Tuesday 11 August 2026 07:30 UTC
Hormuz Tensions Deepen as Rival Compensation Demands Grow
In the 24 hours ending 11 August at 07:30 UTC, tensions over Hormuz deepened as both sides added new compensation demands. Donald Trump, the US president, said the United States could still launch a major escalation against Iran. He also said US forces had cleared mines throughout the strait.
Trump ordered US negotiators to demand Iranian compensation in future talks. He cited Americans killed or injured by Iran and Iran-backed groups. Iran also demands compensation from Washington for damage caused during the war.
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Iran said sanctions were reducing the chance of a negotiated settlement. It also said the Strait of Hormuz would not return to its pre-war system. US intelligence assesses that control of the strait is now Iran’s main strategic goal.
Hopes for an early reopening weakened, pushing oil prices up 5%. Brent crude settled at $87.72 a barrel. Iranian oil exports fell about 40% from July to roughly 500,000 barrels daily.
Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, made six senior military appointments. Iran’s president also claimed that he met Khamenei for seven hours. Khamenei has not appeared publicly since taking power five months ago.
The United States, Syria and the UN nuclear watchdog agreed to remove yellowcake uranium from Syria. The material remained from a nuclear program destroyed by Israel in 2007. It cannot directly make a nuclear weapon, but could pose a dirty-bomb risk.
More than 70 people died after a powerful earthquake in Colombia. Hundreds were injured, and several western cities suffered extensive damage.
Ukrainian drones struck the Orsk oil refinery deep inside Russia and started a large fire. Another attack hit Russia’s largest petrochemical complex in Tobolsk. The facility processes a large share of western Siberian gas.
An explosion hit an ammunition warehouse at a Bulgarian weapons plant that supplies Ukraine. Authorities evacuated about 300 people and recorded no injuries. The cause remained unknown.
US emergency oil stocks fell by 6.1 million barrels to 298.7 million barrels. This was their lowest level since 1983.
Trump said his administration would recommend only 11 core childhood vaccines. Hepatitis B, COVID-19 and influenza vaccines would no longer be recommended for every child.
The United States has revoked more than 175,000 visas since Trump took office. Officials cited crimes, fraud, visa violations, security threats and support for violence.
An oil leak from the tanker Caroline Bezengi spread across about 390 square kilometres near Oman. More than two-thirds of England entered drought, with conditions expected to worsen.
Israel said it would not accept Qatar and Turkey overseeing its conduct in Gaza.
Nvidia is working with major investment companies on a $500 billion AI financing plan. The money would support a large expansion of computing infrastructure. Intel also announced a proposed $15 billion stock sale.
China said a Long March 7 rocket failed during launch.