Iran warns of military ship ban in Hormuz under potential deal with Oman, and other Middle East news

STRAIT OF HORMUZ, PERSIAN GULF, GAZA, DEIR AL-BALAH, WEST BANK, DUBAI, DUBAI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, THAILAND, 27 AUGUST 2026 —

Iran, Oman in Talks to Restrict Military Ship Traffic in Strait of Hormuz

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi told state television late Tuesday that commercial shipping traffic into the Persian Gulf would pass through Iranian waters, while the outbound route would traverse both Iranian and Omani waters. The routes are described as temporary, with both countries expected to finalise a permanent maritime traffic plan within 30 to 60 days.

The proposed arrangement comes as the U.S. administration, led by President Donald Trump, has threatened military action against Oman if it obstructs parts of the evolving deal. Trump reiterated his stance in an interview with Al Jazeera on Wednesday, stating that the U.S. is “winning very big” as the conflict nears the six-month mark, though he did not provide a timeline for resolution.

Meanwhile, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry announced that Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani is scheduled to visit Tehran on Thursday for talks aimed at de-escalating tensions and restoring pre-war navigation conditions in the Strait of Hormuz. The discussions will also focus on “freedom of navigation,” according to Majed Al Ansari, a spokesperson for Iran’s foreign ministry.

Gaza Ceasefire Fragile as Israeli Strikes Continue In Gaza, an Israeli airstrike on a tent housing displaced civilians in Deir al-Balah on Wednesday killed one person and wounded at least four others, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The Israeli military claimed the strike targeted a “military operative,” though no further details were provided.

Despite a fragile ceasefire in the nearly three-year Israel-Hamas conflict, reports indicate a surge in deadly Israeli strikes across the Gaza Strip. Nickolay Mladenov, head of U.S. President Trump’s Board of Peace, told the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday that the disparity between agreed terms and ground realities poses the greatest risk to the peace process.

“Israeli strikes have continued since the roadmap was accepted, and Palestinian civilians are still being killed,” Mladenov said. While he acknowledged that casualties have fallen sharply since the ceasefire, he emphasised that a truce where civilians remain at risk “is not yet one that the people of Gaza can truly feel.”

Israel’s Deputy U.N. Ambassador Noa Furman reiterated Israel’s commitment to Trump’s 20-point peace plan but stressed that Hamas’ disarmament must precede any reconstruction efforts in Gaza. She added that Israel is collaborating closely with the U.S. and the Board of Peace to achieve this objective.

In southern Gaza, residents reported that children have begun dismantling kites and balloons amid Israeli threats to escalate strikes if such objects continue to enter Israeli airspace. Historically, these devices have caused fires in Israeli communities near the Gaza border, though Hamas has downplayed their threat.

“They’ve lost their simple dreams, their education, their childhood—the simple things they used to enjoy,” said Atiya Abu Samhan, a resident of southern Gaza.

West Bank Settlements Expand Amid Rising Violence Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Tuesday that his government has legalised 104 settlements and established 160 farming outposts in the West Bank since regaining office in 2022. The move, framed as a necessity for Israel’s security, has drawn international criticism, as Israeli settlements in the occupied territory are widely considered illegal under international law.

Approximately 3 million Palestinians and over 500,000 Israeli settlers reside in the West Bank, where violence has surged in recent months amid the expansion of Israeli settlements. The announcement comes ahead of Israel’s upcoming election, with Netanyahu prioritising settlement growth as a key policy.

Middle East Air Travel Disrupted as Dubai Airport Sees Sharp Passenger Decline

Dubai International Airport, one of the world’s busiest aviation hubs, reported a 31.3% drop in passenger traffic during the first half of 2026 compared to the same period last year. The airport recorded 13 million passengers in the second quarter alone, bringing the total to 31.5 million for the first six months of the year—a significant decline attributed to disruptions in air travel across the Middle East amid the ongoing Iran war.

Iran Urges U.N. to Condemn U.S. Economic Sanctions

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has called on the United Nations to condemn the latest U.S. measures aimed at isolating Tehran economically. In a letter to the U.N. on Tuesday, Araghchi described the U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s declaration of an “economic onslaught” as an intentional deprivation of essential goods, including food, medicine, and energy, for Iranian civilians.

“Silence in the face of such systematic coercion risks further normalizing violations of the U.N. Charter and principles of international law,” Araghchi wrote in the letter, obtained by the Associated Press.

U.S. Aircraft Carrier to Make Port Call in Thailand

Thai officials confirmed on Tuesday that the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln will make a stop in Thailand following its prolonged deployment in the Middle East. The carrier’s extended mission during the Iran war has raised concerns about crew welfare, particularly regarding mental health amid the gruelling deployment.

Details regarding the date and specific port of call remain undisclosed for security reasons.