UKMTO Says Explosions Reported In Strait Of Hormuz

RFE
06 Aug 2026, 10:30 GMT+10

New posts

08:20

2 Explosions Reported Near Oil Tanker In Strait Of Hormuz

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Organization (UKMTO) announced on August 6 that an oil tanker had reported several explosions while passing through the Strait of Hormuz near the coast of Oman.

This comes as officials from Iran's Foreign Affairs Ministry say they are in talks with Oman for joint management of the strategic waterway.

"The Master of a tanker has reported hearing two explosions while transiting in the Strait of Hormuz," the UKMTO said on X.

The incident occurred 9 nautical miles southeast of the Omani coast late on August 5.

The organization added that based on the report received, the crew and the ship are safe and no environmental damage has been reported.

Iran, which has closed the Strait of Hormuz on several occasions since the start of the US-Israeli war against it, has previously opened fire on ships that Tehran says did not pass through designated "authorized routes."

Copy link
Facebook
X (Twitter)
LinkedIn
Email

08:15

Trump: 'I'd Rather Make a Deal' With Iran Than Resort to Military Action

US President Donald Trump said on August 5 that he would prefer to reach a diplomatic agreement with Iran rather than launch further military action, while reiterating that Tehran must not acquire nuclear weapons.

Speaking in Las Vegas, Trump said: "We're either going to make a deal or we're going to finish the job. And it won't be tough to finish the job. I'd rather make a deal, because I don't want to affect 91 million people."

Trump also claimed Iran had sought talks after the United States was on the verge of carrying out what he described as a much larger military strike, saying continued military pressure had brought Tehran back to the negotiating table.

The remarks came as the Trump administration said it would continue negotiations with Iran, with discussions including the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

Copy link
Facebook
X (Twitter)
LinkedIn
Email

08:03

Curtis Points To Bipartisan Senate Momentum As Russia-Iran Sanctions Bill Nears Final Vote

WASHINGTON -- A bipartisan coalition in the US Senate is working to keep momentum behind a sweeping sanctions package targeting Russia and Iran, with lawmakers from both parties arguing that the legislation would send a broader message about American resolve against authoritarian powers.

US Senator John Curtis speaks to RFE/RL in Washington on August 5.

Republican Senator John Curtis of Utah, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the unusually broad support for the measure reflects a growing recognition in Congress that Russia's war against Ukraine is not simply a regional conflict but a test of the international order.

The Senateadvancedthe Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act in a key procedural vote last week, with Curtis serving in the presiding chair during the vote. Speaking with RFE/RL on August 5, he said the level of bipartisan backing was significant.

"It's not very often that you see things here in the Senate that are that overwhelmingly bipartisan," Curtis said. "And when you see that many of my colleagues on both sides come together, you should pay attention because that means we're serious and something's going to happen."

To read the full report, clickhere.

Copy link
Facebook
X (Twitter)
LinkedIn
Email

00:06

We are now closing the live blog for the day. We'll be back at 7:30 a.m. Central European time to cover the latest events across the Middle East.

Copy link
Facebook
X (Twitter)
LinkedIn
Email

22:18

5.8.2026

US, Britain Emphasize Commitment To Safe Navigation In Strait Of Hormuz

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio meets with British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband at the Department of State in Washington on August 5.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband met in Washington on August 5 and emphasized their countries' commitment to ensuring safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz and preventing Iran from ever acquiring or developing a nuclear weapon.

According to a statement from the US State Department, the two sides also discussed the importance of Europe playing a greater role in ensuring the security of the vital waterway.

The development came as Iranian officials said Tehran was close to reaching a deal with Oman to establish a safe route through the Strait of Hormuz, while warning against "third-party" intervention in the negotiations.

The continued disruption of traffic through the strait has been a major source of tension in the war between the United States and Iran and has complicated diplomatic efforts to end the wider conflict in the Middle East.

Copy link
Facebook
X (Twitter)
LinkedIn
Email

21:39

5.8.2026

Cost Of Energy Consumption In Iran Have 'Increased 3 To 4 Times'

Reports from Iran indicate that the cost of electricity consumption in July this year increased three to four times compared to the previous month.

Iranian media said a family who received a bill of around 300,000 tomans in June were faced with a bill of 800,000 tomans in July.

A spokesman for the electricity industry, Mustafa Rajabi-Mashadi,responded by saying that "there was no sudden increase in tariffs, and the heavy bills are mainly due to subscribers going beyond their consumption patterns."

According to Rajabi-Mashadi, the "consumption pattern" is determined based on the consumption of 75 percent of subscribers in each region, and subscribers who consume less than this pattern benefit from subsidies and receive rewards for efficient consumption.

The increase in electricity costs comes at a time when temperatures are extremely high in many parts of Iran. At the same time, Iranian citizens are facing sharp increases in the prices of essential goods and services due to the consequences of the war and rising inflation.

Copy link
Facebook
X (Twitter)
LinkedIn
Email

19:22

5.8.2026

Iran, Oman Make Progress On Strait Of Hormuz Route Agreement, Tehran Says

(File Photo) A drone view shows vessels in the Strait of Hormuz as seen from Musandam, Oman, on June 15, 2026.

Iran and Oman made progress on August 5 in talks on a shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz, agreeing on the route's geographical coordinates, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei said.

Tehran and Muscat have been in talks for the past couple of months, discussing various aspects of the proposed route, Baqaei said, adding that the two countries have nearly finalized a joint announcement, "provided that certain third parties do not obstruct the process."

Earlier in the day, US President Donald Trump said the vital waterway would be reopened "soon," threatening to hit Iran "very hard" if Tehran refuses to negotiate its reopening. "They understand that. I have no choice," he added.

Map: Strait of Hormuz (no title)

Speaking to Fox News, Trump also said that "very good discussions" were underway with Iranian authorities. However, Iran's state news agency IRNA reported that, according to the country's Foreign Ministry, no talks had been held between Washington and Tehran in recent days.

However, Baqaei said any agreement between Iran and Oman on a safe route through the Strait of Hormuz would not, by itself, guarantee security there.

The effective closure of the strait has long been one of the central issues in the war between the United States and Iran and one of the main obstacles to a negotiated settlement aimed at ending the broader conflict in the Middle East.

From the early days of the war, Tehran kept access to the waterway restricted, disrupting global oil markets and sending prices soaring.

In the following months, it also sought to impose a toll on vessels passing through the Strait, a move that the United States described as unacceptable.

With reporting by Reuters and Fox News.Share

Copy link
Facebook
X (Twitter)
LinkedIn
Email

17:44

5.8.2026

US Lifts Sanctions On Iraqi Airline Accused Of Links To IRGC

The United States has lifted sanctions imposed on the Iraqi airline Fly Baghdad (FBA). The company had previously been placed on the sanctions list due to suspected ties to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).

According to an August 5 update on the US Treasury Department's website, sanctions on Fly Baghdad and two of its aircraft have been lifted, but sanctions on Bashir Abdulkadhim Alwan Al-Shabani, who was previously identified as the owner of the company, remain in place.

In January 2024, Washington sanctioned the company, its aircraft, and its owner, saying it was assisting the IRGC's Quds Force and its proxy groups in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon.

A US Treasury official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told RFE/RL's Radio Farda that the company had been removed from the sanctions list after going through an administrative review process.

"FBA has demonstrated major changes to their operations such that their listing is no longer warranted," the official said. "This is not indicative of any shift in US policy toward the Government of Iran, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force, any designated terrorist organization, or any person who supports or acts on behalf of any of these.

"Todays removal was done as part of the normal administrative process upon review of the specifics related to FBA."

Copy link
Facebook
X (Twitter)
LinkedIn
Email

17:10

5.8.2026

Turkey, Iraq Plan To Boost Alternative Oil Route To Strait Of Hormuz

A worker checks the valve gears of pipes linked to oil tanks at Turkey's Mediterranean port of Ceyhan. (file photo)

Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said the disruption of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz shows that the world needs alternative routes for transporting oil and that Ankara is in talks with Iraq to expand new energy export corridors.

Speaking to the state broadcasterTRT, Bayraktar said Turkey and Iraq are discussing the construction of a pipeline from the Silopi-Habur border crossing to Basra, allowing part of Iraq's oil, as well as oil from Gulf countries, to reach global markets without relying entirely on the Strait of Hormuz.

He said that, in the first phase, up to 750,000 barrels of Iraqi crude per day could be transported to the Turkish Mediterranean port of Ceyhan via the existing Iraq-Turkey pipeline.

According to Bayraktar, the current capacity of the route is 1.5 million barrels per day, and Turkey has proposed expanding the infrastructure and extending it to Basra, increasing capacityup to 2.5 million barrels per day.

Bayraktar said around 20 million barrels of oil pass through the Strait of Hormuz daily and that continued tensions in the waterway have underscored the need for reliable alternative energy export routes.

He added that, in the future, in addition to Iraqi crude, the corridor could also be used to export oil from Kuwait and other Gulf states.

Copy link
Facebook
X (Twitter)
LinkedIn
Email

16:11

5.8.2026

National Iranian Oil Company's Accounts Frozen Over Debts

Iran's Bank of Industry and Mines has frozen the bank accounts of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) over outstanding debts.

According to the Fars news agency, the move comes despite the country's budget law, which defers the NIOC's debt repayments until the end of the current fiscal year in Iran

The dispute follows an earlier complaint by NIOC's deputy for tax affairs, who told the Tasnim news agency that the Iranian Tax Administration had imposed penalties on all of the company's transactions and sales.

National Iranian Oil Company building

The official said the fine amounted to 287 trillion tomans ($1.7 billion), adding: "Because this amount was not included in the budget of the NIOC, which is a state-owned enterprise, it is simply impossible to pay."

The official also said that "under higher-level government directives, the NIOC's exports are not subject to public disclosure, yet the Tax Administration imposed the penalties without taking these factors into account."

The news website Emtedad, referring to the freezing of NIOC's bank accounts, criticized the decision, writing that while the world's major oil companies are turning geopolitical crises into unprecedented profits and adding billions of dollars to their balance sheets, Iran's largest oil company is struggling with financial constraints and frozen bank accounts.

Iran's oil and gas sector remains subject to extensive international sanctions over the Tehran's nuclear program, development of ballistic missiles, and support for proxy groups across the Middle East.