Iran will not allow military vessels to transit through the Strait of Hormuz under an agreement the Islamic Republic is currently negotiating with Oman, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister told state TV late on Tuesday night.
The top diplomats of the two countries met to discuss managing commercial shipping traffic in the vital waterway, which remains largely shut down nearly six months after the Iran war began.
Meanwhile, Israel’s strikes continued in Gaza, testing the already fragile ceasefire with Hamas.
Here’s a look at the latest developments in the Iran war and the wider Middle East. Full coverage can be found here.
No military vessels will transit through Hormuz, Iran says
Iran and Oman have reached an understanding on a new framework for managing ship traffic in the Strait of Hormuz that would exclude military vessels from traversing the vital waterway.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi told state TV late on Tuesday night that commercial shipping traffic into the Persian Gulf from the Gulf of Oman would pass entirely through Iranian waters, while the outbound route would pass partly through Iranian waters and partly through Oman’s territorial waters.
He said the proposed route would be temporary, and that Iran and Oman must discuss a permanent maritime traffic scheme within 30 to 60 days. U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to bomb Oman if it “gets in the way" as his administration opposes parts of the evolving deal.
Israel launches deadly strike in Gaza, health officials say
An Israeli strike on a tent for displaced people Wednesday in southern Gaza killed one person and wounded at least four others, according to officials at the territory’s Health Ministry. The Israeli military said it struck a “military operative,” without elaborating.
Palestinians in the strip have reported a surge in deadly Israeli strikes despite a fragile ceasefire in the nearly three-year Israel-Hamas war. Israel has said it targets Hamas and other militants who pose a threat, as well as those who participated in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that triggered the war.
Netanyahu boasts continued Israeli expansion into West Bank
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says his government has legalized more than 104 settlements and established 160 farming outposts in the West Bank since he took office in 2022.
“I know that we are not only ensuring our existence in the present, we are ensuring the existence of the people of Israel in the future,” he said at an event in Jerusalem Tuesday night.
Israeli settlements in the West Bank are largely considered illegal and an obstacle to peace. Netanyahu has made their expansion a priority in the run-up to Israel’s upcoming election.
Some 3 million Palestinians live alongside more than 500,000 Israeli settlers in the occupied territory, which has seen a spike in violence in recent years as Israel expands its presence.
Dubai airport traffic dropped sharply during Iran war
Dubai International Airport, one of the world's busiest travel hubs, said Wednesday it saw a sharp drop in passengers during the second quarter as the war with Iran disrupted air travel and prompted many travelers to choose routes that avoided the Middle East.
The airport recorded 13 million passengers in the second quarter, down 31.3% in passenger traffic in the first half of 2026 compared to the same period last year, with 31.5 million passengers.
US aircraft carrier stopping in Thailand after long Mi
deast deployment
The U.S. aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln will make a stop in Thailand after its grueling deployment in the Middle East, Thai officials said Tuesday, without specifying a date or port for security reasons.
The Lincoln’s lengthy deployment during the Iran war has included a record-setting uninterrupted time at sea of more than 250 days, raising concerns about deteriorating mental health among the crew.
Germany draws down its mission in Iraq's Kurdish region
Germany has ended the military mission of its advisers in Iraq’s semiautonomous northern Kurdish region after years of supporting the U.S.-led coalition’s efforts against Islamic State militants, the Kurdish region’s Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs said Wednesday.
The ministry said it held an official ceremony to mark the mission's end at Camp Stephan at Irbil International Airport, where it maintained a small contingent as it reduced its military footprint.
The end of the German mission comes as U.S. forces have also begun withdrawing from northern Iraq ahead of a Sept. 30 deadline to end their military presence in the country.
Houthis criticized for trying civil servants in terrorism court
Human Rights Watch condemned a decision by Yemen’s Houthis to refer at least six people to a criminal court known for trying terror and espionage charges.
The New York-based advocacy group said at least five of those facing charges in the notorious Specialized Criminal Court are either United Nations employees or civil society workers. The group also said one of the defendants, Ali Mudhwahi, a national public health expert with UNICEF, was tortured and forced to confess that vaccines were spying tools.
Since the Houthis took over in 2015, dozens of journalists, political activists and members of religious minorities have stood trial in the Sanaa-based court on charges that are usually punishable by death.
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