West Asia conflict

August 14, 2026 12:32 AM

US can keep naval blockade on Iranian ports ‘indefinitely,’ Pentagon chief says

The U.S. military has enough assets to maintain a naval blockade of Iran indefinitely, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Thursday, adding ships could be rotated in and out of the region as needed. Hegseth's comments suggest he is advising U.S. President Donald Trump that the U.S. military can keep applying economic pressure on Iran for as long as needed to help so-far failed negotiations to end the conflict, begun in February. "Indefinitely the United States Navy can maintain a blockade l...

August 14, 2026 12:26 AM

After US criticism, Israel ties Lebanon withdrawal to Hezbollah disarmament

Israel won't withdraw from southern Lebanon until Hezbollah is disarmed, the defence minister said on Thursday, qualifying remarks he made a day earlier that had suggested Israeli forces would occupy the territory indefinitely and drew U.S. criticism. Israel seized a swath of south Lebanon during a war with Hezbollah earlier this year and has said it will keep forces there to shield northern Israel from attack by the Iran-backed group, which ignited the latest hostilities when it opened fire at...

August 8, 2026 1:21 AM

Trump loses 21 straight court battles for state voter rolls as midterms near

The Trump administration's streak of courtroom defeats in its effort to obtain state voter rolls reached 21 this year when a judge ruled this week that states are not required to share the records with the federal government. With President Donald Trump's Republicans defending slim majorities in both chambers of Congress, his administration has mounted an aggressive effort to expand federal oversight of elections ahead of the November 3 midterms. Trump argues that widespread noncitizen voting ...

August 6, 2026 9:51 PM

PM Modi, Netanyahu review India-Israel strategic partnership, discuss West Asia situation

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday received a telephone call from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. According to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), the two leaders reviewed sustained progress in India-Israel Special Strategic Partnership and reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening the bilateral cooperation across various sectors for the mutual benefit of the two countries. The PMO said both leaders agreed to remain in touch as the regional situation continues to evo...

August 5, 2026 11:19 PM

Trump says US held ‘all-day negotiation’ with Iran on Tuesday

U.S. President Donald Trump said there was an "all-day negotiation" on Tuesday with Iran, characterizing the talks positively while also threatening to hit Iran "really hard" if a deal with Tehran was not reached. DETAILS AND QUOTES: "They had an all-day negotiation," Trump told Fox News' "@ Night with Trace Gallagher" show. "We are having very good discussions," he added. Qatar said on Tuesday mediators were making progress in efforts to end the Iran war, although Tehran has denied Trump's ...

August 5, 2026 12:43 AM

Qatar says progress made toward US-Iran talks on ending war

Qatar said on Tuesday mediators were making progress in efforts to end the U.S.-Iran war, driving oil prices lower, although Tehran has denied President Donald Trump's assertion that talks are already under way. Benchmark Brent crude fell more than 4% after the comments from Qatar, extending Monday's steep losses on hopes that an arrangement could soon be reached to restore traffic through the blockaded Strait of Hormuz. But for now, the strait remained virtually shut, with another ship coming ...

August 4, 2026 12:19 AM

Trump says Iran faces ‘decapitation’ if it doesn’t strike deal

U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday said Iran faced "decapitation" if it did not agree a pact to end the conflict between the two nations, saying Tehran had one last chance to strike a deal. "I think we're going to maybe get something, but I want to give them every last chance before decapitation," he said, reiterating a threat to launch a major attack on Iran. Earlier on Monday, after Iran said there were no talks under way, Trump slammed what he called Iran's "unbelievably duplicitous" lea...

August 4, 2026 12:16 AM

Analysis: How Iran is widening its pressure campaign to force US concessions

Iran is betting it can outlast Washington by turning the Middle East's trade routes, shipping lanes and energy infrastructure into pressure points that steadily raise the cost of confrontation, according to Gulf officials and analysts. Rather than seeking a decisive military victory, Tehran is pursuing a strategy of calibrated escalation aimed at widening the conflict without triggering full-scale war. The goal, they say, is to convince the United States and its allies that containing the cris...

August 2, 2026 5:11 PM

Trump says he will hold off on fresh Iran attack in hope of quick deal

President Donald Trump has said the U.S. will hold off on a fresh attack on Iran as long as a deal can be reached quickly to halt Iran's nuclear ambitions and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Trump said late on Saturday on his Truth Social platform that Iran and other Middle Eastern countries had asked for time to complete a deal that would lead to "the Immediate, Complete and Total" reopening of the vital strait and "an end to Iran's nuclear threat". He did not name the countries in the post, whi...

August 1, 2026 1:17 AM

EAM Jaishankar urges Iran to prevent attacks on commercial shipping, reaffirms India’s support for dialogue

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Friday expressed India's deep concern over the escalating hostilities in West Asia and strongly urged Iran to ensure that commercial shipping and seafarers are not targeted under any circumstances. During a telephonic conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, EAM Jaishankar reiterated India's longstanding position in favour of dialogue and diplomacy to address the ongoing regional crisis. In a post on X, the External Affairs Min...