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What you need to know
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US President Donald Trump announces new round of Iran talks set for Monday
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Iran is yet to respond to Trump’s remarks
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Two tankers with Saudi oil exit Red Sea
This blog covers the latest developments in the US-Israel war with Iran and the wider fallout across the Middle East on Monday, August 3.
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Skip next section Welcome to our coveragePublished 08/03/2026Published August 3, 2026last updated 08/03/2026last updated August 3, 2026
Welcome to our coverage
Louis Oelofse | Roshni Majumdar Editor
We are continuing our coverage on the US war with Iran and broader developments in the Middle East after US President Donald Trump said he had called off strikes on the West Asian country.
He later told reporters that Washington and Tehran were to carry out new talks on Monday. There was no immediate response from Iran.
Meanwhile, some Saudi oil ships passed through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait despite a stated embargo by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militia.
Stay with us for all this and more.
https://p.dw.com/p/5IAKvSkip next section Some Saudi oil shipments get through Bab el-Mandeb08/03/2026August 3, 2026
Some Saudi oil shipments get through Bab el-Mandeb
Two tankers carrying Saudi crude successfully crossed the Bab el-Mandeb Strait over the weekend, despite security concerns and a Houthi-declared maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia.
Shipping data showed traffic through the waterway fell sharply amid the heightened security risks, with just 18 commodity vessels passing on Sunday, down from 28 on Friday.
The tankers, Lesvos and Desh Vaibhav, transited with their Automatic Identification System (AIS) tracking systems switched off, the Kpler data showed. Together, they were carrying about three million barrels of Saudi oil.
Desh Vaibhav is heading to India’s Sikka port, while Lesvos’ destination remains unclear.
Meanwhile, vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz also slowed, with commodity crossings dropping after reports of multiple tanker attacks.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency says three more attacks have been reported since Saturday, raising fresh concerns over the security of key global energy shipping routes.
What is the conflict between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis?
The Houthis are an Iran-backed militant group that has controlled most of Yemen’s more populous areas — including the capital, Sanaa — for a little over a decade.
A coalition led by Saudi Arabia intervened in Yemen in 2015 in support of the country’s internationally recognized government, which is de facto based in the southern city of Aden.
While the Saudi-backed government agreed to a truce with the Houthis in 2022, this year tensions have risen again amid the US war with Iran.
https://p.dw.com/p/5IA4nSkip next section Trump says Iran talks to resume amid push to reopen Strait of Hormuz08/03/2026August 3, 2026
Trump says Iran talks to resume amid push to reopen Strait of Hormuz
US President Donald Trump said new talks with Iran are set to begin on Monday after he decided to hold off on striking the Islamic republic to pursue a deal to end the war.
“They said we would much prefer a deal as opposed to an attack, because you don’t know where these attacks lead,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One late on Sunday.
He was looking for a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and address concerns over Tehran’s nuclear program.
He gave no details on the venue, participants, or any deadline for an agreement.
The comments followed a social media post in which Trump said Iran and other Middle Eastern countries had requested more time to complete a deal.
Iranian media denied that Tehran had asked Trump not to strike.
Iran and the United States agreed in mid-June on a framework deal to end the war, with details to be finalized during a 60-day transition period, but both sides have since carried out major attacks.
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