United States - AL-MONITOR: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012

White House, Washington DC, United States of America

United States

August 24, 2026

Washington D.C. 2:06 pm

28°C

Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent addresses the audience during opening remarks at the Ministerial on the Resurgence of Political Terrorism at the State Department on July 16, 2026 in Washington, DC. Bessent spoke alongside U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller as they discussed the rise of far-left political terrorism as a transnational threat. (Photo by Finn Gomez/Getty Images)

Breaking | Last Updated: August 24, 2026, 1:49 pm

US threatens sanctions on Iran’s trading partners

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said countries were given "defined timelines" to halt business with Iran or face US sanctions.

Leon Neal/Getty Images

Oil falls 1.8% as traders await 'toughest' sanctions on Iran

Traders are awaiting details about new US measures sure to further disrupt Iranian oil flows.

ANKARA, TURKEY - JULY 7: U.S. President Donald Trump (L)shakes hands with with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) during a formal arrival at the Bestepe Presidential Palace during the NATO summit on July 7, 2026 in Ankara, Turkey. Leaders from NATO's 32 countries, plus NATO allies like Ukraine, gathered in the Turkish capital to discuss a range of issues involving spending targets, defense industrial production, and support for Ukraine, among other topics. (Photo by Emrah Gurel - Pool/Getty Images)

Analysis

Israel fears Turkey’s Syria ambitions and doubts Trump will stop them

Israeli officials remain skeptical of Turkish and Syrian denials over Ankara’s military ambitions in Syria, warning that a deeper Turkish foothold could threaten Israel’s security and strain its ties with Washington.

In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense

Latest News

Caught in the middle, Oman shrugs off Trump's latest Iran threat

Win McNamee/Getty Images

China slams Trump over economic war on Iran: What to know

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian holds a press conference on Aug. 19, 2026.

Explainer

King Abdullah visits China as region hedges against US unpredictability

King Abdullah II arrives in Beijing, Aug. 20, 2026. Photo from Xinhua/Chen Yehua.

Trump’s Iran ‘economic D-Day’ threat sends oil prices above $94

Iranians drive past an anti-US billboard at Enghelab Square in central Tehran, Aug. 3, 2026.

Adam Lucente

News and Business Correspondent

In New York City, reporting on regional news, militancy, climate change

Elizabeth Hagedorn

Diplomatic Correspondent

In Washington, DC, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, human rights

Jared Szuba

Defense and Security Correspondent

In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military

Joyce Karam

Editor-in-Chief

Rosaleen Carroll

News Reporter and Supporting Editor

In Washington, DC, US, reporting on the Middle East

Paul J. Saunders

In Washington, DC, reporting on Russia in the Middle East

US President Donald Trump shakes hands with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago club on Dec. 29, 2025 in Palm Beach, Florida.

Trump says Iran talks to continue after meeting Israel’s Netanyahu

President Donald Trump said he insisted that talks with Iran continue, but acknowledged that “nothing definitive” was reached during his meeting with the Israeli leader.

Israeli state aircraft Wing of Zion, which flew to Greece from Ben Gurion Airport, is seen at International Airport in Athens on June 13, 2025, in Athens, Greece.

Israeli-Russian journalist removed from Netanyahu’s US flight: What to know

Israeli-Russian journalist Nick Kolyohin was removed from the official Israeli Wing of Zion plane just before its departure for Washington, where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to meet President Donald Trump.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan speaks during a press statement with his French counterpart in Ankara, on Jan. 27, 2026.

Fidan: Iran nuclear breakout could drag Turkey into regional arms race

The top Turkish diplomat said an Iranian nuclear breakout could push Ankara into a nuclear race but declined to say whether Turkey would pursue its own nuclear weapons.

Hezbollah marchers

US sanctions Hezbollah-linked gold exchange, Iran-tied shipping network

The move comes as the United States pursues a deal with Iran that would curb its support for Hezbollah and other regional militias.

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 29: U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff (L) shakes hands with U.S. President Donald Trump (R) as U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum (2L) and Kathryn Burgum (2R) look on in the Oval Office at the White House on January 29, 2026 in Washington, DC. U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order to coordinate a federal government response to drug addiction. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

Analysis

Fearing Iran deal, Netanyahu races to US to sway Trump, sidestep Witkoff

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is flying to Washington to persuade President Donald Trump not to forget Iran's ballistic missile project and its proxies in the talks with Tehran.

In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense

03/04/2021 Asalouyeh, Iran. A view of refinery No. 2 (Phases 2, 3) of the? South Pars Gas-Condensate field in Asalouyeh Seaport, north of the Persian? Gulf in Iran.The South Pars Gas-Condensate field, the world's largest natural gas field, is shared with Qatar (North Dome) (Photo by Saeid Arabzadeh / Middle East Images / Middle East Images via AFP) (Photo by SAEID ARABZADEH/Middle East Images /AFP via Getty Images)

Analysis

New nuclear deal is no silver bullet for Iran's untapped gas reserves

Iran has an estimated 32 trillion cubic meters of natural gas reserves, but it has been unable to exploit them under the weight of international sanctions.

In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech

A man holds a poster of Abdullah Ocalan, Turkish-jailed founder of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), during a gathering of Turkish Kurds for Nowruz celebrations in Diyarbakir, southeast Turkey, on March 21, 2025.

Analysis

Moving Iran talks from Turkey to Oman deepens Ankara’s PKK concerns

Ankara is brushing off Tehran’s venue switch to Oman, but fears Iran’s nuclear-only stance is shrinking diplomatic space and heightening the risk of US military escalation.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi meets with his Omani counterpart, Badr Albusaidi, ahead of talks with the US in Muscat, Oman on Feb. 6, 2026.

Analysis

Why Iran is facing hard choices after Oman nuclear talks

Iran and the United States ended Friday's talks in Muscat without a breakthrough, preserving diplomacy but deepening uncertainty as military pressure, hard-line rhetoric and military tensions intensify.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

Oman talks leave Israel unsure of Trump's endgame as missile threat persists

Israel and the United States are tightly coordinated on intelligence, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is apparently in the dark on President Donald Trump's intentions in Iran.

In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense

The commander of CENTCOM, Admiral Brad Cooper, visited Israel as the official guest of Chief of the General Staff Eyal Zamir.

Analysis

As US-Iran talks set to begin, Israel struggles to shape Trump's options

With US-Iran scheduled for Friday in Oman, Israel finds itself faced with two opposing options: press Washington to strike Iranian targets, or urge it to insist on a comprehensive deal.

Rina Bassist

By Rina Bassist

In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs

A man exits the Washington Post office building in Washington, DC, on Feb. 4, 2026.

Washington Post cuts 30% of staff, guts foreign desk, Mideast team: What to know

Foreign correspondents from the Post have extensively covered wars in Gaza, Ukraine and other global conflict zones.