Skip next section What you need to know
What you need to know
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Houthi rebels claim attack on Saudi oil facility
- The Revolutionary Guard says Iran will reopen the Strait of Hormuz once the US ‘corrects its behavior’ and accepts Iran’s conditions
- They include never threatening Iran again, lifting sanctions and releasing frozen Iranian assets
- The Guards also say the strategic waterway’s reopening does not depend on how talks with Oman develop
- Iran says the talks are nearing their ‘final’ stages, with Oman calling the discussions ‘positive’
- The UAE says Iran targeted tanker transiting in Hormuz
Keep reading for the latest developments on the conflict in the Middle East on Saturday, August 8, and Sunday, August 9, 2026:
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Skip next section Houthis say they hit refinery on Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast08/09/2026August 9, 2026
Houthis say they hit refinery on Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed responsibility on Sunday for a strike on an oil facility along Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the group targeted an Aramco refinery in the city of Jazan with a drone.
He added the attack was in response to Saudi drones that had breached Yemen’s airspace over the provinces of Hajjah and Saada.
Earlier on Sunday, the Saudi Energy Ministry reported a fire at a facility belonging to the Aramco refinery, adding that there were no casualties.
The ministry said the fire had been extinguished, but did not describe its cause. Aramco is Saudi Arabia‘s state-owned oil company.
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https://p.dw.com/p/5IVegSkip next section Welcome back to our coverage08/09/2026August 9, 2026
Welcome back to our coverage
Good morning! We are reopening our blog after a nighttime break.
Stay tuned for more news and analysis on the situation in the Middle East.
https://p.dw.com/p/5IVeLSkip next section What are Iran’s demands in negotiations with the US?08/08/2026August 8, 2026
What are Iran’s demands in negotiations with the US?
Earlier, we reported that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had said talks with the US on reopening the Strait of Hormuz depend on Washington “compensating” Iran for the US “violation” of a June memorandum of understanding the two nations signed.
Aragchi and the IRGC had also pointed to “other conditions” that would need to be met.
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said the country would not lift its blockade of Hormuz until the US “corrects its behavior.”
In a statement by the council’s secretary and Revolutionary Guard commander Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr that was published on Iran’s state broadcaster, Iran said the US must:
- Never threaten Iran again
- Permanently end its war against Iran and its allies in the region, namely Lebanese militants Hezbollah; Houthi rebels in Yemen; and Hamas in the Gaza Strip
- Lift its blockade of Iranian ports and ships in the Strait of Hormuz and pull its military out of the area
- Lift sanctions and release frozen Iranian assets
The US has yet to respond.
https://p.dw.com/p/5IUv7Skip next section WATCH: Iran and Oman near landmark shipping agreement08/08/2026August 8, 2026
WATCH: Iran and Oman near landmark shipping agreement
Brent Goff
Iran says it is in the final stages of reaching an agreement with Oman on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most strategically important waterways. Reports suggest the deal would give Tehran oversight of vessels entering the Persian Gulf, while Oman would manage outbound traffic.
If finalized, the arrangement could mark a significant shift in regional influence and raise questions about freedom of navigation, security, and the balance of power in the Gulf.
DW spoke to analyst Megan Sutcliffe and former US diplomat Alan Eyre, who helped negotiate the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, about what this could mean for the region and beyond.
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https://p.dw.com/p/5IUluSkip next section Saudi-Turkey-Pakistan defense deal raises new security questions08/08/2026August 8, 2026
Saudi-Turkey-Pakistan defense deal raises new security questions
On Friday, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan unveiled a new security alliance that bears strong similarities to NATO’s principles of collective defense.
The three regional powers — who are also strategic allies of the US — have signed a defense pact that is “intended to strengthen collective deterrence against any act of aggression.”
The deal is widely viewed as the three Sunni-majority nations’ way of defending themselves against the rising threat from an increasingly hostile Iran, where Shiite Islam is the state religion.
The agreement could also be seen as a sign of shifting power dynamics in the region, as well as a way to hedge against an unreliable US, amid uncertainty over its long-term commitment to its role in enforcing security in the Gulf.
DW’s Brent Goff spoke to experts Dania Thafer and Kamran Bokhari to learn more about what the new agreement means for the region and the US-Iran conflict.
https://p.dw.com/p/5IUiTSkip next section Oman calls Hormuz talks ‘positive,’ warns against attacks08/08/2026August 8, 2026
Oman calls Hormuz talks ‘positive,’ warns against attacks
Oman’s Foreign Ministry on Saturday said talks with Iran about the future of maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz were “proceeding in a positive and constructive atmosphere.”
But Muscat warned against “repeated attacks” on cargo ships, which it said could jeopardize the negotiations, although it stopped short of explicitly naming Iran.
Tehran has been targeting ships it says have ties with the US or that fail to comply with its orders.
Earlier on Saturday, Iran said talks over a deal with Oman were “approaching the final stages.”
https://p.dw.com/p/5IUlgSkip next section IN DEPTH: How viable is the potential Iran-Oman Hormuz shipping deal?08/08/2026August 8, 2026
IN DEPTH: How viable is the potential Iran-Oman Hormuz shipping deal?
Iran says a shipping accord with Oman is in its final stages, but analysts warn sanctions, security concerns and rival US and Iranian goals could limit its impact.
Learn more about the potential deal between Iran and Oman in this report.
https://p.dw.com/p/5IUhTSkip next section WATCH: Will Iran develop a nuclear weapon?08/08/2026August 8, 2026
WATCH: Will Iran develop a nuclear weapon?
Brent Goff
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he is determined to prevent what he says are Iran’s plans to build nuclear weapons. But is there any evidence that Iran plans to build up its nuclear capabilities?
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https://p.dw.com/p/5IUhaSkip next section UAE accuses Iran of attacking state-owned ship in Hormuz08/08/2026August 8, 2026
UAE accuses Iran of attacking state-owned ship in Hormuz
The United Arab Emirates on Saturday accused Iran of attacking a tanker belonging to its state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) while the vessel was sailing through the Strait of Hormuz.
In a statement, the UAE’s Foreign Ministry slammed what it called a “hostile” missile attack. No casualties were caused, the statement added.
The ministry also accused Iran’s Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) of “acts of piracy” by attacking commercial cargo ships and using the strait to exert economic pressure on the US and its allies in the region.
The IRGC has warned it would target ships with ties to Tehran’s enemies transiting the waterway or if they fail to comply with Iran’s orders, such as paying a fee to pass through the Iranian naval blockade.
On Friday, ADNOC — one of the world’s biggest energy producers and exporters — said Iran had attacked 15 of its ships with missiles and drones since the conflict started in late February, “including three vessels this week alone.”
Iran has targeted a range of countries in the Middle East region that have ties with the US in retaliation for US and Israeli strikes.
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https://p.dw.com/p/5IUhQSkip next section Iran says US must agree to its terms before it reopens Hormuz08/08/2026August 8, 2026
Iran says US must agree to its terms before it reopens Hormuz
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said Saturday that Iran will reopen the Strait of Hormuz after the United States agrees to its terms.
On Friday, an American official said progress in talks between Iran and Oman could lead to the reopening of the strait. Hormuz has been largely closed to maritime traffic for months as Iran and the US each impose their own blockades.
While Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Saturday said talks with Oman were nearing their “final stages,” he warned that progress was “not a sign” that the strait’s reopening was imminent.
“The reopening of the Strait of Hormuz is subject to other conditions and compensation for the violation of the memorandum of understanding by the United States,” Araghchi said, referring to a June agreement between Washington and Tehran.
On Saturday, Iran’s Tasnim news agency, which is affiliated with the IRGC, reported that Guards spokesman Hossein Mohebbi said that Hormuz’s reopening “is subject to the specific mechanisms and conditions of the Islamic Republic of Iran and is not related to the negotiations between Iran and Oman.”
“The enemy is forced to accept Iran’s conditions for the opening of the strait and to refrain from the interference that it is currently making in the negotiations — which have almost reached their end — between Iran, Oman and other countries,” Mohebbi said.
Traffic through the strait, which was the conduit for 20% of the world’s oil and gas before the war, has been severely restricted since the war began five months ago.
https://p.dw.com/p/5IUeFSkip next section Welcome to our coverage08/08/2026August 8, 2026
Welcome to our coverage
Karl Sexton | Sean Sinico Editor
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has said that Iran will reopen the Strait of Hormuz on the condition that the United States accepts its terms in full.
The Guards have also said ongoing talks with Oman, its neighbor across the strait, would not have any bearing on whether Tehran lifts its blockade of Hormuz.
The UAE said Saturday that one of its tankers was targeted while trying to sail through the strait.
We will bring you more on these stories and more on the war between the US and Iran and the rest of the region.
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