Iran-US war latest: Hegseth says US can keep up naval blockade ‘indefinitely’ after Tehran vows to prolong war

Iran has suggested it could deliberately prolong the war with the US until Donald Trump leaves office, in order to send a message that attacking the country has lasting consequences. Mohammad Reza Naghdi, senior adviser to the commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, said dragging out the war would show any future US administration that “there is a cost” to hostile endeavours against Iran. "We have to attain deterrence so that the enemy never dares to attack us, so we can live with security," he told PBS NewsHour. His comments came as Iran again rejected Donald Trump’s claims that the US has “total control” over the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority said “the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked” and it will not be opened until Iran’s conditions are accepted. Trump earlier said that “praise be to Allah”, Washington has “total control over the Strait of Hormuz", adding: "I THINK WE WILL KEEP IT!” Amid their conflicting claims, data from trade intelligence firm Kpler showed shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz was near a three-month low. Just 13 vessels transited the waterway on Tuesday, around 90 per cent below the pre-war daily average. Iran and Oman work to clean oil spills from attacked ships Iran said it was working to clean up an oil spill off Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz. Images distributed by Iran's semiofficial news agency ISNA showed oil fouling the island's beaches. While Iran hasn't said what caused the spill, the firm TankerTrackers.com says it appears to have started with an Iranian attack on a bulk carrier off Oman. Oman is responding to another spill in the Arabian Sea, coming from a tanker grounded off its southern coast. The tanker Caroline Bezengi, a sanctioned vessel believed to be part of Russia's "shadow fleet", has been grounded since reporting an explosion in June. A British maritime risk and response company, which has been hired to salvage the tanker, said oil from the ship has reached shores hundreds of km north of the vessel. Alisha Rahaman Sarkar14 August 2026 05:10 Alisha Rahaman Sarkar14 August 2026 05:00Vance says Iran war will end with US in stronger position Vice president JD Vance appeared to be lowering expectations for the Strait of Hormuz to return to the way it was before the war. He predicted in an interview on Fox News that the war will end with the US in a stronger position, with Iran not having a nuclear weapon, and with the Strait of Hormuz "returned to a place where oil and gas prices are stable for the American people". "That's goal number one: keep oil and gas cheap for Americans all over our country," he said. The second goal, according to Vance, is to ensure that Iran will never get a nuclear weapon. Alisha Rahaman Sarkar14 August 2026 04:45Oil steadies after US threatens indefinite blockade Oil prices inched up this morning after the US threatened an indefinite naval blockade of Iran, reviving ​concerns about supply of crude after the previous session's fall on a weaker outlook ‌for demand and a large build in US stocks. Brent futures rose 1 cent, or 0.1 per cent, to $87.08 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate crude futures rose 6 cents to $81.31 a barrel. Yesterday, the US ​warned that it could maintain a naval blockade of Iran indefinitely and ramp up economic pressure on Tehran as ceasefire talks have stalled. Alisha Rahaman Sarkar14 August 2026 04:28 Rachel Dobkin14 August 2026 04:02Crew of Yemeni vessel recount their chaotic rescue after Houthis' deadly attack Crew members of a Yemeni commercial ship who survived a deadly attack by Houthi rebels earlier this week said a second missile struck the vessel just as rescue efforts from the initial strike were underway, causing even more chaos and casualties. In all, three ballistic missiles fired by the Iran-backed Houthis struck the ship in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, just off Yemen’s coast, as it was coming into port, killing six people and injuring at least nine others, according to Yemeni authorities. It was part of an escalating campaign by the Houthis and their first deadly attack this year on a vessel navigating the strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and accounts for roughly 12 per cent of global trade. “People were burning ... it was a strange scene of doomsday,” said Zaheer Ahmed, a Pakistani crew member recovering at a hospital in the port city of Mokha. “I shouted for help and a Yemeni soldier came to my aid,” said Ahmed, who was injured in both legs. All three of the crew members The Associated Press interviewed at the hospital described intense fire, panic and damage aboard the ship, which was struck before dawn on Tuesday. Indonesian crew member Muhammad Al Taindo , right, receives medical treatment after the cargo ship Tihama was struck in a Houthi attack in the Bab al-Mandab Strait (AP) Sam Rkaina14 August 2026 02:58US official says it would be 'wise' for Iran to agree to peace deal A US official has said it would be “wise” for Iran to agree to a peace deal as the war in the Middle East drags on. While Donald Trump “has been consistent in saying he prefers a diplomatic solution, he continues to retain all options if Iran continues to engage in terrorism and refuses to make a deal”, the official told NewsNations. “The successful sanctions and blockade have crippled Iran’s economy and left Iran in an extremely degraded state. It would be wise for Iran to agree to a deal – otherwise, they know what will happen”. Rachel Dobkin14 August 2026 02:01US military denies reports of sailor deaths and suicidal ideation on the USS Abraham Lincoln US Central Command had denied reports that seven sailors died in a brawl aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Middle East and that there had been a spike in suicidal ideation on the aircraft carrier. “USS Abraham Lincoln has maintained among the highest crew reenlistment rates (84.4%) of all aircraft carriers in the U.S. Navy”, CENTCOM wrote on X. “No service members aboard the aircraft carrier have died, and the one Sailor who fell overboard Aug. 3 was quickly and safely recovered. The rampant misreporting on Abraham Lincoln's historic deployment is a disservice to our men and women in uniform and their loved ones”. Rachel Dobkin14 August 2026 01:36Top US Democrat calls reports of deteriorating conditions on USS Abraham Lincoln a 'disgrace' A top US Democrat has called reports of deteriorating conditions on USS Abraham Lincoln in the Middle East a “disgrace”. “Food shortages. Rationing. Mental Health Challenges. Lack of fresh fruits and vegetables”, Hakeem Jeffries, the minority leader for the House of Representatives, wrote on X. “Republicans need to end their reckless war of choice in Iran immediately”. Rachel Dobkin14 August 2026 01:02 Rachel Dobkin14 August 2026 00:02