US Navy stretched thin in West Asia as supply routes collapse: NYT
Al Mayadeen| September 2, 2026
A New York Times investigation reveals that the US Navy’s problem in West Asia is no longer just about remaining missile stockpiles or the threat of Iranian strikes, but rather its ability to keep about 20 ships and 20,000 sailors and Marines in the region without a nearby and secure supply network.
According to the NYT, Iranian strikes have dismantled the Navy’s regional supply chain, putting pressure on the aircraft carriers, destroyers, and amphibious ships Washington has kept in the region indefinitely since launching its war on Iran.
Two carriers, the USS George HW Bush and the USS George Washington, are currently stationed in the region alongside 12 destroyers carrying about 3,700 personnel, together enforcing a blockade on Iranian ports. An amphibious ready group of three additional warships, carrying 5,000 Marines, rounds out the force to roughly 20 ships and 20,000 sailors and Marines total.
Feeding and fueling that many ships is a demanding task on its own, the NYT reports. The fleet needs more than 420,000 meals and around eight million gallons of fuel every week. A single carrier carries 5,000 crew members who eat up to four times a day, and although the carriers run on nuclear power, the aircraft and helicopters launching from them burn through millions of gallons of fuel weekly.
Bahrain strike broke the supply chain
The Navy built a network of regional supply depots over several decades to support this scale of operation. That network stopped functioning on February 28, the first day of the war, when Iran struck and destroyed a major Navy logistics base in Bahrain.
Every other regional port capable of servicing a carrier or supply ship now sits within range of Iranian missiles and drones, cutting the Navy off from them as well.
Diego Garcia, Singapore, and resupply at sea
With regional bases out of reach, supply ships must now sail to Diego Garcia, a small island in the Indian Ocean about 2,200 miles from where the fleet operates in the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. Singapore is the only other option, a 3,700-mile trip that routes ships through the crowded Strait of Malacca.
Those distances mean warships depend on resupply missions at sea roughly every five to six days, a process the NYT describes as dangerous for both vessels involved. A receiving ship and a supply ship must sail side by side for hours, matching course and speed to stay within about 150 feet of each other through shifting wind, waves, and current. Crews fire lines between the ships by rifle to rig steel cables, then send fuel and pallets of goods across on those lines while helicopters carry additional supplies, parts, and mail between the ships in nets.
Why the Navy can’t keep this up indefinitely
These deployments have no fixed end date. Ships stay in the region until the US president and war secretary order otherwise. But the NYT’s reporting shows that the fleet is running out of room to sustain that.
The Navy has 11 aircraft carriers total, four of which are already committed to the war on Iran, while several others sit in shipyards for repairs that will keep them out of service for years.
The USS Abraham Lincoln shows what that toll looks like in practice. It spent nearly its entire nine-month deployment at sea without a single port call, well beyond the roughly monthly stops carriers normally make so crews can rest.
The USS George Washington relieved the Lincoln on August 20, and the carrier docked in Thailand this week, where its crew will get a short break before the ship continues home to San Diego.
Hezbollah denies ties to alleged Syria-Lebanon ‘destabilization cell’
Al Mayadeen| September 2, 2026
Hezbollah’s Media Relations Office has categorically denied any connection to a security cell reportedly arrested on suspicion of seeking to destabilize Lebanon and Syria, dismissing the accusations as entirely baseless.
In a statement released Wednesday, the office stressed that Hezbollah has no connection whatsoever, direct or indirect, to any such cell or group. It said certain media outlets, which it accused of a pattern of leveling false accusations against the Resistance, had circulated the claims linking Hezbollah to the alleged cell.
The office said attempts by these outlets to implicate Hezbollah in security-related cases, relying on unnamed sources, are part of a disinformation campaign aimed at tarnishing the group’s image, sowing discord, and undermining security and stability in Lebanon.
It asserted that the reports are part of a broader effort to malign the Resistance through unverified claims attributed to anonymous sources.
A recurring pattern
The denial follows months of similar accusations against Hezbollah from Syrian officials since the fall of the al-Assad government.
In July, Hezbollah rejected claims tying it to an attempt to smuggle weapons and missiles across the Syrian-Iraqi border, after Syrian authorities said they had intercepted a shipment concealed inside a fuel tanker arriving from Iraq. Also in April and May, the group denied allegations linking it to a cell accused of plotting to assassinate a religious figure.
Hezbollah has affirmed on each occasion that it maintains no activity, connection, or presence inside Syrian territory. The group has said the repetition of such claims raises serious questions and points to parties seeking to inflame tension between the Syrian and Lebanese peoples.
Hezbollah has also pointed to similar fabricated allegations emerging from Bahrain and Kuwait, warning of a foreign plot aimed at stoking tensions between Arab nations and the Axis of Resistance and destabilizing the wider region.
The group has consistently framed the recurring accusations as a coordinated effort tied to the broader Zionist-American agenda in the region, arguing that the timing and pattern of the claims serve to isolate the Resistance and strain relations between Lebanon and Syria at a sensitive political juncture.
Economy will withstand US sanctions, Iran Central Bank governor says
Al Mayadeen| September 1, 2026
Claims suggesting Iran is heading toward an economic collapse are unfounded, said the Governor of the Central Bank of Iran, Abdolnaser Hemmati, on Tuesday, stressing that the country’s economic system continues to operate robustly despite new sanctions imposed by its adversaries every week.
Hemmati said Iran’s collection of its foreign-currency receivables remains ongoing and that its resources continue to flow, alongside domestic reserves. He added that Iran has financial resources whose details cannot be disclosed, noting that the Central Bank is fully prepared to inject $2 billion in foreign currency into the market.
In a message addressed to US President Donald Trump, Hemmati said, “I say to Trump: Iran has enough foreign-currency reserves”.
Regarding developments in the foreign-exchange market, the Central Bank governor said conditions in the currency market would stabilize in the coming period, attributing the recent rise in exchange rates more to psychological warfare than to underlying economic factors.
US economic pressure fails
This comes after the United States announced “Operation Economic Outcast” earlier this week as part of its campaign to isolate Iran economically. The US Treasury has described the initiative as an effort to target Iran’s financial links and pressure foreign entities conducting business with Tehran.
The sanctions, like previous packages aimed at choking Iran economically, have evidently failed. Chinese refiners are still importing about 1.2 million barrels of Iranian oil a day this year, a figure barely below last year’s pace.
Real volumes could be higher, since ships carrying Iranian crude have gotten better at avoiding detection. Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) revealed that Iranian commercial and financial activity continues across Dubai despite Washington’s push to sharply restrict Tehran’s access to regional markets and financial networks.
According to the newspaper, Iranian banks, airlines, restaurants, and businesses remain active in the United Arab Emirates.
At one Bank Melli branch in Dubai’s old city, around a dozen tellers were continuing to serve Farsi-speaking customers, according to the report. Employees said they had received no instructions ordering the branch to cease operations. “We put our trust in God on what happens next,” an Iranian bank employee said.
Trump Claims 100k Protestors Killed /Suliaman Ahmed & Lt Col Daniel Davis
Daniel Davis / Deep Dive – August 31, 2026
Araghchi accuses Netanyahu of deceiving US over war on Iran

Al Mayadeen | August 31, 2026
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of practicing deception and duplicity, describing him as a “serpent.”
Araghchi stated that Netanyahu openly boasts in Hebrew about having deceived the US administration and pushed it into waging a war on Iran on behalf of “Israel”.
In a post on X, the Iranian foreign minister also pointed to Netanyahu’s contempt toward Washington, noting that “Netanyahu explicitly laughs about how he ‘influenced’ America through 1,000 hours of airtime on U.S. networks”.
Araghchi added, highlighting what he called a stark contradiction in Netanyahu’s positions: “In English, he praises POTUS’ leadership.”
Araghchi’s statement comes as concerns within the “America First” wing of the Republican Party are rising regarding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s efforts to influence President Trump to deepen the war against Iran, as Politico revealed in July 2026.
The report, published ahead of a meeting between Trump and Netanyahu at the White House, noted that the Israeli leader had reportedly sold the president on starting the war with Iran during a previous in-person meeting.
Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon expressed strong opposition to the meeting, stating that “Netanyahu has had twice as many visits to the White House in 18 months as Churchill had in all of World War II, with every one of them a disaster for America First.”
The report noted that these concerns come at a time when new polling indicates that a growing segment of the president’s base no longer believes the war is worth its economic costs, with Republicans increasingly resigned to the war continuing through the November midterm elections.
Curt Mills, executive director of The American Conservative magazine, described the meeting as “DEFCON 1” and said Netanyahu would “argue for the essential logic of escalation” during the talks.
Arab states call US sanctions on Iran unrealistic: Report
Press TV – August 31, 2026
Leaders of the Arab Persian Gulf states have reportedly told Washington that sanctions imposed on Iran by the US Treasury Secretary are “unrealistic” and difficult for the countries to accommodate, citing their geographic proximity and close ties with Iran.
Officials from the Persian Gulf states formally conveyed to the US side that the directive issued by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, as part of an economic war against Iran, was “not realistic” and could not be tolerated given their geographic circumstances, neighboring status and proximity to Iran.
The regional newspaper Rai al-Youm reported that Western diplomatic circles believe the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Qatar are unlikely to show the same willingness as European countries to comply with decisions and memoranda issued by the US Treasury Department.
According to the report, some foreign governments, including Qatar, may not adhere to US threats of economic sanctions, viewing them as unrealistic and evidence of the continued escalation of tensions in the region.
Such measures, the report said, could also undermine efforts to pursue scenarios aimed at reducing regional tensions.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced the new “economic terrorism” campaign, absurdly comparing it to the D-Day Normandy landings of World War II.
Bessent claimed the measures target Iran’s financial networks worldwide and warned that no partner is beyond Washington’s reach.
He said the Trump administration has identified entities dealing with Iran and will impose deadlines for them to cut ties or face exclusion from the US dollar system.
China, Russia and Pakistan have also opposed US threats of sanctions against countries trading with Iran.
Abdolamir Rabihavi, director general of the West Asia Office of Iran’s Trade Promotion Organization, said Iran’s trading partners had largely disregarded the announcement of new US sanctions and that trade with these countries was continuing.
Rabihavi said expanding trade with neighboring countries as well as major Eastern economies could provide an opportunity to strengthen Iran’s foreign trade.
“One should not be overly influenced by unprofessional remarks by US officials, as many countries need Iranian goods and the country’s products are competitive in target markets in terms of quality and price,” he said.
The official said trade was a two-way, mutually beneficial relationship, noting that just as Iran seeks markets for its goods, its trading partners are also looking for suitable suppliers to meet their needs, and Iran can supply part of those requirements.
Rabihavi also stressed the need to diversify Iran’s export markets, saying Africa, with around 50 countries and a population of nearly 1.5 billion, represents an important and relatively underdeveloped market for Iranian exports of goods and services.
Alongside African countries, Rabihavi said, Central Asian states could also provide suitable markets for Iranian goods, particularly given their existing capacities and the opportunities offered by free-trade agreements, which Iran should seriously seek to utilize.
IRGC strikes two US airbases in Jordan over Larak aggression
Al Mayadeen| August 31, 2026
Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps Aerospace Force struck technical, maintenance and fighter jet infrastructure at two US-operated airbases in Jordan, King Hussein and Al-Azraq, using a combined ballistic missile and drone operation.
The IRGC said the attacks caused “heavy damage” and were launched in direct response to the US strike on Larak Island.
The IRGC warned that “aggression and crime” will not remedy the enemy’s desperation over its weakening control of the Strait of Hormuz, and that every shot fired at Iran will be met with a more crushing response.
The operation follows Sunday’s US strike on Larak Island, the first known US military attack against Iran since late July, which the IRGC said killed and wounded “several of our fighters and compatriots.”
The strike on Larak was launched from Jordan
Fars News Agency reported that flight navigation data traced the Larak drone strike back to Jordan, launched with support from Jordanian bases, a detail that places Amman directly inside the chain of escalation Iran’s retaliatory strikes on King Hussein and Al-Azraq are now responding to.
IRGC spokesperson Hossein Mohebi separately called Washington’s escalating economic and military pressure a “strategic and fatal mistake” that would “change the balance against its architects” and carry heavy costs on both economic and military fronts.
A region-wide wave of retaliation
Iran’s response to Larak has extended well beyond the two Jordanian airbases.
Press TV reported Iranian missile fire toward US ships in the Strait of Hormuz, while Iranian state television, citing Arab sources, reported explosions in the Aqaba area of southern Jordan, including near the US-operated Muwaffaq Salti Airbase. Fars News Agency additionally reported an explosion at Qatar’s Al-Udeid Airbase.
Moreover, activity at Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah airport had been halted early on Monday, IRIB reported citing the Middle East Spectator.
A political warning to Washington
Ebrahim Azizi, chairman of Iran’s Parliament National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, warned Washington directly, saying, “Test our will once more, and pay a heavier price. Retaliation is coming; JUST RUN!”
He said no crime would go unanswered and promised a response that would be “devastating, more painful, and instructive,” telling Washington to wait “in fear and terror.”
The escalation has rattled energy markets. Brent crude rose 2.52% to $90.32 a barrel and US West Texas Intermediate climbed 2.41% to $85.41 a barrel by 2202 GMT Monday, Reuters reported, after the initial Larak strikes marked the first known American military action against Iran since late July.
US Self Destructs Attacking Iran Again / Lt Col Daniel Davis & Suliaman Ahmed
Daniel Davis / Deep Dive | August 29, 2026
Hezbollah’s Options in Resisting and Why It Decided to Stop Responding
By Robert Inlakesh | Palestine Chronicle | August 29, 2026
As Israel continues to ramp up its destruction of south Lebanon, critics ask why Hezbollah suddenly stopped responding and whether the group is again out of options. The tactical pause on the Lebanese organization’s part will not last, and its options are more numerous than some may expect.
When Hezbollah began responding to 15 months of Israeli daily ceasefire violations in early March of this year, it came as a shock to many who had assumed the group to have been defeated and that its silence was to be taken as a weakness. Although here at the Palestine Chronicle, I and others had argued that Hezbollah was simply rebuilding its stockpiles, the common consensus in international media was to assume it was finished as an effective resistance force.
Since April 16, the group has again chosen to halt its daily operations against the Israelis and abide by a shaky ceasefire agreement which Israel has once again decided to violate on a daily basis. Only when the occupying army attempts to advance further into Lebanon will the organization’s fighters choose to engage, which has again triggered rumors of weakness.
When the US-backed Lebanese government signed its agreement recognizing Israel, taking away its right to appeal to international courts over war crimes committed against its people and permitting an occupation of southern Lebanon, a number of different factors were also present that forced Hezbollah to halt its fire.
The first was that the US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding was already in place and that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had managed to force the Israelis to stop bombing Beirut and halt its major attacks on southern Lebanese civilian centers.
Another factor at play was the US government’s overt pressure that was being applied to the Syrian leadership to invade the Bekaa Valley and carry out Israel’s dirty work. Then there was a clear-cut escalation on the part of the government in Beirut that sought to legitimize a clash between the Lebanese Army and Hezbollah in pursuit of disarming the resistance group.
When considering the Iran angle, Tehran had managed through the threat of missile fire to get the Israelis to temporarily back off from major air assaults in Lebanon. Although the Trump administration used its puppets in Beirut to sign a meaningless agreement that Tel Aviv couldn’t care less for, the gains were made that at least some pressure had been taken off of the civilian population of Lebanon. This consideration is significant as it allowed for around 350,000 people to return to their homes and halted the large-scale civilian killings.
Then there were the considerations of Hezbollah when it comes to a potential domestic clash and Syrian invasion. Instead of continuing its daily operations against occupying forces, it was given the space to continue to supply itself with more armaments, to reposition assets in preparation for the worst-case scenario of a Syrian invasion, but it also allowed for tensions to simmer between itself and the Lebanese leadership.
Former Hezbollah Secretary General Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah had long advocated for minimizing the risk of internal clashes and even making compromises in order to allow the group to focus its energies on resisting Israel; it appears that this is the same line of thinking being employed by the group’s leadership today. Although Lebanon is on the verge of a major clash, historically speaking, the resistance group has always had to deal with major pushbacks from domestic players, including significant issues with the Amal movement that are today its close allies.
All of this being said, escalating against the Israeli occupiers can come in two forms, either through proceeding on the path of daily operations that inflict material and soldier losses on the enemy, or to fight in a larger multi-front battle. As demonstrated during the 41-day war earlier this year, fighting alongside its Iranian allies makes Hezbollah much more effective.
When Iranian ballistic missiles are raining down on Israeli targets, and Israel’s air force is preoccupied with striking targets inside Iran, it gives Hezbollah the space to pull off more effective attacks on the Israelis. Keep in mind that the group has demonstrated it possesses a sizable arsenal of ballistic and cruise missiles, alongside its large drone stockpiles, making it capable of striking into Israel’s strategic depth. Doing this alone, however, comes with a higher price than if it is part of a multi-front equation. This is also why Yemen’s Ansarallah threatened to become involved in a war in support of Hezbollah, before Iran’s threats and warning missile fire were enough to coerce the Israelis to back off prior to April 16.
This is all to say that if Hezbollah is fighting the Israelis alone and does not have to worry about a Syrian invasion and civil war, it can very effectively bog down their occupiers and demonstrate their ability to do this for months, absent Iran or any other front being active. Yet, the organization is in a much stronger position should it simply wait for an expansion of the conflict and then unleash a new strategy to bring the fight to the Israelis in ways we have not previously witnessed.
During the lead-up to Israel’s withdrawal from south Lebanon in 2000, Hezbollah would carry out an average of 300 operations per month against the occupiers. At some points during the latest conflict, we saw the group carry out as many as 100 operations in a single day. With this being said, the Israeli leadership’s mindset today is not the same as it was in the late 1990s, meaning that they are willing to go much further than ever before since October 7 of 2023. They have been seeking to accelerate their long-term expansionist vision, not caring about how attacks targeting civilians impact their image whatsoever.
Therefore, it is safe to assume that Hezbollah will begin its operations once again under three different scenarios:
- They are forced to do so defensively due to attacks from Israel, perhaps combined with a Syrian attack and/or domestic clash.
- They will participate in a multi-front war.
- They will wait until they can ensure that they can fight Israel alone and make them pay the maximum price for their occupation when the time is right, seeking to bog the Israelis down for as long as possible and continuously using asymmetric warfare tactics.
– Robert Inlakesh is a journalist, writer, and documentary filmmaker. He focuses on the Middle East, specializing in Palestine.
Why the Iran War is about to Escalate over The Coming Months
By Robert Inlakesh | Palestine Chronicle | August 28, 2026
Nothing is in place to ensure an Israeli-US victory against the Iranians, but Tel Aviv is not backing down and seeks to complete its mission aimed at dealing an enormous blow to Iran’s economy.
This week, the US Trump administration decided to impose another batch of sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran, in what it has labeled ‘Operation Economic Outcast’. Yet, this measure’s viability is about to expire and could end up backfiring tremendously, as all the chips are now in place for Tehran to drag Washington deeper into a fiery regional inferno.
Since April 8, when the US and Iran both agreed to a two-week-long ceasefire, American President Donald Trump has been playing a game designed to manipulate oil markets and has attempted just about every tactic known to man in order to simply off-put the economic iceberg that the global economy is heading straight towards.
See, the problem that the Trump administration faces is that its initial attack on Iran failed tremendously. But now, he cannot simply admit defeat and walk away. If he signs a deal with Tehran, then it will be a de facto surrender agreement that ensures a collapse in US regional hegemony and that Israel is left to face the consequences of its actions, with an empowered and emboldened Iran ready to support Tel Aviv’s downfall.
After around 40 days of war with Iran, the Israeli and American leaderships had come to the realization that the only viable next step was to begin targeting Iranian civilian infrastructure – if they were to have any hope of achieving regime change. This, after all, was the Israeli plot to begin with, as they understood well that the Islamic Republic was not going to fall as a result of the air campaign alone.
Targeting Iran’s civilian infrastructure comes with an evident price; this means that the retaliation is going to destroy the key infrastructure of the surrounding States also, from which the US will be launching its attacks. Included on this target list will be Israeli infrastructure also, which is what gives such an air campaign a specific time limit. Israel will view the price of the campaign against Iran as something they are willing to pay, as long as the Islamic Republic will be weakened significantly in the process.
Therefore, Tel Aviv’s leadership will take the necessary hits until that price becomes too high, at which point they will have to get the US to back off. For Israel, the destruction of the Persian Gulf Arab States is a plus, not a minus, as it eliminates economic competitors, but for the United States and most nations around the world, this is catastrophic.
For these reasons, Trump has gone back and forth between strategies designed to get the Iranians to buckle under pressure. He has implemented a counter-blockade on Iran, attempted to use negotiations and a Memorandum of Understanding to divide the Islamic Republic’s leadership, while also working to carve out an alternate route in the Strait of Hormuz.
When the Iranians saw through the MoU deception and responded forcefully, some may even say proactively, the US military began engaging in a tit-for-tat low-intensity battle with the Iranians that sought to try and degrade Iran’s military capabilities in the south.
Now, the latest move has been to introduce the most extreme sanctions program ever as a last-ditch attempt to pressure Tehran. These sanctions are different because they don’t just target Iran’s economy; they are designed to target its allies and trade partners, since the previous maximum-pressure sanctions already targeted everything imaginable.
There is also a reason why this has never been tried before in this way, because it can potentially backfire. You aren’t only targeting Iran; you are going after a large number of countries in the process, including China. Beijing itself has already threatened to retaliate.
Since early March, for all intents and purposes, the Strait of Hormuz has been closed, with only brief periods during which any meaningful number of tankers have been able to make it out. With the deterioration of the MoU, another card was played by the Iranian-led Axis of Resistance, as Yemen’s Ansarallah-led government announced a counter-blockade on Saudi Arabia.
By reopening the frozen conflict in Yemen, which had remained under a shaky ceasefire since 2022, it meant that the Yemeni Armed Forces would proceed with the project to not only liberate their nation, but to punish Saudi Arabia where it hurts the most. The Red Sea was a Saudi lifeline, allowing them to continue to export 6 million barrels of oil per day; suddenly, that option was cut, and the limited amount it is now capable of getting out of its Western Ports is exported via the Suez Canal, with insurance rates skyrocketing because of the risk.
Iran has demonstrated time and time again that it is capable of surviving under the weight of US sanctions for long periods. The United States, on the other hand, has not started to properly feel the effects of its actions. One way they have managed to offset the economic fallout of the Strait’s closure is to tap into their Strategic Petroleum Reserves, which have just sunk to their lowest levels since 1982, with experts claiming that they only have 41 days of these supplies left. It barely helps that Trump has also picked this time to engage in a declared trade war with its northern neighbor, Canada, nor that he has made outlandish decisions across the board.
Donald Trump has so far doubled down on his decisions and told the American public that they simply have to put up with the rising oil prices, as their contribution to “preventing Iran from having a nuclear weapon”. But the people are not buying it and clearly see that this war is being fought for Israel’s interests, not their own.
Desperate to reshape the region in Israel’s favor, the US has quickly attempted to have both the Iraqi and Lebanese governments disarm resistance factions aligned with Iran. Short of triggering catastrophic civil wars, this strategy cannot be implemented quickly and will have little real-world impact. Similarly, in the Gaza Strip, the Trump administration has put pressure on Hamas to suddenly disarm, providing the Israelis with a green light to amp up their strikes on the civilian population.
Nothing is in place to ensure an Israeli-US victory against the Iranians, but Tel Aviv is not backing down and seeks to complete its mission aimed at dealing an enormous blow to Iran’s economy. Their long-term game is to see a deterioration of the Islamic Republic after its infrastructure takes enormous hits, but this is by no means a guarantee.
Even if Israel gets precisely what it wants, the US will not win. The moment of truth is approaching as the walls close in; the US can either decide that it will act in America’s vital interests and end the war, or throw all its weight behind Israel’s desires.
– Robert Inlakesh is a journalist, writer, and documentary filmmaker. He focuses on the Middle East, specializing in Palestine. He contributed this article to The Palestine Chronicle.
Mearsheimer: IRAN WINNING THE BATTLE FOR WORLD OPINION
Daniel Davis / Deep Dive – August 26, 2026
Prof. John Mearsheimer joins Daniel Davis LIVE to discuss the latest developments in the Iran war, U.S. strategy, Israel, and the broader geopolitical consequences of the conflict.
Netanyahu Claims Reaching Agreement With Iran Impossible

Sputnik – 26.08.2026
TEL AVIV – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that reaching a “good” agreement with Iran’s authorities is impossible.
A ceasefire between the United States and Iran has been agreed upon, including freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, Pakistani military sources and Iranian security sources previously told Sputnik. The parties are expected to officially announce the ceasefire in the coming days.
Speaking at an event on settling the West Bank, the Israeli prime minister said that he is determined to ensure no threats from Iran. Netanyahu said that he discussed this with US President Donald Trump a few weeks ago at the White House.
“We discussed three options. I told him about an old option – to reach a good agreement. We have no objections. But I doubt that with this group of people … an agreement can be reached. I told him [Trump] that an agreement is impossible,” Netanyahu said.
The prime minister said that the second option is a resumption of hostilities.
Trump announced the launch of an economic operation against Iran on August 20, calling it “isolation on an unprecedented scale.” He urged US allies to join Washington.
Tehran will use all its resources to combat Washington’s economic pressure, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said on Monday, adding that the only option for the US is respectful dialogue with the Iranian people.
