million barrels of oil.Rezaei added that Iran was preparing a list of conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz after mediators asked Tehran to set them ​out. Alisha Rahaman Sarkar28 August 2026 06:40White House says Trump keeps ‘all options’ open for IranWhite House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has claimed that Donald Trump “continues to retain all options on the table” for the Iran war.“We’ve had Operation Epic Fury to destroy their military. Now we have Operation Economic Outcast to destroy their economy,” she told Fox News.“No negotiations are happening right now, and this will continue until the president feels that maybe they come to the table in a meaningful way,” she added. Alisha Rahaman Sarkar28 August 2026 06:00US military says it helped 1,500 vessels cross HormuzThe US military commanders have claimed that American forces have cleared sea mines from the Strait of Hormuz that had been laid ​months ago by ⁠Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps."Bottom line: today, international shipping lanes are open and momentum is building," said Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of the US military's Central Command.He claimed that US forces have in recent months helped 1,500 commercial vessels carrying nearly 750 million barrels of crude oil to transit the strait. Alisha Rahaman Sarkar28 August 2026 05:20Oil on track for weekly lossOil prices fell this morning and are on track to snap a two-week winning streak, despite settling ​higher in the previous session following a report that president Donald Trump is not interested in returning to previous deal terms with Iran.Brent crude futures were down 25 cents, or 0.3 per cent, to $89.45 a ​barrel. West Texas Intermediate crude futures ​fell 22 cents, also 0.3 per cent, to $83.31.Both benchmarks were ⁠poised to end the week lower, with Brent down 5.3 per cent ​and WTI falling 4.3 per cent. Alisha Rahaman Sarkar28 August 2026 04:40US Patriot missile stocks are ‘beyond critical’ in EuropeThe U.S. military is reportedly experiencing a “beyond critical” shortage of advanced missile interceptors in Europe, largely driven by president Donald Trump’s war with Iran.Citing a US defence official in Europe and a Nato official, The Associated Press reported that the most concerning shortfall involves Patriot missile interceptors, raising concerns about vulnerabilities in Nato countries to a potential Russian attack.The Naato official confirmed the low inventories of Patriots missile interceptors, which can shoot down Russia’s high-speed ballistic missiles, among American and Nato forces in Europe. Both spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military matters.More here.Alisha Rahaman Sarkar28 August 2026 04:00Iran denies reports it is targeting Trump's sonIran's security chief Mohsen Rezaei said a report about a potential plot to assassinate US president Donald Trump's youngest son is a lie.In an `interview broadcast by Lebanon's Al Manar TV on Thursday. The U.S. ‌Secret Service said on ⁠Tuesday that it was aware of a video broadcast by Iranian state television discussing ‌a potential plot ​to assassinate ‌U.S. ⁠President Donald ⁠Trump's youngest son Barron ‌TrumpJoe Middleton28 August 2026 03:00Analysis: What has the US gained and lost after six months?Dr Andreas Krieg, senior lecturer at the School of Security Studies at King’s College London, told The Independent: “On the US side, Washington has inflicted substantial damage on Iranian military infrastructure, missile capabilities, command networks and the wider architecture supporting Iran’s regional power. It has also demonstrated that it can penetrate Iranian airspace and impose costs almost at will.“But for more than $38 billion and roughly 750 casualties, the political return is much less impressive. Iran has not surrendered its core positions, the Strait has not returned to predictable commercial normality, and Washington is increasingly reliant on sanctions, naval enforcement and economic pressure because further large-scale strikes offer diminishing political returns.He added: “The greatest American loss is strategic freedom of manoeuvre. The conflict is consuming naval assets, air defence, ISR, logistics, interceptors and political attention at precisely the moment Washington wants to concentrate resources on Asia. The US has won most of the battles, but it it cannot win the war.”Joe Middleton28 August 2026 02:00Iran facing ‘full-scale economic war,' but will win, says TehranIran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has said the country is in “a full-scale economic war.”Speaking to the state’s IRNA news agency, Ghalibaf assured the public that in spite of the country’s financial spiral, Iran “will defeat the enemy in this field as well.”Iran is facing extreme pressures on its domestic economy after the US announced a barrage of unilateral sanctions against the state on Monday.Joe Middleton28 August 2026 01:00The latest: Trump sends new warship to Middle EastThe United States is preparing to send another aircraft carrier to the Middle East after Donald Trump vowed to continue the war with Iran “for as long as necessary” and without a timetable to resume peace talks.Senior US Navy officials told CNN that the USS Theodore Roosevelt Carrier would be deployed for at least seven months. It is expected to relieve the George Washington, USNI reported.James Reynolds28 August 2026 00:00