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 Saturday’s top developments here:
- Iran says Qatar holds three missing pilots, Doha denies
- Israel strikes southern Lebanon, killing 11 people
- UAE accuses Iran of attacking ADNOC vessel
- Houthis strike Yemen’s Mokha port with missiles
- Iran insists Hormuz remains under Tehran’s control
Hamas chief heads to Cairo for talks
Published: Aug 16, 2026 | 00:25 GMT | by AFP
Hamas political chief Khalil Al-Hayya was set to travel to Cairo on Saturday evening for talks with Egyptian officials, a Hamas source told AFP, ahead of a visit by US President Donald Trump’s envoy Jared Kushner to the region.
Hayya, who will be visiting Egypt for the first time since assuming leadership of Hamas in late July, is due to meet with Egypt’s intelligence chief Hassan Rashad on Sunday morning, the source said.
Kushner will visit Israel and Egypt next week in hopes of bridging gaps on a Gaza plan rejected by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and will be accompanied by Nickolay Mladenov, the high representative for Gaza of Trump’s so-called Board of Peace tasked with implementing the deal.
The trip comes after Netanyahu publicly dismissed a 15-point plan announced by Mladenov in which Hamas agreed to hand over its weapons to a new Palestinian governing committee in Gaza.
A Board of Peace official said Kushner and Mladenov hoped for “constructive conversations” on advancing Trump’s overall peace plan, which began with the October 2025 declaration of a ceasefire that has reduced but not ended Israeli strikes in Gaza.
The latest part of the Gaza plan, to which Hamas agreed in late July, would start a phased Israeli withdrawal from much of the Strip, according to an initial version released by the Board of Peace.
Saturday wrap-up
Published: Aug 16, 2026 | 00:00 GMT | by Web Desk
Saturday’s developments kept the Strait of Hormuz and the wider regional security crisis at the center of attention. Iran said the waterway would remain under its control and rejected US President Donald Trump’s claim that he would declare the strait US territory after what he called Iran’s defeat. Tehran’s position came as the UAE accused Iran of attacking another ADNOC vessel in the strategic waterway.
The day also saw a new dispute between Iran and Qatar, with Tehran demanding the release of three Iranian pilots it says were captured after their aircraft crashed during the conflict. Doha categorically denied detaining the pilots and said it had found the remains of one pilot while conducting search-and-rescue operations.
Elsewhere, Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon killed 11 people, according to reports, marking one of the deadliest escalations since the fragile truce involving Israel and Hezbollah. In Yemen, Iran-aligned Houthis also carried out a missile and drone attack on the Red Sea port of Mokha, adding to concerns over the conflict’s wider regional spillover.
The latest developments leave Hormuz, maritime security, Lebanon and Yemen as key issues to watch Sunday, alongside continued diplomatic efforts involving Iran and regional mediators.
For earlier developments, read our Aug 15 live blog here.