Centcom says it redirected 64 ships amid Hormuz blockade US Central Command (Centcom) said on Monday that the US Navy has redirected 64 commercial ships during its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz since mid-July, two more than in its last announcement on Friday. It added that three vessels have been disabled and two were boarded “to ensure compliance”. A U.
'Political stunt': Cair slams Texas governor for threatening airports that install ablution stations for Muslims Submitted by MEE staff on Mon, 08/17/2026 - 18:58 Foot washing stations accommodate, but are not limited to, practising Muslims who perform five obligatory prayers a day Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott gives an interview on The Sunday Briefing programme on Fox News, on 16 August 2026 (Screengrab) Off The largest Muslim civil rights organisation in the US slammed the governor of Texas on Monday for his threats to withhold funding to airports in the state that build spaces to accommodate practising Muslims. "Of all the silly controversies that @GregAbbott_TX has manufactured about Muslims over the past year, the airport washing station outrage might be the most ridiculous. And hypocritical," the Council on American-Islamic Relations (Cair) wrote on X on Monday.
Israel can 'finish the job properly' in Gaza if Hamas does not disarm, Kushner says US President Donald Trump's son-in-law and Gaza envoy Jared Kushner said on Monday that he had a "very cordial" meeting with Hamas and that getting the group to disarm and move forward with Trump's peace plan could materialise in about a month. “Our meeting with Hamas was very cordial, and they said all the right things, so we’re going to give them a chance to prove it,” Kushner said, adding that “it will depend on Hamas’ actions and practical steps and I hope they are sincere in that”. "We could be seeing progress...
Kushner says Iran, US conversations are robust but no understanding reached yet US President Donald Trump's envoy and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, said in an interview with Fox News on Monday that conversations between the US and various parts of the Iranian government were probably more robust than ever, but the two sides had not yet reached an understanding. This comes after Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps denied claims that they were conducting backchannel talks with the US.
UNIFIL records ‘marked increase’ in Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon The United Nations peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon (UNIFIL) said on Monday “the past two weeks have seen a marked increase in Israeli military activity in south Lebanon”. “Between 5 and 16 August, UNIFIL recorded an average of 137 projectiles per day, including 208 on Saturday and 185 on Sunday”, it posted on X. “As tensions rise, civilians are once again paying the highest price, with many families displaced or forced to change their daily routines because of insecurity and uncertainty,” the post added.
Trump approval hits new second-term low According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll, US President Donald Trump's approval has fallen to 33 percent, a new low during his second term in office. The poll found that 64 percent of Americans disapprove of Trump's performance in the White House. Meanwhile, 80 percent of Americans expect US involvement in Iran to continue for an extended period of time after the interim US-Iran ceasefire expired and Trump said that he will not be pursuing an extention on the deal.
Iran condemns 'suspicious' attack on Iraqi Kurdistan PM's office Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei condemned on Monday a drone attack that targeted the Iraqi Kurdistan prime minister's office overnight, Iranian media reported. Baqaei denounced the attack, describing it as "a highly suspicious development that requires vigilance and careful attention", according to a statement carried by IRNA.
Trump says US not seeking to extend interim deal with Iran President Donald Trump told reporters on Monday that Iran would not make the type of deal with the US that he thought was necessary. He added that the US is not seeking an extension of the memorandum of understanding with Iran, after the deal expired.
UAE issues rare denial of 'imperial ambitions' in Africa Submitted by MEE staff on Mon, 08/17/2026 - 18:53 Expert says UAE's denial contains 'flawed logic', as it bolsters militias and scoops up key assets in Africa This handout picture, released by the Sudanese Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on 30 October 2025, shows RSF members reportedly detaining a fighter known as Abu Lulu (L) in El-Fasher, in war-torn Sudan’s western Darfur region (RSF/AFP) Off The UAE has pushed back against a Financial Times (FT) article charting the Gulf state’s growing military and economic footprint in Africa. In a rare rebuttal published by the FT on Monday, the UAE’s director of strategic communications, Afra al-Hameli, said Abu Dhabi was “disappointed” that the newspaper portrayed it as pursuing an “imperial ambition” in Africa. “To describe partnerships negotiated with sovereign African governments as evidence of ‘imperial ambition’ is deeply patronising,” Hameli wrote.
Turkey, Iran discuss efforts to reopen Strait of Hormuz, continue US-Iran ceasefire Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held a call with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araqchi on Monday to discuss efforts to open the Strait of Hormuz and ensure the continuation of a ceasefire between Iran and the U. S. according to Reuters, citing a Turkish diplomatic source.
Oman intensifies efforts to contain oil spill from stranded ship Oman increased its efforts to mitigate the potential environmental impacts from a ship's oil spill, which covers an area of over 2,000 square kilometres, according to a statement released by the country’s Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology on Monday. The vessel Caroline Bezengi has been spilling oil since it got stranded near al-Qibliyyah Island off Oman’s Dhofar governorate after a suspected explosion on 8 June. The statement said there were challenges in containing the spill, as the ship lacks a reliable power source “to operate the equipment necessary for rescue operations”, noting that some work areas on the ship’s decks were “slippery and unsafe” after being exposed to oil and seawater.
Israeli forces raid town, bulldoze Palestinian land west of Ramallah Israeli forces tore up the landscape for the construction of a road in Deir Ammar town, west of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank on Monday, according to Wafa news. Local sources told Wafa that troops escorted bulldozers to the al-Wajh al-Gharbi and al-Misha areas of the town and began levelling Palestinian lands for the construction of a new road, raising concerns that the move is linked to the expansion of nearby outposts. Israeli settlers broke into a house under construction in the al-Wajh al-Gharbi area and raised the Israeli flag at the site, Wafa added.
Fire breaks out in town near Jerusalem, following Israeli military raid A fire broke out on Monday evening local time in the town of Beit Anan, northwest of Jerusalem, after Israeli forces fired tear gas canisters during a military raid, Wafa news reported, citing local sources. Sources reported that Israeli forces stormed the town and deployed tear gas canisters towards residents, sparking a fire in nearby lands. The extent of the damage remains unknown, and no casualties have been reported so far.
Netanyahu says talks with Trump's 'Board of Peace' are 'deep and constructive' In a statement to X on Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said that his meeting with Trump's "Board of Peace" had "deep and constructive discussions". The statement said that they agreed to establish "two working groups": "one on disarmament and demilitarisation of Gaza" and the other for "sanitation, clean water and other public health issues for the people of Gaza". Israeli President Isaac Herzog also added in a post on X on Monday that he was "grateful" for the ongoing efforts of the Board of Peace delegation led by US special envoy and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner "to advance to the next stages in Gaza, in accordance with President Trump's 20-Point Plan".
Hormuz traffic falls as transit through Bab al-Mandeb passage increases, says data firm Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz fell by 19. 5 percent last week, according to data analysis firm Kpler, with 95 vessels transiting the waterway in the week of August 10 and “reaching just three on 16 August”. Vessels used the Iranian side of the strait or undermined routes, “while no crossings were recorded through the Hormuz TSS or Omani routes”, Kpler posted on X.
IRGC rejects Trump’s claims of talks with the US IRGC spokesperson Brigadier General Hossein Mohammadi rejected President Donald Trump’s claim that the US has been conducting talks with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. “There are no talks between IRGC officials and the Americans,” Mohammadi told the state-run Tasnim news agency on Monday. “This lie from Trump is simply a fantasy that he is experiencing due to delusions and nightmares resulting from defeat and desperation in the war,” he said, adding that “currently, no talks are taking place with the Americans in this area either, due to broken promises and the dark experiences of repeated and constant violations of agreements by the United States”.
Israel allows Jewish ritual at Al-Aqsa Mosque in unprecedented violation of status quo Israeli authorities have formally allowed Jewish prayer for the first time inside Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem, in an unprecedented violation of the site’s decades-old status quo. Israeli police allowed settlers raiding the site on Sunday to bring in siddurim, or Jewish prayer books, and perform group prayers, according to a Palestinian source from the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf. While such practices have occurred in the past, they have largely been carried out without official approval.
Kushner, Netanyahu agree on path forward for Gaza, Board of Peace official says An agreement was reached on Monday between President Donald Trump's envoy and son-in-law Jared Kushner and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a path forward for the war on Gaza after a "lengthy, in depth, and very productive" meeting, a Board of Peace official said, according to Reuters. The two sides "agreed that no redeployment or reconstruction would take place in the Gaza Strip before Hamas is disarmed throughout Gaza", a senior Israeli official told AFP. "It was also agreed that the first step toward the demilitarisation of the Strip would be to require Hamas to hand over its weapons for decommissioning under the supervision of an American general," the official said.
Why the Mecca Agreement has given the UAE-Israel alliance the jitters Submitted by David Hearst on Mon, 08/17/2026 - 11:04 With their destructive wars, Netanyahu and Trump have brought the Gulf to the brink of destruction - the Mecca pact represents rightful pushback for their recklessness UAE's President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (R) with Saudi's Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman ahead of their meeting at Qasr Al-Rawdha in Abu Dhabi on 1 December 2024 (AFP) On Intelligence services don’t like surprises, especially those who pride themselves on being able to listen in on any conversation anywhere in the world. The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement , signed on 7 August, came as a surprise to the Emiratis and Israeli intelligence services. The Emiratis only found out about it two weeks before it was declared and by then it was too late.
Israel formally allows Jewish prayer at Al-Aqsa Mosque in violation of status quo Submitted by Lubna Masarwa on Mon, 08/17/2026 - 14:44 Israeli police allow settlers to bring Jewish prayer books into Al-Aqsa, formalising group prayers and marking a significant breach of the decades-old status quo governing the holy site Israelis seen during a raid at Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem on 23 July 2026 (Ilia Yefimovich/AFP) Off Israeli authorities have formally allowed Jewish prayer for the first time inside Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem, in the latest violation of the site’s decades-old status quo. Israeli police allowed settlers raiding the site on Sunday to bring in siddurim, or Jewish prayer books, and perform group prayers, according to a Palestinian source from the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf. While such practices have occurred in the past, they have largely been carried out without official approval.
