Pictured: Rescuers and residents rush to the site of an Israeli airstrike in the village of Deir al-Zahrani, southern Lebanon. Rescuers and residents rush to the site of an Israeli airstrike in the village of Deir al-Zahrani, southern Lebanon (AFP/Getty)Bryony GoochAugust 16, 2026 12:00 Watch: USS Lincoln sailor’s wife slams Trump over ship’s ‘appalling’ conditionsUSS Lincoln Sailor’s wife slams Trump over ship’s ‘appalling’ conditions Bryony Gooch 16 August 2026 11:30 Iran points to Kuwait for hiding information about four Iranians Mohammad Baqerzadeh, commander of the Committee for Searching for Missing Persons of the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, has also pointed out Kuwait for similarly hiding information about the fate of four Iranians detained in Kuwait. In May, Iran said the four were affiliated with the Revolutionary Guard and had been on a maritime patrol before entering Kuwait’s territorial waters due to a shipping disruption. Kuwait has said the four were suspected of planning hostile actions against the country. Bryony GoochAugust 16, 2026 11:00 Iran accuses two French diplomats of ‘infiltration and interference’ Iran has accused two French diplomats of carrying out an “infiltration and interference” operation inside the country. Iran’s Intelligence Ministry said the two diplomats were seen at a “secret meeting place” with documents pointing to efforts to establish contacts and build. They were handed over to the Iranian ambassador to France in the presence of diplomatic police, the Intelligence Ministry said in a statement. “Given the infiltration and overt interference in Iran’s internal affairs, particularly during times of war, and the flagrant violation of the country’s laws and deviation from the diplomatic frameworks that have been conclusively established in this project, the Ministry of Intelligence warns that it will not allow its diplomatic guests to engage in illegal and interventionist behavior,” the Ministry said. Vishwam SankaranAugust 16, 2026 10:29 Yemen’s Mocha port halts operations after Houthi attacks Yemen’s Mocha port has temporarily halted operations after being hit by more than 25 missiles in recent days in Houthi attacks, the port director said. At least seven people were killed and $16 million in losses were suffered as a result of the attacks, the director said. The port is close to the Bab el-Mandab Strait, another key route for international traffic. shipment.Vishwam SankaranAugust 16, 2026 10:00Iran asks Qatar to allow Iranian team in to investigate fate of two missing pilotsTehran has asked Qatar to allow an Iranian team into the country to investigate the fate of Iranian pilots who Tehran says are detained there, Iranian media said on Sunday.Qatar denies holding any pilots.Mohammad Baqerzadeh, commander of the Committee for the Search for Iran’s Missing Persons The Armed Forces General Staff said the air force and investigation team had been waiting for months to enter Qatar, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency. Baqerzadeh accused Qatari officials of repeatedly delaying the investigation and preventing the pilots’ return to Iran. He asked the International Committee of the Red Cross to urgently follow up on the case. Alex Croft August 16, 2026 09:31 Iran says Qatar is delaying investigation into fate of Iranian pilots, Tasnim news agency An Iranian military official said on Sunday that Qatar should allow an Iranian team in to investigate the fate of Iranian pilots who Tehran says are being held there, Iranian media said on Sunday. denies retaining any pilot. Mohammad Baqerzadeh, commander of the Committee for Searching for Missing Persons of the General Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces, said the air force and investigation team had been waiting for months to enter Qatar, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency. Baqerzadeh accused Qatari officials of repeatedly delaying the investigation and preventing the pilots’ return to Iran. He asked the International Committee of the Red Cross to urgently follow up on the case. Bryony Gooch August 16, 2026 09:15 US oil reserves are so low amid Trump’s war with Iran that caverns containing them could be damaged America’s emergency oil reserves have fallen to their lowest level in 40 years, and experts warn that ongoing withdrawals for war with Iran could permanently damage underground caverns containing the crude. The warnings come as American drivers face record-high gas prices by the end of summer. Today’s AAA national average for a gallon of regular gasoline sits at $4.07, marking the highest levels on record for mid-August. Concerns about the physical limits of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve center on the unique geology of its storage network. The crude oil is kept inside 60 salt caverns thousands of feet underground at four sites in Texas and Louisiana. To extract crude oil, operators pump fresh water to the bottom of a cavern to force the oil up to pipeline intakes. However, petroleum engineering professor Siddharth Misra of Texas A&M University told CNBC that rapid and repeated withdrawals eliminate the walls of salt. Alex Croft August 16, 2026 08:59 Iran’s MP wants Gulf royals added to Tehran’s “revenge targets.” Iranian parliament member Amirhossein Sabeti called for the ruling families of Gulf states that host US military bases, including those in Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, to be added to Iran’s “revenge targets.” The parliamentarian alleged that the ruling families of these Gulf states played a role in the assassination of former supreme leader Ali Khamenei during the war with the United States and Israel. He specifically named the Al Khalifa families of Bahrain, Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates and Al Saud of Saudi Arabia to add them to Iran’s “revenge targets.” Vishwam SankaranAugust 16, 2026 08:30 Iran condemns Israeli attacks on Lebanon Iran condemned Israel’s recent attacks on southern Lebanon, which killed 11 people, including children. Iran “regrets” the “continued silence and inaction of the United Nations Security Council by the international community in the face of flagrant violations of international law and international human rights law,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said. He added that Tehran stands in solidarity with Lebanon “in its efforts to defend the national sovereignty, independence and dignity of the country.” Vishwam SankaranAugust 16, 2026 08:00
