Commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has fallen to about 20 percent of its average level in the seven days before the war, according to a report by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations. The report, published on August 22, 2026, cited Iranian military activity and continuing maritime security risks as factors behind the sharp decline.

UKMTO research said the number of ships passing through the strait each day remains in single digits. Over the past week, 103 vessels entered the strategically important waterway and 89 left it, for a total of 192 movements. Tankers accounted for 45 percent of all ship traffic in the strait.

The agency said harassment of vessels by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has continued, including drone overflights, VHF radio messages to ships and concerns about navigation through areas at risk from active mines. The route south of the strait through Omani waters remains the highest-risk corridor. Sixteen of 18 recorded missile or other projectile incidents since July 6 occurred along the southern Omani route, UKMTO said.

Georgia has decided not to join the European Union’s latest sanctions against Iran, according to a report carried by the Georgian news agency Interpressnews. The decision was reported on August 22, 2026, with Tbilisi saying its actions in international politics are determined by national interests.

Tengiz Sharmanashvili, a member of parliament from the ruling Georgian Dream party, said Georgia would not support policies that conflict with the country’s national priorities. He said the sole criterion for joining a proposal or taking an international political step is whether it serves Georgia’s interests at that moment.

Sharmanashvili added that if a decision runs counter to Georgia’s interests, the country is not concerned about whose interests it may later serve. Georgia’s position comes in the context of the EU’s latest sanctions concerning Iran, with Tbilisi choosing to prioritize its own national interests rather than participate in the measures.

UN Special Rapporteur on the Palestinian territories Francesca Albanese condemned the latest killings of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and described the Israeli army as “the most immoral” military. In a post on X published in the context of recent incidents, she said the military was continuing genocide and accused those in power of refusing to see victims or recognize their rights to life and self-determination.

Albanese attached an image of another post commenting on the killing of a Palestinian man in Jenin, in the occupied West Bank. According to the Palestinian news agency WAFA, the man was Fathi Khazem, who was killed by Israeli forces at his home in Jenin on Friday.

WAFA reported that Israeli forces had sought to arrest Khazem and shot him after he resisted. It said an ambulance attempted to reach him after he was wounded, but Israeli soldiers prevented it from reaching the site, leaving him to bleed to death. WAFA also reported that Israeli forces later took away his body. Albanese presented the incidents as a serious assault on Palestinians’ lives and right to self-determination.

An analysis published on August 22, 2026 argues that Hamas has suffered severe military, organisational and governing losses in Gaza but cannot be considered dissolved. The article says Hamas lost public administrative control after a ceasefire agreement with Israel mediated by US President Donald Trump, and dissolved government committees while discussions over disarmament continue.

The report says senior leaders, military commanders and hundreds of fighters have been killed since Israel’s military campaign following Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack. Gaza has been devastated, and Hamas’s capacity to govern has declined. However, geopolitical analysts cited in the article argue that partial military defeat or loss of administrative authority does not end a political movement or erase its influence.

Hamas remains relevant to discussions on prisoner exchanges, ceasefire negotiations, internal security and postwar arrangements, the article says. It describes the group as a social, religious, political, military and security network, while noting public anger in Gaza and criticism of Hamas. Analysts say Hamas may be transforming rather than disappearing and would not surrender arms while Israeli troops remain in Gaza.

US President Donald Trump said he is watching the outcome of newly imposed economic sanctions on Iran, according to an Al Jazeera report published on August 22, 2026. He again claimed that Iran has become economically and militarily weaker under US pressure and said Tehran is very interested in reaching an agreement with Washington.

Trump said, “We are watching what happens,” when asked about the effectiveness of the new sanctions. His remarks reiterated his previous position that sanctions are an important tool for increasing economic pressure on Tehran amid longstanding tensions between Iran and the United States.

Iran’s foreign minister responded in a social media post, rejecting Trump’s assessment. The minister said the US plan for economic warfare against Iran is bound to fail. Iran has described US sanctions as economic warfare, while Washington has continued to use sanctions to increase pressure on Tehran.

Middle East expert Ross Harrison says US economic pressure will not be enough to force Iran to yield, despite President Donald Trump describing the pressure campaign as “D-Day.” Harrison made the comments in an interview with Al Jazeera published on August 22, 2026. He said Iranian people have already been living through an economic “D-Day” since maximum-pressure sanctions were reimposed after the United States left the 2015 nuclear deal.

Harrison said Trump is using military terminology to describe economic pressure because military action has failed to create conditions that would make Iran surrender. He expressed considerable doubt that the economic campaign can achieve the outcome Trump expects.

According to Harrison, China remains Iran’s most important source of support and could be its largest lifeline. However, he said US action targeting that relationship could carry major risks for Washington, as China also has various forms of leverage against the United States. He noted the possibility of a meeting next month in Washington between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Trump, saying the central question is whether the US is prepared to damage its relationship with China while increasing pressure on Iran.

The UN Human Rights Office said recent Israeli attacks that killed Palestinians in Gaza could amount to war crimes and other atrocity crimes. In a Friday statement, its office in the occupied Palestinian territory also expressed concern over a continuing pattern of attacks on Gaza police personnel and facilities. It said civilians in the enclave remain exposed to regular, unpredictable and lethal attacks, even when the number of Israeli strikes occasionally falls.

The office reported that at least 22 Palestinians, including women and children, were killed in Gaza between August 13 and 19. It cited a Wednesday Israeli attack on Gaza City’s municipal police headquarters that killed eight police officers and a 13-year-old girl.

Since January, the UN office has documented 18 Israeli attacks targeting police officers across Gaza, killing 77 Palestinians, including six children and four women. It said police are protected as civilians under international humanitarian law unless they directly and actively participate in hostilities. Office head Ajit Sunghay said it was difficult to see military necessity in Israel’s continuing attacks amid Gaza’s destruction.

At least 73,417 Palestinians were killed and 174,360 injured in Gaza between October 7, 2023 and August 20, 2026, according to Al Jazeera’s AJLabs latest data graphic. The figures, cited from the Palestinian Health Ministry and Gaza’s Government Media Office, cover the period since Israeli attacks began in Gaza.

The data graphic said at least one in every 33 people in Gaza has been killed and one in every 14 injured. It also reported widespread destruction across large parts of the territory, with many people losing their homes and facilities damaged. Thousands of people remain trapped beneath rubble, according to the graphic.

Separate figures for the period after a ceasefire announced on October 10, 2025 showed at least 1,283 Palestinians killed and 4,248 injured in Israeli attacks. Gaza hospitals reported 10 deaths and 25 injuries in the 24 hours up to August 20. Authorities said the actual casualty toll could be higher because bodies remain under rubble or in inaccessible areas where rescue and ambulance workers cannot reach.

US President Donald Trump said he views the Strait of Hormuz as “American territory” during a Friday rally in South Carolina, where he campaigned for Senate candidate Darlene Graham. His remarks came as a US military blockade of Iranian ships and ports was under way and his administration sought talks to end the continuing war with Iran.

Trump said he did not know whether “we have won” because he regarded the strait as US territory. He also raised the prospect of further attacks on Iran, asking whether he had to drop more bombs there. Graham is seeking to permanently fill the Senate seat previously held by her late brother, Lindsey Graham.

US Central Command said US forces had compelled 68 commercial vessels to alter course and comply with the blockade by Friday. No peace agreement has been reached nearly six months after the conflict began. The administration is restricting access to the strait, a key route for Iranian oil exports. Iran rejected Trump’s claim, with Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi calling it a “misconception.”

The International Maritime Organization has documented 68 maritime incidents in the Strait of Hormuz following Iran’s blockade, with 19 sailors reported dead as of Friday. Iran began the blockade in late February, after which a series of incidents occurred in the strategically important waterway.

The IMO said the number of fatalities has risen in the incidents it has monitored since the blockade began. Its most recent listed incident occurred on August 17, when a projectile struck the engine room of the Liberia-flagged vessel Minoan Dignity, killing one sailor.

Maritime monitoring firm Windward identified the dead crew member as the ship’s chief engineer. The Strait of Hormuz is a major shipping route through which a significant amount of fuel for international trade is transported, and maritime security disruptions there have generated international concern.

The UK High Court has ordered Prince Harry and six other claimants to make an interim payment of £9.54 million in legal costs to Associated Newspapers Limited, publisher of the Daily Mail. The order, issued on Friday after their privacy case was dismissed, requires payment by August 28. The group had alleged that ANL publications illegally obtained information about them.

Justice Nicklin dismissed the claims on July 7, finding that the claimants had failed to provide the necessary evidence. In the costs ruling, he ordered ANL’s costs to be assessed on an indemnity basis, more favourable to the publisher than the standard basis. He also strongly criticised how the case was conducted, including the failure to withdraw serious allegations.

ANL says its total costs could reach £34.5 million, though the judge said that figure appeared excessive and voiced concern about whether all claimed costs were reasonably incurred. The claimants had insurance cover of up to £16.2 million. They have until October 2 to seek permission to appeal the High Court ruling.

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has faced sharp condemnation in Germany after calling for targeted killings in Gaza, including the removal of 30 to 40 Palestinians each night. The remarks were made on Monday and reported on August 21, 2026. German political figures, Jewish and Christian organisations have called for action, with demands growing for German and European Union sanctions against him.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the comments violated international law and were unacceptable. He also voiced deep concern over plans to accelerate Israeli settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank and urged Israel not to take further territory in Gaza. Merz said Israel, as an occupying power, must treat Palestinians with dignity, protect their property, and maintain public administration and humanitarian assistance in Gaza.

Deputy Chancellor and Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil said a European-level ban was being seriously considered. Opposition politicians called for barring Ben-Gvir from Germany, while the Left Party demanded an end to all arms exports to Israel. Germany's Central Council of Jews and the Protestant Church Council also denounced the comments. Several countries, including Australia, France, the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, Norway and the Netherlands, have already imposed sanctions on Ben-Gvir.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said it was time to end the months-long war with the United States in the Middle East, arguing that Tehran was now in a stronger position than Washington. He made the remarks on Friday during a meeting with doctors, according to the report published on August 21, 2026.

The conflict, which the report says began in February with the United States and Israel, has reached a stalemate and talks between the two countries are suspended. Tehran has partially closed the Strait of Hormuz, while Washington has maintained a counter naval blockade on Iran. Pezeshkian said Iran was in a position of strength and dignity.

His comments followed U.S. discussion of expanding sanctions on Iran. Iran's Foreign Ministry accused the United States of economic terrorism and crimes against humanity, while state media said those responsible for the sanctions should face justice and punishment. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had pledged on Thursday that Washington's threatened campaign would destroy Iran's governing system. China criticized U.S. sanctions and pressure, saying they would not resolve the Middle East conflict.

Israeli soldiers were accused of throwing belongings from a house in Qusra in the occupied West Bank, according to Reuters-verified video cited by Amar Desh. The footage showed several soldiers tossing items from a balcony and throwing some belongings into a well outside the home. The report was published on August 21, 2026.

Palestinian-American Louis Ridi said one of the homes was owned by his brother, Raed Ridi. He said he returned from the United States because his family home had been surrounded by Israeli settlers for more than a week. Residents have alleged that settlers’ presence around several Palestinian homes has disrupted movement and daily life.

Reuters reported that the situation involving settlers around homes in Qusra has drawn concern from the United States and other parties. Israeli troops were deployed to control the situation, but tensions remained. The Israeli military said it was examining the incidents shown in the video. Louis Ridi had previously raised a US flag on his roof, hoping it would deter attempts to take over the property, but he later had a heated argument with a settler who entered his land.

China has called on the United States and Iran to engage in dialogue as Washington threatens to impose new sanctions. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian made the appeal in a statement posted on X on Friday, according to Al Jazeera. The report was published on August 21, 2026.

Lin said China opposes unilateral sanctions that lack a basis in international law and authorization from the United Nations Security Council. He said the use of military force and pressure tactics would only heighten tensions and would not serve anyone’s interests.

The Chinese spokesperson urged all relevant parties to act responsibly and said disputes should be resolved through dialogue and negotiations. The source did not provide details about the proposed sanctions, any planned talks between Washington and Tehran, or responses from the United States and Iran.