Vaughn Cockayne

Iran’s chief negotiator warns of economic failure as U.S. pressure campaign continues

Iran's parliament speaker and chief negotiator in the nuclear talks with the U.S. warned on Friday that his government must find a solution to its economic crisis or face collapse, hinting at the divisions between moderates and hardliners in Iran.

August 21, 2026

Bessent teases ramp-up in economic warfare against Iran as strait traffic stagnates

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Thursday announced that the U.S. would impose some of the "toughest sanctions in history" on Iran next week, doubling down on the Trump administration's economic warfare strategy as diplomacy stalls.

August 20, 2026

Movement restrictions in the West Bank create slow-motion health crisis, aid workers say

Hundreds of Israeli military checkpoints scattered across the West Bank have created a slow-motion health crisis, healthcare workers say, one worsened by a recent surge in regional violence.

August 20, 2026

Trump stands by economic warfare campaign against Iran while leaving door open to diplomacy

President Trump on Wednesday maintained that his administration's economic pressure campaign against Iran is working and will stand in for diplomatic efforts, at least for now.

August 19, 2026

NATO prepared to defend allies from any Iranian threat, official says

NATO said Wednesday it is prepared to defend all of its members against attacks by Iran after reports suggested Tehran was considering striking U.S. military targets in Europe.

August 19, 2026

Trump: U.S. not seeking talks with Iran as regional violence reemerges

President Trump said Tuesday his administration is not speaking to Iran and asserted U.S. control over the Strait of Hormuz while Tehran signaled a new phase of defiance and aggression in the region, raising tensions across the Gulf region.

August 18, 2026

United Arab Emirates reports two Iranian missiles fired at territory

The United Arab Emirates' military on Tuesday detected two ballistic missiles fired at the country from Iranian territory.

August 18, 2026

Iranian official: Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until U.S. meets terms of defunct memorandum

Iranian parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf reiterated Tuesday that the Islamic regime's forces will keep the Strait of Hormuz closed until the U.S. fulfills its obligations under the defunct Islamabad memorandum of understanding.

August 18, 2026

Iran denies rumors of back-channel peace talks with U.S. as 60-day ceasefire period lapses

Iran on Monday officially denied allegations that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was engaged in back-channel talks with the U.S. via Kurdish intermediaries in Iraq, maintaining Tehran's harsh stance against negotiations without concessions as the war continues.

August 17, 2026

Iraqi Kurdistan president condemns Iranian strikes on prime minister’s office

The president of Iraqi Kurdistan on Monday condemned Iranian attacks on the office of the region's prime minister and the residence of the region's security agency chief as a reckless expansion of Tehran's war with the U.S.

August 17, 2026

Iran asserts full claim to Strait of Hormuz, calls U.S. war ‘miscalculated’

Iranian officials taunted the U.S. and claimed full control and management of the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, contradicting President Trump's contention the U.S. is directing oil traffic through the waterway at the heart of the Middle East dispute.

August 13, 2026

U.S. officials tout success of economic pressure on Iran even as Strait of Hormuz remains closed

Trump administration officials on Wednesday said economic pressure on Iran is working and will eventually force the regime to agree to a peace deal, even as commercial traffic in the Strait of Hormuz remains low.

August 12, 2026

Pakistan says it is committed to diplomacy after high-level meetings with Iranian officials

Pakistan reiterated Wednesday its desire to resolve the unfolding crisis in the Middle East through diplomacy after several high-stakes meetings with Iranian officials this week.

August 12, 2026

Trump grapples with cycle of violence, diplomacy and economic pressure as Iran war nears sixth month

President Trump predicted in March that his military "excursion" into Iran would last several weeks. Instead, he's been trapped in a doom loop of violence and negotiations for nearly half the year, hamstrung by an aversion to deploying U.S. ground troops and the tenacity of a regime that's been on a war footing for decades.

August 11, 2026

Hard-liners in Iran remain defiant despite peace rumblings

High-profile hard-liners close to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei on Tuesday remained defiant under U.S. and Israeli pressure despite rumblings of an incoming peace deal from mediators.

August 11, 2026

Houthis strike cargo ship in Bab el-Mandeb Strait, killing three crewmembers

A cargo ship was hit by an unidentified projectile Tuesday while traveling near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in the southern Red Sea, resulting in several casualties.

August 11, 2026

Hard-liners strengthen grip on power in Tehran, want concessions from Trump before reopening strait

Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei on Monday handed more power to political hard-liners as he staffed key positions in Iran's security and intelligence establishment, potentially dimming peace prospects as Tehran reaffirmed demands for U.S. concessions to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

August 10, 2026

Iran takes partial credit for expansion of defense pact among Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan

Iran said Monday the recently announced defense pact among Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan reflects a changing security outlook as regional countries seek to rely less on U.S. military power after the war.

August 10, 2026

Iran declares no direct talks with U.S. unless demands met, as regional issues threaten peace

Iran reiterated Sunday that it is not holding direct negotiations with the U.S. and that it would not restart diplomatic talks until Washington agrees to certain conditions and stops violating the terms of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding.

August 9, 2026

Netanyahu publicly rejects Trump-backed plan to disarm Hamas

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday rejected a Trump administration-backed plan aimed at disarming Hamas, the Palestinian militant group governing Gaza, casting further doubt on the deal's success.

August 9, 2026