Declaring ‘economic D-Day,’ Trump says any country trading with Iran will be sanctioned

These maniacs are on the ropes, and these HISTORIC MEASURES will cripple them,’ claims president, as US military said helping get millions of barrels of oil through Hormuz daily By Jacob Magid Follow and AgenciesToday, 6:46 am US President Donald Trump listens as Gemini co-founder and president Cameron Winklevoss, left, and Gemini co-founder and CEO Tyler Winklevoss, right, watch, during a meeting with technology leaders in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, August 19, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) US President Donald Trump on Wednesday declared “ECONOMIC D-DAY” against Iran, warning that any country doing business with the Islamic Republic will face …

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Trump puts $206 million behind Gaza force to disarm Hamas — but Israel won’t leave until the guns are gone

August 20, 2026 U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference at the G7 summit, Wednesday, June 17, 2026, in Evian-les-Bains, France. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) President Donald Trump is putting more than $206 million behind an international force for Gaza, the first major US financial commitment to his plan to disarm Hamas and reshape the Strip after the war. The International Stabilization Force would support the dismantling of Hamas’s weapons and terror infrastructure, secure territory following any IDF withdrawal, protect humanitarian operations, and help train new Palestinian police. Indonesia, Morocco, Kazakhstan, Kosovo and Albania have already pledged troops. …

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Report: Houthis plan to escalate tensions with Saudi Arabia

Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Akhbar reports Houthis preparing for possible escalation with Saudi Arabia, including renewed fighting along Saudi Arabia’s southern border. Israel National News   Aug 20, 2026, 8:38 AM (GMT+3) Houthi rebels in YemenMohammed Hamoud / Anadolu The Houthi rebel group in Yemen is planning an escalation with Saudi Arabia, the Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Akhbar reported Thursday. According to the report, the Houthis are also weighing the option of a ground invasion. On July 20, Houthi leadership announced a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea, framing the measure as a response to an alleged Saudi blockade on Yemen – an accusation Riyadh …

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Israel strikes an air base in northwest Syria to prevent Turkish troops from deploying

By  SAMAR KASSABALIUpdated 8:16 PM EDT, August 18, 2026 Leer en español DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Israel struck an air base in northwest Syria early Tuesday, saying it aimed to prevent Turkish troops from deploying there. Turkey, which has close ties with the Syrian government and has been providing assistance to Syria’s military, has tense relations with Israel. The rival countries have sought to curb each other’s influence in neighboring Syria. Eight strikes hit the runway of the Abu Duhur air base in the northwestern province of Idlib, causing damage but no casualties, state TV said. Syria’s Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani told reporters …

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Trump says ‘no talks’ with Iran, posts map showing Hormuz as ‘new US territory’

President seems to contradict Kushner who touted ‘robust’ talks with Iran a day earlier; Trump claims Strait of Hormuz open and de-mined, despite limited traffic amid fears of Iranian strikes By Jacob Magid Follow and Nava Freiberg Follow18 August 2026, 7:56 pm A map posted by US President Donald Trump, showing the Strait of Hormuz as a “New US Territory,” August 18, 2026. (Via Truth Social) US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that no talks with Iran are under way or scheduled, as he posted a map showing the Strait of Hormuz as a new American territory in a fresh jibe at Tehran. “There are …

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Israel confirms strikes on Syria’s Idlib airbase after US envoy condemns attack

A source familiar with the details told The Jerusalem Post that Israel recently provided the US with intelligence on attempts by Syria to build up its military capabilities. Abu al-Duhur base is seen following reported Israeli strikes, Syria, August 18, 2026(photo credit: REUTERS/STRINGER)ByAVI ASHKENAZI , JERUSALEM POST STAFFAUGUST 18, 2026 10:06Updated: AUGUST 19, 2026 07:53 The Syrian government and US Envoy to Iraq and Syria Tom Barrack accused Israel on Tuesday of carrying out overnight strikes on the Abu al-Duhur military airfield in Idlib province in northwestern Syria, calling the attacks an unnecessary escalation that threatens regional stability. On Tuesday evening, the Prime Minister’s Office released …

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Saudi Aramco resumes commercial oil shipments from Strait of Hormuz

World’s top oil exporter still stymied by Yemen’s Houthis in Red Sea, but ships millions of barrels to Asian refineries via UAE port after pause forced by latest US-Iran flare-up By Florence Tan and Siyi Liu18 August 2026, 4:24 pm Illustrative: An oil tanker (R) sails past petroleum refineries on Bukom Island off Singapore on March 17, 2022. (Roslan RAHMAN/AFP) SINGAPORE (Reuters) — Saudi Aramco resumed oil loading from inside the Strait of Hormuz last week and has more tankers waiting to load as the state energy giant offers spot heavy crude cargoes, according to shipping data and trade sources. On Monday, the …

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Kushner warns Hamas: US will allow Israel to ‘finish the job’ if disarmament fails

 August 18, 2026 Jared Kushner delivers a statement to the media alongside U.S. Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff and U.S. Vice President JD Vance, near Kiryat Gat, on October 21, 2025. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90) Jared Kushner says progress in Gaza disarmament could start in as little as one to three months. By World Israel News Staff US envoy Jared Kushner issued a blunt warning to Hamas on Monday, saying the group has a limited opportunity to prove it is serious about surrendering its weapons before Washington gives Israel broader backing to resume military operations and “finish the job” in Gaza. Kushner …

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Turkey rejects Israel’s justification for strikes on Syrian airbase

Turkey rejects Israel’s justification for strikes on Syria’s Abu al-Duhur airbase, accusing Jerusalem of violating Syrian sovereignty and stability. Elad Benari Published: Aug 19, 2026, 4:41 AM (GMT+3) Recep Tayyip ErdoganReuters Turkey on Tuesday night condemned Israel’s confirmation that it carried out airstrikes on the Abu al-Duhur airbase in Syria, rejecting Jerusalem’s explanation for the operation. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Israel acted after Syria was close to violating a security understanding by allowing Turkish forces to deploy at an airbase near Aleppo. “Israel and Syria agreed to a status quo in security matters, which Syria was on the verge of breaching …

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Iran’s oil exports down to ‘zero barrels,’ says US Energy Secretary

August 18, 2026 Oil tanker – illustrative (AP) Top Trump administration official says US is able to get 8-9 million barrels of oil out of the Persian Gulf, while Iran’s exports have fallen to zero.  By World Israel News Staff US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Monday that Iran is currently exporting no oil at all, portraying the US naval blockade as having effectively severed one of Tehran’s most important sources of revenue as the Trump administration intensifies pressure on the Islamic Republic. “Iran’s exports today are zero barrels of oil per day,” Wright said during an appearance on Fox News. …

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Meeting with Kushner, PM doubles down on IDF remaining in Gaza until Hamas disarmed

Kushner predicts progress in Hamas weapon handover within 30 days, reportedly cautions PM against interpreting ‘imminent threat’ too broadly when approving Gaza strikes By Nava Freiberg,  Agencies and Jacob Magid  17 August 2026, 5:19 pm   Left to right: White House adviser Jared Kushner, Board of Peace envoy Nickolay Mladenov, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP, Chaim Goldberg/ FLASH90) Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted during a meeting Monday with envoys from the White House and the US-backed Board of Peace that Israel would not redeploy any of its forces in Gaza or allow reconstruction to begin until the Strip was completely disarmed, …

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Trump confirms there is backchannel with IRGC, urges Iran to surrender | LIVE BLOG

Iran moves from defensive to ‘fully offensive’ policy toward US and sets deadline for full MoU implementation within the next few weeks, Iranian official says i24NEWS August 16, 2026 at 11:21 PM ■ latest revision August 17, 2026 at 02:44 PM Eight Muslim countries say Israel ‘bears responsibility for obstructing efforts to achieve peace’ after rejecting Trump’s Gaza plan, in a joint statement of foreign ministers. The signatories included Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Egypt. The countries say they condemn Israel’s public rejection of the Gaza peace plan, which “fundamentally undermines the collective efforts exerted to …

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Kushner meets Hamas chief in Egypt in push for Gaza disarmament; IDF continues strikes

Hamas says it will only begin disarming if Netanyahu publicly commits to plan, diplomat tells ToI; Egyptian, Turkish and Qatari mediators also present; after his first meet with terror group head since ceasefire, Kushner flies to Israel By Jacob Magid, Follow Emanuel Fabian Follow and Agencies16 August 2026, 6:33 pmUpdated: Today, 2:17 am US envoy Jared Kushner (left) and Hamas chief Khalil al-Hayya (right) in a photo montage. (Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP; AP/Khalil Hamra) US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and top aide Jared Kushner met with Hamas chief Khalil al-Hayya in the Egyptian coastal city of El-Alamein on Sunday, an Arab diplomat told The Times of …

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Iran’s supreme leader planning major escalation in war with US – report

 August 17, 2026 Mojtaba Khamenei (X) Israel reportedly caught off guard by the pace of Iran’s rearmament during ceasefire as Tehran appears poised to escalate fighting with the US. By World Israel News Staff Iran’s hard-line leadership used a two-month negotiating window with the United States to rebuild military capabilities, tighten the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ grip over the armed forces and prepare Tehran’s regional allies for an expanded war, according to a new Wall Street Journal report. The preparations, undertaken under Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, have included accelerating missile and drone production, reorganizing Iran’s security leadership and coordinating with allied groups …

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