U.S. President Donald Trump says a deal on the Strait of Hormuz could come as early as Wednesday or Thursday. An agreement could potentially help bring an end to the war. Regional officials tell The Associated Press that an agreement emerging from talks between Iran and Oman would see ships enter the Persian Gulf through an Iranian-controlled route and exit through a route controlled by Oman. But the Trump administration has previously ruled out any deal that would give Iran control over the strait, which was an open international waterway before the the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28. About one fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas passed through the strait, but shipping through the waterway has been slowed to a trickle by Iran’s attacks since the start of the war.
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza City (AP) — Palestinians gathered on Tuesday for a mass funeral of more than 100 bodies finally recovered from a deadly Is…
BAGHDAD (AP) — Millions of Shiite Muslims observed the annual Arbaeen pilgrimage Tuesday in the Iraqi holy city of Karbala, under the shadow o…
Aerial photo shows Shiite pilgrims gathering between the holy shrine of Imam Hussein and the holy shrine of Imam Abbas ahead of Arbaeen, the annual Shiite commemoration marking 40 days after Ashura, in Karbala, Iraq, Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban)
An Irani Shiite Muslim weeps as he prays inside the holy shrine of Imam Abbas ahead of the Arbaeen festival in Karbala, Iraq, Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban)
After calling off a fresh round of strikes against Iran, U.S. President Donald Trump says the two sides are resuming talks to wind down the war. But Iranian officials claimed Monday that their diplomatic efforts were focused on neighboring nations. Talks between the U.S. and Iran are critical to ending the monthslong conflict and reviving stalled cargo traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s foreign ministry said it’s focused on negotiations with Oman, not the U.S. That prompted Trump to criticize the country’s leadership, which has grown increasingly divided over the war’s endgame.
The Board of Peace official overseeing Gaza’s postwar transition has met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. They discussed on Monday a new disarmament plan reached with Hamas. Nikolay Mladenov, the high representative for Gaza, held “constructive and detailed” talks with Netanyahu and his team. Mladenov also urged Netanyahu to halt Israeli strikes in Gaza, according to two people familiar with the matter. U.S. President Donald Trump announced the agreement, part of a broader ceasefire deal reached last year. Israeli attacks have killed 1,250 people since the ceasefire deal was reached in October.
Shiite worshippers gather between the holy shrines of Imam Hussein and Imam Abbas, ahead of Arbaeen, the annual Shiite commemoration marking 40 days after Ashoura, at the Imam Hussein Shrine in Karbala, Iraq, Monday, Aug. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban)
Shiite Muslim worshippers march toward the Imam Hussein Shrine ahead of Arbaeen, the annual Shiite commemoration marking 40 days after Ashoura, in Karbala, Iraq, Monday, Aug. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban)
A woman waves an Iranina flag next to a billboard showing a graphic of a man wearing a shirt showing the face of late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed during a joint U.S. and Israeli strike on Feb. 28, with words calling upon the avengers of Imam Hussein, one of Shiite Islam's most beloved historical saints, in a square in downtown Tehran, Iran, Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) CORRECTS: Amends wording for clarity.