Iran-US war latest: Another blow to peace as crucial Oman talks postponed after Trump tries to claim Hormuz oil

Oman announced late on Sunday that planned talks with Iran about the future of the Strait of Hormuz had been cancelled “in the interests of consensus”, scuppering hopes of a diplomatic breakthrough in the near term. Foreign minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi said the meeting had been postponed, without a clear alternative date set. He said Oman remained committed to “fostering dialogue that supports stability and lasting cooperation in our region”. Iranian officials had said earlier that they would attend the gathering with Gulf Arab states to present an agreement with Oman on the future governing of shipping routes through the Strait, which carried about a fifth of global oil supplies before the war. The international waterway was free to cross before the war and shipping companies have warned such an agreement could set a dangerous precedent. Formal control of the Strait of Hormuz would also hand Iran more leverage in future talks with the US. The channel continued to pose risks for oil shipping as it was reported on Sunday that a vessel had been struck by a projectile during transit, causing a fire and forcing the crew to evacuate. Oil prices surged to $102.35 on Monday morning.Catch up: Trump says he could keep Iranian oil ‘like Venezuela’ as Hormuz talks face setback US president Donald Trump has suggested his forces could stay in Iran and "keep the ‌oil", drawing a parallel with a US push to take control of a fifth of Venezuela's vast oil reserves. Trump reiterated that ​he still expected the Iran war to end this year even as the gridlock over talks on the Strait of Hormuz continue. Trump ​added that the price of gasoline would "drop like a rock" once the Iran war ended. On Monday crude oil spiked to $107 a barrel, one of the highest since the US and Israel launched its war on Iran.Trump said that ‌he ⁠would only make the "right deal", before drawing a parallel with the US deal in Venezuela, ​announced in August. "We'll ultimately get out (of Iran), ​unless ⁠we decide to stay and keep the oil like Venezuela," Trump said, adding that the US revenue from Venezuela has "paid ⁠for ​the war many times". Meanwhile, Oman said it had to postpone a meeting scheduled for Monday in Muscat with Iran and other regional countries to discuss the Strait of Hormuz “in the interest of consensus”. James Reynolds14 September 2026 11:00Saudi crown prince MBS meets with US Centcom chief Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman has met the commander of US Central Command, Admiral Brad Cooper, state TV reports. The pair met previously this time last month and discussed defence cooperation between the two countries as well as efforts to reduce regional tensions. The latest visit comes amid questions over US support for its ally Saudi Arabia as the Iran-aligned Houthi rebels ramp up their attacks on the kingdom and push towards the coast, threatening Saudi shipping. Saudi Arabia is the largest exporter of crude oil in the world. James Reynolds14 September 2026 10:25US Air Force officer shot down in Iran recounts his two-day wait for help with a broken back The American air force colonel whose F-15E fighter jet was downed over Iran in April has shared how survived for two days behind enemy lines with a broken back, arm and shoulder while waiting for help to arrive. ‘Bravo’ was the weapons-system officer in a two-man crew flying over Iran on 3 April, 2026 when the plane was hit by Iranian fire. The pilot in the front - ‘Alpha’ - ejected successfully, but Bravo went down in the mountains. In his first public account of what happened, he told CBS News how he free-fell to the ground at speeds of up to 100mph with a damaged parachute, torn up by an Iranian shoulder-fired missile. The officer broke his back, an arm and his shoulder after hitting the ground at speed, CBS reported. He said it was a “modern day miracle” that he survived two days hiding out before his rescue. Finding himself in a valley with cliffs on either side, the officer concluded he would be safest in the high ground and climbed to a 7,000ft ridgeline despite his injuries. “Never let a lack of motivation put you on Iranian TV,” he said. James Reynolds14 September 2026 10:20South Korea condemns Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia South Korea's foreign ministry on Monday condemned what it said was a Houthi attack on civilian and economic facilities in southern Saudi Arabia that injured multiple civilians, and urged the Iran-aligned group to immediately stop such attacks. The ministry said in a statement that attacks on civilians, civilian facilities and actions that undermined free and safe navigation could not be justified under any circumstances, and expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia. James Reynolds14 September 2026 09:40Houthis claim attack on another Saudi airbase Yemen’s Houthis have claimed an attack on Saudi Arabia’s Khamis Mushait air base. More as we have it... James Reynolds14 September 2026 09:19 James Reynolds14 September 2026 09:00Oman says talks with Iran have been postponed Oman says that a planned meeting with Iran and regional Gulf states about the future of the Strait of Hormuz has been postponed in the “interests of consensus”. “It has been decided to postpone to a later date the regional meeting that was to be held on Monday in Salalah, in order to create conditions conducive to a constructive dialogue,” the Oman News Agency said. Iranian officials had said they would attend that gathering with Gulf Arab states to present an agreement with Oman on governing shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz, which carried about a fifth of global oil supplies before the war. James Reynolds14 September 2026 08:25Analysis: The US has made progress in reopening the Strait of Hormuz, but the Iran war is far from over In recent weeks, the United States has succeeded in loosening Iran's grip over the Strait of Hormuz while virtually shutting down Iran's own oil exports, accelerating its economic free fall. But the war launched by the U.S. and Israel in February — intended to last a few weeks — is still far from over, and the stalemate is costly for both sides. An agreement reached in June quickly crumbled, with so sign of diplomatic progress since then. Low-level fighting persists, and the U.S. does not seem to have an exit strategy. “Unfortunately, the US is not winning in the war with Iran despite its limited success in loosening Iran’s grip over the strait and the devastating impact on Iran’s economy,” said Mona Yacoubian, a Middle East expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. Read the full analysis: James Reynolds14 September 2026 08:20Iran's nuclear chief not expected to attend IAEA General Conference, official says The head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization is not expected to attend the annual gathering of the UN nuclear watchdog’s member nations in Vienna for the first time in years because he is banned from international travel, an official briefed on the matter said. Mohammad Eslami’s exclusion from the IAEA conference is another sign of rapidly deteriorating relations between Iran and the West. Austria sought a waiver of the travel ban on Eslami with the UN sanctions committee but it was not granted, the official said. As host of the United Nations in Vienna, Austria can request exemptions from travel bans to enable sanctioned officials to attend international conferences at the UN. James Reynolds14 September 2026 07:41Plans for new airport in Damascus sparks outcry Syrian government plans to turn a former military airport in Damascus into a hub for private jets are raising alarm among rights groups and residents who say redevelopment could disturb suspected mass graves and override private land claims. Syria’s civil aviation authority said last week it was preparing to reclassify Mezzeh military airport for limited civilian use, focused on private and executive aviation, to complement Damascus International Airport, according to a report on ⁠Syria's state news agency, SANA. Rubble removal and infrastructure upgrades had already begun, the report said. The project is emerging as a test of how Syria’s new authorities balance a drive to attract investment and redevelop state assets with two unresolved legacies of Assad’s family rule: the fate of tens of thousands of missing Syrians and property rights clouded by decades of expropriation. More here. Alisha Rahaman Sarkar14 September 2026 07:00