Iran-US war latest: US fires on ship for violating blockade as Trump again claims ‘total control’ over Hormuz

Trump reiterates America's 'complete control' over Hormuz despite Tehran's 'clear message' that strait will remain shutThe US military fired on a Panamanian-flagged ship in the Gulf of Oman yesterday after accusing it of trying to evade the American blockade on Iranian ports.The military said the vessel had ignored warnings to stop, prompting an American helicopter to fire missiles into the engine room of the M/V Vela Nova, disabling the ship.Details of the incident emerged as the US president told reporters late on Tuesday night that “we totally ⁠control the Strait of Hormuz ... Nobody else, only us”. "At some point, maybe they'll do something and then they get blown away," he added of Iran.Iran was resolute on Tuesday it continued to exert power over the strait, and that the US must end the war before they will allow normal shipping to be restored.Mohsen Rezaee, the new secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said on social media that the “message is clear” that the strait will remain shut until the US agrees to terms and pulls back.Earlier this week, Trump snubbed Iran’s six conditions for reopening the strait, which included “payment in full” for damage inflicted on Iran throughout the war. Pakistan says three sailors killed in Red Sea attackAt least three Pakistani nationals were killed in an attack on a ship in the Red Sea, the foreign ministry said. “Pakistan strongly condemns the Houthi attack on a non-combatant commercial vessel,” the foreign minister said on X.The alleged attack comes as Iran-backed Houthis have been accused of increasing attacks on vessels near the waters of Yemen. Alisha Rahaman Sarkar12 August 2026 07:33Supporters of Iranian government gather in TehranIranian pro-government demonstrators wave flags in a gathering at a square in Tehran, Iran, (AP)Iranian pro-government demonstrators attend a gathering at a square in Tehran (AP)Alisha Rahaman Sarkar12 August 2026 07:15Syria says IAEA will announce 'significant progress' on nuclear fileSyria will host a delegation from the International Atomic Energy Agency in the coming days ​to announce "significant progress" on the issue of nuclear materials, Syria's Atomic ‌Energy Commission said.Since the ouster of president Bashar al-Assad in late 2024, Syria's new authorities have committed to working with the United ​Nations' nuclear watchdog to address the legacy of nuclear activities during ​decades of Assad family rule Alisha Rahaman Sarkar12 August 2026 07:00Israeli military 'mistakenly' launches interceptor in LebanonThe Israeli army said an interceptor was mistakenly launched in Southern Lebanon this morning.The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said the interceptor had been launched at a target that was later confirmed to be IDF fire from operations carried out within the Security Zone. Alisha Rahaman Sarkar12 August 2026 06:40Trump demands reparations from Iran for ‘all the people they have killed’President Donald Trump is demanding that Iran pay compensation to American victims of Iranian-backed attacks as he responds to Tehran's own demand for war reparations.In a Monday post on Truth Social, Trump said he had "instructed my representatives to put this firmly into any, and all, future negotiations" — casting Iran's compensation demand as a novel idea he was happy to borrow.More here.Alisha Rahaman Sarkar12 August 2026 06:20US ambassador claims Iranian regime weakest since 1979The US ambassador to Israel has claimed that the Iranian regime is the "weakest they have been since they took over in 1979” amid Donald Trump's war on Tehran.“The operation between the United States and Israel did an enormous level of damage,” Mike Huckabee told Newsmax, praising the US president's bid to “bankrupt them”. Alisha Rahaman Sarkar12 August 2026 06:10US fires on ship it said was trying to break blockade of IranThe US military said that its forces fired on a Panamanian-flagged ship in the Gulf of Oman that tried to evade the American blockade on Iranian ports. The move came as president Donald Trump tries to keep economic pressure on the Islamic Republic.US Central Command said the vessel had ignored warnings to stop, prompting an American helicopter to fire missiles into the engine room of the M/V Vela Nova, disabling the ship. The statement did not say whether the ship's crew suffered any casualties.Alisha Rahaman Sarkar12 August 2026 06:03Pakistani official returns to Iran hoping to ease tensions with USPakistani interior minister Mohsin Naqvi traveled to Tehran for meetings with Iran's foreign minister and other officials.Naqvi's visit aimed to encourage Iran to resume negotiations with the US under an interim peace deal brokered by Pakistan in June, two officials said.Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi posted photos from his meeting with Naqvi on his private Telegram channel.It is Naqvi's sixth trip to Iran as part of Pakistan's diplomatic efforts to ease tensions between Iran and the US. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian meets with Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi in Tehran (Reuters)Alisha Rahaman Sarkar12 August 2026 06:00Just 29% of expected voters say they approve of Trump’s handling of IranA cable TV polling expert claims that numbers from two surveys conducted two years apart show just how deeply president Donald Trump has disappointed America's voters when it comes to Iran.A July poll of people extremely motivated to vote in November's midterm elections shows that just 29 per cent now approve of how Trump is actually handling Iran.More here.Alisha Rahaman Sarkar12 August 2026 05:40Watch: Trump reiterates America's 'complete control' over HormuzTrump reiterates America's 'complete control' over Hormuz despite Tehran's 'clear message' that strait will remain shutAlisha Rahaman Sarkar12 August 2026 05:30