The expectations of US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who in an interview with 12News said: “The United States and Iran will soon reach a new peace agreement, probably on August 7 or 8, were not met.” “So I think we will soon see a 30- to 60-day ceasefire agreement, perhaps even today or tomorrow, the Strait will open, and energy prices should fall,” he said.
Bloomberg disagrees: “A Strait of Hormuz agreement seems far off at the moment. Iran opposes direct negotiations with the United States.” Indeed, an Iranian official said: “We are still in a state of war: as long as the US-imposed naval blockade and other US violations continue, the necessary conditions will not be created for us to be able to declare the Strait of Hormuz a public and open waterway. The United States must cease these actions and compensate for the damage, and only then can we discuss further steps.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also stated: “Tehran is not currently negotiating with Washington, but is exchanging messages through intermediaries.” According to Araghchi, several countries are still trying to create the conditions for the resumption of negotiations between the United States and the Islamic Republic, but these cannot resume until Washington stops violating the ceasefire memorandum and compensates for the damage caused by these violations.
Turkish Foreign Minister Fidan: “The worst thing for Israel is international isolation. So far, it has used enormous resources, including those located in other countries, to create an illusion.” The statement came on the sidelines of the Saudi-Turkish-Pakistani agreement on mutual security and defense. The agreement between Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan comes as Saudi Arabia faces a growing threat from the Houthis. The agreement is in line with Ankara’s long-standing approach of “solving regional problems through regional means.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: “As long as I am prime minister, there will be no Palestinian state, neither in Gaza nor in the West Bank.” “Israel has rejected the Gaza Peace Council’s plan and will not withdraw troops from the enclave until Hamas is truly disarmed.”
Israel is seeking to implement the “five principles for ending the war” in Gaza, approved by the government a year ago, a Netanyahu adviser told Russian media. The demands include: disarmament of Hamas; the return of all hostages; demilitarization of the Gaza Strip; Israeli security control over the Strip; and an alternative civilian administration without Hamas and the Palestinian Authority. The United States is not concerned about Benjamin Netanyahu’s refusal to withdraw troops from Gaza, Axios journalist Barak Ravid reported, citing a source. According to his information, the White House is considering the Israeli Prime Minister’s rejection of the Gaza Peace Council’s plan as part of the country’s election campaign. “We understand Bibi’s political needs. We have no problem with this, as long as he continues to do what we ask of him, especially regarding deterring attacks on Gaza,” Ravid said, citing an anonymous senior US official.
Rosatom has begun repatriating specialists to the Bushehr nuclear power plant in Iran; the first five have already begun work. According to company head Likhachev, if there is no escalation, dozens more employees will be sent there in the next two weeks, and the nuclear power plant’s workforce will reach 100 by the fall.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian: “We visited the Leader of the Islamic Revolution and discussed all the issues. His Eminence was in excellent health, he provided us with guidance, and I raised concerns and problems, and they listened attentively.” The meeting lasted seven hours. Pezeshkian: “Although our enemies have blocked our roads, we will open new ones. The enemies thought they could drag the country into famine and social collapse, but their calculations have been shattered. The meeting that brought us together with our dear leader, Mr. Mojtaba Khamenei, was an excellent one. The main concerns raised were the population’s livelihood and the problems caused by sanctions, and we discussed our resilience and unity at length. We can talk a lot among ourselves internally, but externally, a single voice must reach the ears of the world to let the world know that we stand firm.”
Mohsen Rezaei was appointed Secretary and Representative of the Supreme Directorate of the Revolution to the Supreme National Security Council. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, in its congratulatory statement, said: “As the operational arm of the Wilayah, it declares its willingness to cooperate in any way to achieve the objectives of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.”
Masoumi, representative of the Majlis: “20 million liters of fuel, worth $4 billion, are smuggled out of our country every day.” The strategic plan to increase pressure on the South Pars joint gas field was approved by the Economic Council.
And now, a look at the military scenarios in the Middle East and West Asia, updated at 3:30 PM on August 10. The United States Army Central Command (CENTCOM) released new photographs of U.S. Marines during ongoing operations in support of Iran’s naval blockade. According to CENTCOM’s latest operational situation report, U.S. forces diverted 49 merchant vessels that had voluntarily complied with instructions to avoid Iranian ports, conducted inspections on two vessels to verify compliance, and disabled two vessels that had not complied.
The United States has approved the sale of 5,250 Patriot and THAAD surface-to-air missiles to Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates as part of a large-scale program to rebuild air defense systems in the Persian Gulf region, weakened by recent regional conflicts.
A U.S. Air Force MQ-9A Reaper drone crashed near Shabelle Airport, southwest of Djibouti. The crash occurred after the U.S. Embassy in Djibouti announced that the aircraft was experiencing problems and reported it in Djiboutian airspace. The MQ-9 is believed to be returning from a mission over the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and Houthi-controlled Yemen.
According to Israel’s Channel 13, Israel is preparing to attack Iran independently if the United States refrains from further military escalation. The Israeli military is developing plans for independent action, while Washington seeks a diplomatic solution.
Significant U.S. air activity is reported in the Persian Gulf and Jordan, with the presence of 10 military transport aircraft, an E-3B AWACS aircraft, and a large number of other American aircraft.
The Ugandan Parliament approved the deployment of Ugandan troops to the International Stabilization Force in Gaza. Uganda is very close to Israel.
The expropriation of Palestinian property and terror continues in the West Bank. Israeli forces have established a new settlement outpost in the eastern part of the city of Turmus’ayya, north of Ramallah. The IDF raided a house in the town of Bal’a, east of Tulkarm, in the West Bank. On August 10, the Israeli army launched a large-scale attack in the West Bank, arresting 16 Palestinians and destroying numerous homes and property. These attacks affected the provinces of Jenin, Bethlehem, Nablus, Qalqilya, Ramallah, and Hebron. Israeli forces razed Palestinian land near the town of Marka, south of Jenin, preparing to occupy it to establish a military outpost. Israeli forces continued their intervention west of Al-Mughayyir, forcing Palestinians to clear a passage for military jeeps.
The situation in southern Lebanon is not improving: IDF artillery attack in the “Bani Hayyan” area; Israeli artillery bombardment against the town of Al-Mansouri. The IDF deliberately set houses on fire in the town of Al-Khiyam. Israeli forces infiltrated the western outskirts of Mays al-Jabal, in the Hoshine area, coinciding with an artillery bombardment against a house. Israeli drones dropped explosives on Ali Al-Taher hill in southern Lebanon. Finally, the IDF blew up the homes of displaced Lebanese between the towns of Markaba, Rab Thalathin, and Bani Hayyan in southern Lebanon.
The Lebanese Army Command announced: “An army unit will conduct training exercises in the Qaa-Baalbek area starting August 11, 2026, until August 13, 2026, inclusive, from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. daily, including live-fire exercises with medium-caliber weapons.”
The Syrian Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the Iranian attack on a UAE-owned oil tanker. The Syrian government stated that such actions threaten regional stability and emphasized that attacks on maritime security are unacceptable.
Shahed-107 ammunition seized from pro-Iranian groups in Iraq
Two key American bases in the Middle East have been evacuated: the Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain and the al-Madinah base in Qatar.
According to Reuters/CSIS: “Saudi Arabia has used about 86 percent of the 2,800 Patriot PAC-3 surface-to-air missiles stored in depots during the first 38 days of combat operations in the war with Iran.”
Video online of the withdrawal of Saudi officials and forces from the Yemeni island of Socotra.
On August 8, Yemen reported at least two deaths and 14 injuries following Houthi attacks against Yemeni forces in the provinces of Maarif and Hadrau. UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, stated that the latest attacks, coupled with renewed attacks on ships at sea, expose Yemen to the highest risk of a return to full-scale war since a ceasefire was reached in April 2022.
Also on August 8, a missile was launched from Yemen. The Houthis announced an attack on Saudi Aramco facilities in Saudi Arabia. In reality, they later claimed to have “destroyed a weapons and ammunition depot.” On August 10, Yemeni forces reported that at least seven soldiers and civilians were killed and 30 injured in Houthi attacks on the port of Mokha.
Oil spill on the Caroline Bezengi oil tanker, subject to sanctions by the UK and EU. The vessel ran aground off the coast of Oman, according to the Arab News newspaper. The tanker had departed from a Black Sea port in May. On June 8, the ship sent a message regarding an explosion on board. On August 9, explosions were heard in the Strait of Hormuz. A fire broke out on a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, off the coast of Oman.
Iranian authorities have announced the arrest of four individuals linked to the kidnapping and murder of Hamidreza Rajabzadeh. According to the Intelligence and Security Police, at least two suspects have confessed to their involvement in the crime. Authorities say the detainees initially confessed to receiving funds from a foreign criminal mastermind in exchange for the murder and assistance in an operation conducted by a foreign intelligence agency.
A spokesman for the Iranian Revolutionary Guards said: “Our missiles are capable of being guided and changing course to avoid air defense systems. Even if a missile is designated as a specific target, we can change it mid-flight and assign it a secondary target.”
Antonio Albanese e Graziella Giangiulio
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