This live blog follows the latest developments across the Middle East crisis, including regional diplomacy, maritime security, ceasefire negotiations, and economic fallout.
Catch up on Monday's top developments here:
- Trump insists Netanyahu relationship 'very good' despite Gaza rift
- Oil prices finish up 5% as Hormuz dispute drags on
- Trump says will demand conflict compensation from Iran
Iran supreme leader names Guards general Abdollahi military chief
Iran ties the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to an end to the US blockade
US helicopter fired on ship that tried to break Iran ports blockade
Published: Aug 11, 2026 | 20:38 GMT | by AFP
A US helicopter on Tuesday fired missiles into the engine room of a Panama-flagged cargo ship that attempted to break the American blockade of Iran's ports, the United States military said.
The US Navy MH-60 helicopter fired on and disabled the M/V Vela Nova "after the ship's civilian crew ignored repeated warnings from American forces," US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on X, adding that the vessel "is no longer transiting to Iran in violation of the US blockade."
It was the third time the United States, in a months-long war against Iran, has forcibly halted a vessel since reinstating the ports blockade on July 14.
CENTCOM said it has redirected 55 ships that tried to run the blockade and boarded two others as of Tuesday.
US forces previously blockaded Iranian ports from April 13 to June 18, during which time they disabled nine ships and redirected more than 140, according to CENTCOM.
Iran has demanded that the United States end the ports blockade as part of its conditions to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a key conduit for oil and gas shipments before the war that has seen traffic plummet due to Tehran's attacks on ships in the area.
World warns Israel over West Bank escalation
Published: Aug 11, 2026 | 18:04 GMT | by Web Desk
The United Nations Security Council convened an emergency meeting on the rapidly deteriorating situation in the occupied West Bank, with countries including Pakistan, the United Kingdom and other members warning that settlement expansion, settler violence and measures affecting Palestinian land are undermining prospects for a two-state solution.
The United Kingdom said the violence and attacks in the West Bank were “not isolated incidents but coordinated attacks on civilians, livelihoods, and religious sites, facilitated by a culture of impunity.” London called on Israel to uphold its obligations under international law, take urgent steps to halt the violence and hold those responsible accountable.
China, Russia and Bahrain also voiced concerns over Israel’s actions in the occupied West Bank, warning that settlement expansion, settler violence and measures altering the status of Palestinian territory were undermining the two-state solution.
China stressed the need to uphold international law and protect Palestinian rights, while Russia called for an end to unilateral actions that threaten the prospects of Palestinian statehood. Bahrain likewise condemned measures that undermine Palestinian territorial integrity and called for stronger international efforts to protect civilians and uphold their rights.
The United Nations has repeatedly called for an end to Israeli settlement activity, with Security Council Resolution 2334 demanding that Israel “immediately and completely cease all settlement activities” in the occupied Palestinian territory.
A recent UN report also reiterated concerns over measures affecting Palestinian land and the implementation of the resolution.
The meeting also focused on settler incursions and violence, including concerns over developments around Al-Aqsa Mosque and Al-Haram Al-Sharif, as well as the withholding of Palestinian revenues. Speakers warned that the combined impact of settlement expansion, displacement and violence was further eroding the territorial basis for a viable Palestinian state.
Pakistan urges Security Council action on West Bank
Published: Aug 11, 2026 | 17:40 GMT | by AFP
Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad has warned the UN Security Council that Israel’s expanding settlements, settler violence and other measures in the occupied West Bank are rapidly undermining prospects for a two-state solution.
Speaking at an emergency Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East, Ahmad said the developments were “not isolated” but interconnected measures aimed at entrenching the occupation and altering the demographic and territorial realities of the occupied Palestinian territory.
“Settlement expansion has reached an alarming scale,” Ahmad said, citing developments in the E-1 area, the so-called Crimson Thread project and settlement activity across the West Bank. He said the territory had experienced its “largest displacement crisis since 1967”, while expanded Israeli authority over land registration, administration and enforcement was compounding de facto annexation.
Ahmad also called for the immediate release of Palestinian tax revenues withheld by Israel and condemned provocations at Al-Aqsa Mosque and Al-Haram Al-Sharif.
He urged the Security Council to halt settlement activity, end settler violence, provide international protection to Palestinians and ensure respect for the historical and legal status quo at holy sites.
On Gaza, the Pakistani envoy said the humanitarian situation remained “extremely fragile”, warning that continued Israeli military escalation and rejection of elements of the Gaza peace roadmap risked undermining diplomatic efforts. He called for full implementation of Security Council Resolution 2803 and the comprehensive peace plan, while welcoming the efforts of the United States, Egypt, Qatar and Türkiye.
“The situation is approaching a dangerous tipping point,” Ahmad warned, stressing that lasting peace required an end to the Israeli occupation and the establishment of an independent, sovereign, viable and contiguous Palestinian state based on the pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.
Qatar condemns Colombia’s recognition of Golan Heights as Israeli territory
Published: Aug 11, 2026 | 17:40 GMT | by Web Desk
Qatar’s foreign ministry condemned the recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Syrian Golan Heights by Colombia, in an official statement on X.
Citing UN Security Council Resolution 497 of 1981, the ministry said, “the Heights are occupied Arab land, and that the imposition by the Israeli occupation is null and void and without any legal effect.”
The statement said that unilateral decisions to “recognize the occupation's sovereignty over the Golan will constitute a major obstacle to the desired peace in the region.”
Oil flows through Hormuz reach 9 million barrels per day: US energy secretary
Published: Aug 11, 2026 | 17:30 GMT | by Web Desk
US Secretary for Energy Chris Wright said the seven-day average for oil leaving the Strait of Hormuz is currently nearly 9 million barrels per day. In a post on his X, Wright said the figure was the result of coordinated efforts by the US military and its Gulf allies.
He added that an additional 5-7 million barrels per day were leaving the region through newly upgraded pipelines and export facilities, bringing total oil flows to approximately 15 million barrels per day.
Wright said more than 20 million barrels left the Arabian Gulf region on Sunday alone, which he said was above the pre-conflict average
US says new round of Israel-Lebanon talks in September in Rome
Published: Aug 11, 2026 | 17:23 GMT | by AFP
The United States will sponsor a new round of talks between Israel and Lebanon in early September in Rome, a State Department official announced Tuesday.
"The political track will reconvene in Rome in early September, and conversations will continue in Beirut, Jerusalem, and Washington in the interim," the official said on condition of anonymity. "We feel good about the trajectory."
The United States has been sponsoring talks between Israel and Lebanon aimed at putting an end to hostilities between them, with Beirut seeking Israel's phased withdrawal from the south.
Syria slams Colombia's recognition of Israeli claim over Golan
Published: Aug 11, 2026 | 16:22 GMT | by Web Desk
Syria on Tuesday slammed the decision to recognise Israel's annexation of the Golan Heights by the new hard-right government of Colombia, which became only the second country to do so after the US.
Syria "expresses its categorical rejection and condemnation of this position and affirms that the Golan is an inseparable part of its territory", a foreign ministry statement said a day after Colombia announced the move.
Pakistan, Indonesian FMs discuss US-Iran situation
Published: Aug 11, 2026 | 16:16 GMT | by Web Desk
Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held a telephone conversation with Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono and exchanged views on bilateral relations as well as regional and international developments, according to the Foreign Office.
The two ministers also discussed the evolving situation concerning US-Iran engagements, the Foreign Office said.
Sugiono appreciated Pakistan’s “constructive and important role” in promoting dialogue and facilitating efforts toward peace and stability, according to the statement.
The two sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation in key priority areas and emphasized the importance of maintaining close contacts.
Saudi Arabia condemns Colombia’s recognition of Israeli sovereignty over Syrian land
Published: Aug 11, 2026 | 15:30 GMT | by Web Desk
Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry condemned Colombia’s recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, citing violations of the UN Security Council’s resolution, in a statement on X.
“The Kingdom stresses that such positions do not contribute to achieving peace; rather, they depart from the longstanding international position regarding the occupied Syrian Golan Heights,” the statement said.
Saudi Arabia called upon Colombia to reconsider its decision and adhere to international law.
Oil prices lower, stocks higher as Hormuz doubts drag on
Published: Aug 11, 2026 | 13:58 GMT | by AFP
Oil prices fell back in choppy trading, and stock markets were marginally higher Tuesday as investors weighed fading expectations of higher interest rates against concern over oil flows from the Middle East.
Oil prices initially rose more than two percent, with the United States and Iran appearing to not make much progress towards a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Oil contracts later gave up those gains but are still up around 10 percent in the past five days and are trading near their highest levels since early June.
"Crude oil has surged over the past few days as hopes of a US-Iran agreement that would fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz have faded," said Fawad Razaqzada, market analyst at FOREX.com.
Lebanon says Israeli strikes on south wound two, damage ambulance
Published: Aug 11, 2026 | 12:33 GMT | by AFP
Israeli twin strikes on southern Lebanon wounded two people on Tuesday and damaged an ambulance, the Lebanese health ministry said, condemning the "continued targeting" of rescuers.
Lebanon's state-run National News Agency said the strike targeted a vehicle in the southern city of Nabatieh, while the health ministry reported two wounded.
Casualties reported after ship struck by 'unknown projectile' in Red Sea: UK maritime agency
Published: Aug 11, 2026 | 11:32 GMT | by AFP
A cargo vessel was hit by a projectile near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait off the coast of southern Yemen, causing an unspecified number of casualties, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported on Tuesday.
"It has been reported that a cargo vessel in the southern Red Sea has been hit by an unknown projectile resulting in casualties," said the agency in a statement.
Gaza death toll rises to 73,387, with more than 174,250 injured
Published: Aug 11, 2026 | 10:42 GMT | by Web Desk
WAFA news agency reported Tuesday that the death toll from Israel’s ongoing aggression on the Gaza Strip has risen to 73,387, with 174,250 others injured, since Oct. 7, 2023.
Hospitals across the enclave reported receiving the body of one slain Palestinian and one injured person over the past 24 hours.
Death toll since the ceasefire took effect on October 11, 2025, has reached 1,259, while the number of injuries has risen to 4.146. The number of bodies recovered from under the rubble since then has reached 807.
Brent North Sea oil tops $90 as Iran-US deal hopes fade
Published: Aug 11, 2026 | 8:42 GMT | by AFP
The price of Brent North Sea crude, the main international oil contract, climbed above $90 on Tuesday as hopes that the United States and Iran reach a deal to end the war fade.
Brent reached $90.02 a barrel, a gain of more than 2.5% from Monday, while the main US contract, West Texas Intermediate, jumped 2.7% to $84.32 a barrel.
Israeli forces shell southern Lebanese town
Published: Aug 11, 2026 | 07:42 GMT | by Web Desk
Israeli forces carried out intermittent artillery shelling on Tuesday in Zawtar al-Sharqiyah, a town in southern Lebanon near the Israeli border, accompanied by heavy machine-gun fire targeting several neighborhoods, Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported.
The shelling coincided with reports from UNIFIL, the United Nations peacekeeping force deployed in Lebanon, which said Israel fired 455 projectiles into southern Lebanon and violated Lebanese airspace 97 times between Friday and Sunday.
The UN force described this as the heaviest exchange of fire in months.
Iran condemns Israeli attacks on Lebanon
Published: Aug 11, 2026 | 07:22 GMT | by Web Desk
Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei condemned Israeli military attacks on southern Lebanon on Tuesday, stating that Israel was violating the country's territorial integrity and sovereignty, according to the Tasnim news agency.
In a statement, Baghaei said the international community, particularly the UN Security Council, had failed to respond adequately to the attacks.
UN Security Council to convene session on West Bank developments
Published: Aug 11, 2026 | 06:47 GMT | by Web Desk
The UN Security Council is scheduled to convene on Tuesday for a session on Palestinian affairs, with several council members requesting the meeting amid growing international concern over developments in the West Bank, according to the WAFA news agency.
Ramiz Alakbarov, the UN deputy special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, is expected to brief the council via video conference.
Iran's Supreme Leader appoints new military commanders
Published: Aug 11, 2026 | 06:30 GMT | by Web Desk
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei appointed Maj Gen Ali Abdullahi as Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces and Brig Gen Kiyomars Heydari as Deputy Chief of Staff, Tasnim News Agency reported Tuesday.
In related decrees, Khamenei promoted Brig Gen Ahmad Vahidi to major general and appointed him Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), while Maj Gen Mustafa Izadi was named acting commander of the IRGC.
Israeli forces issue military order to seize land in West Bank
Published: Aug 11, 2026 | 04:44GMT | by Web Desk
Israeli forces issued a military order to seize 407 square meters of land belonging to the village of Jinsafut in Qalqiliya, a city in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, according to the WAFA news agency.
The order covers a 94-meter strip of land and was issued for what Israeli authorities describe as "military purposes."
According to the Palestinian Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission, the seized land will be used to establish a military communications tower and create an access route to the site alongside the Al-Funduq bypass road.
Israeli planning committee approves settlement expansion plan near Jerusalem
Published: Aug 11, 2026 | 04:38GMT | by Web Desk
An Israeli planning committee has approved a plan to establish a new settlement called Nofey Rachel at the entrance to Umm Tuba, a Palestinian neighborhood south of occupied East Jerusalem, according to the Palestinian news agency WAFA.
The plan calls for approximately 650 housing units on roughly 27,000 square meters of land adjacent to Palestinian homes in Umm Tuba, WAFA reported. The Jerusalem Governorate announced the approval Monday.
The settlement would be constructed on land the Israeli government designates as state property.
Israeli forces destroy water infrastructure in West Bank territory
Published: Aug 11, 2026 | 04:00GMT | by Web Desk
Israeli forces destroyed water pipelines in the areas of Atouf and Ras al-Ahmar, located southeast of Tubas in the West Bank, according to the Palestinian news agency WAFA.
The West Bank is a territory occupied by Israel since 1967, where Palestinians have limited self-governance in some areas but where Israeli military maintains broad authority. Tubas is a Palestinian city in the northern West Bank.
Human rights activist Aref Daraghmeh told WAFA that the pipelines were destroyed to clear the way for construction of a military road in the area. The pipelines supply water to Palestinian communities in the region, where access to water resources remains contested between Israeli and Palestinian authorities.
The destruction of water infrastructure is part of a broader pattern of Israeli military operations affecting Palestinian civilian infrastructure in the West Bank.
Monday's developments at a glance
Published: Aug 10, 2026 | 00:22 GMT | by Web Desk
Oil prices jumped roughly 5% Monday, with Brent crude rising to $87.72 a barrel and US benchmark WTI climbing to $82.13, as Washington and Tehran remained far apart on terms to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran's foreign ministry said the waterway would stay closed until the US lifts its naval blockade and makes amends for what it called “destructive actions.”
Separately, Iran and Oman continued talks on a shipping route through the strait, with both sides agreeing on a proposed path but still working out technical details; Tehran said transit fees were not currently part of the discussion.
President Trump, meanwhile, said he would seek compensation from Iran for damage during the recent conflict, mirroring Iran's own demand for compensation over deaths and injuries it attributes to US strikes.
Iran's supreme leader also reshuffled the country's military command, naming a new armed forces chief of staff and a new IRGC commander, cementing his authority over the armed forces.
On the Gaza front, President Trump insisted his relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remains "very good," despite Netanyahu's explicit rejection of a US-backed Gaza plan that would have Israel withdraw forces as Hamas disarms.
The rejection comes as Netanyahu faces pressure from his right-wing base ahead of October elections, with polls showing the plan is unpopular among his coalition.
Regionally, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held calls with his Iranian and Saudi counterparts, briefing both on the newly signed Makkah Joint Defense Agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Türkiye. Iran's foreign ministry described the pact as a sign that regional states are shifting away from relying on foreign powers for security.
Elsewhere, violence persisted in Yemen, where clashes intensified between government forces and Houthi fighters along the Al-Fakher front, and in the West Bank, where Israeli forces and settlers raided areas southeast of Bethlehem.
For earlier developments, read our Aug 10 live blog here.