By Matthew Hoare

 

WASHINGTON/TEHRAN, 17 August. - (ANA) -  Iran and the US are continuing to sabre-rattle over the Strait of Hormuz. Trump on Saturday claimed he could declare the strategic waterway a "territory of the United States" while a senior Iranian diplomat told the US to "accept the reality of defeat".

 

•    The threats come ahead of Monday's deadline under the June Islamabad agreement, which gave the US and Iran two months to reach an understanding on reopening the key waterway.

 

•    Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said talks with Oman over the strait are continuing but that re-opening the waterway is a "completely separate matter" that will depend on the US meeting Tehran's conditions.

 

•    Qatar has denied claims by Iran that it is holding three pilots captured during a combat mission earlier in the war.

 

•    Israel has threatened to further escalate attacks on Lebanon, a day after killing at least 11 people in one of the heaviest rounds of strikes since the ceasefire came into effect in June. - (ANA) -

 

AB/ANA/17 August 2026 - - -