A vast oil spill from a leaking tanker has started to hit Oman’s coastline, its environment agency confirmed on Wednesday, in what threatens to become one of the world’s worst in years after spreading largely unchecked for weeks.

The oil could end up impacting 40 km (25 miles) of coast near Ras Madraka as well as Masirah Island, the agency said.

The slick now covers an area of more than 2,000 square km, said John Amos, an oil spill specialist who reviewed satellite imagery obtained by Reuters.

(With Reuters inputs)

A senior adviser to the commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said Iran could prolong the war until the next US presidential term as part of an effort to impose costs and deter future attacks, PBS NewsHour reported.

“One way is to prolong this war until we get to the next term of the presidency and cause attrition, so that if anyone else wants to attack Iran, they will know there is a cost,” Mohammad Reza Naqdi said.

Asked how many missiles Iran had left in its stockpile, Naqdi said the number of missiles Iran manufactures each day is higher than the number it launches. He added that Iran could produce missiles across the country.

Naqdi said Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei had not appeared publicly during the war for security reasons. Asked whether he had seen Khamenei, he replied: “Let’s leave this matter alone.”

US President Donald Trump said the United States has “total control” over the Strait of Hormuz, claiming Iran has “no Navy, no Air Force”.

Trump also said the US would keep control of the strategic waterway, describing the US naval blockade as a “wall of steel”.

The U.S.A. has total control over over the Strait of Hormuz. I THINK WE WILL KEEP IT! Our Naval Blockade is being called, by everyone, “A WALL OF STEEL,” and there is nothing Iran can do about it. They have no Navy, they have no Air Force, their remaining soldiers are unpaid, the… pic.twitter.com/kIkg9hnXSk

— Commentary Donald J. Trump Truth Social Posts On X (@TrumpTruthOnX) August 12, 2026

At least 84 members of Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement have been killed over the past six days, including 28 commanders, Al Hadath reported, citing Yemeni sources.

US President Donald Trump said the United States has “total control” over the Strait of Hormuz and suggested Washington would maintain its control over the strategic waterway.

Trump described the US naval blockade as a “wall of steel” and claimed Iran was unable to challenge it.

He said Iran had no navy or air force, while claiming its remaining soldiers were unpaid, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had been “decimated” and its leadership was uncertain.

Trump also claimed Iran had “no money” and described the country as “shot”, while accusing Tehran of relying on “fake news” and facing 300% inflation.

“The Bully of the Middle East No Longer,” Trump said in a post signed “President DONALD J. TRUMP”.

Iran and Pakistan are each other’s “strategic depth”, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei said during a meeting with Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, according to Tasnim news agency.

“All leaders of the Islamic Republic of Iran have regarded Pakistan as Iran’s strategic depth and Iran as Pakistan’s strategic depth,” Rezaei said.

He said Iran viewed Pakistan’s government, military and people as major partners and welcomed what he described as increased regional engagement by Pakistan’s prime minister and army chief.

Rezaei also said President Masoud Pezeshkian placed particular importance on relations with Pakistan and wanted bilateral trade to increase severalfold.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has asked Iran to use its influence to help prevent further escalation by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels in the Bab al-Mandeb strait, during a phone call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Takaichi welcomed what she described as progress in negotiations between Iran and Oman over the Strait of Hormuz and expressed hope that the strategic waterway would reopen as soon as talks concluded successfully.

According to a statement from the Iranian presidency, Takaichi also reiterated Tokyo’s support for diplomatic efforts to end the war, saying such an approach was in the long-term interests of both Iran and the region.

Pezeshkian thanked Japan for supporting efforts to end the war and said Iran had “never sought instability” in the region. He claimed that the US and Israel had undermined regional peace through what he described as aggression against Iran.

Pezeshkian said Iran had acted in accordance with international law and had consistently sought to improve relations with neighbouring countries. He also expressed hope that Japan’s diplomatic efforts would help restore peace and stability in the region and prevent further conflict.

Oil has reached mangrove forests on Iran’s Qeshm island, while a separate vast slick is spreading towards Oman’s coast, raising fears of environmental damage in Gulf waters already disrupted by the US-Iran conflict.

Oil slicks along Qeshm’s southern coast have entered mangrove forests near the village of Naqasheh, prompting authorities to begin monitoring and cleanup operations, Iranian state news agency IRNA reported.

The source of the pollution has not been determined, IRNA said. Authorities were assessing the spread of the oil and working to prevent more from entering the mangrove forests.

The head of Qeshm’s natural resources and watershed department said authorities were coordinating efforts to control and clean up the pollution.

“The exact cause and source of the oil slicks will be announced after expert assessments and the reports of the relevant agencies are finalised,” he said, according to IRNA.

Pakistan is working to bring the United States and Iran “to the negotiating table” and prevent efforts to undermine the peace process, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said at a news conference.

The comments come amid continuing efforts to implement the Memorandum of Understanding aimed at restoring the ceasefire between the US and Iran, while also resolving disputes over the Strait of Hormuz.

Andrabi said Pakistan’s deputy prime minister and deputy foreign minister held talks with officials from Iran, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait on August 10. The Pakistani and Iranian foreign ministers exchanged views on “efforts to promote peace and stability”, he said.

Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi is also visiting Tehran, with Andrabi saying the trip provides another opportunity to discuss bilateral relations and regional security.

Andrabi also addressed the Mecca Agreement for Joint Defence, describing it as part of Pakistan’s efforts towards “strengthening [its] strategic partnership with Saudi Arabia”.

Iran’s border police commander Aliakbar Javidan dismissed talk of a possible ground attack on the country as “delusional”, saying Iran’s borders were secure and its armed forces remained intact.

Javidan said the deaths of senior commanders had not disrupted military operations, as replacements were already in place.

He added that border guards and residents in Kordestan, Sistan-Baluchestan and Khuzestan were helping secure the country’s frontiers.

Iran will soon join the New Development Bank, the development lender established by the BRICS group of nations.

​That’s according to the central bank governor Abdolnaser Hemmati.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held a phone call with Patriotic Union of Kurdistan leader Bafel Talabani to discuss expanding economic and trade ties, strengthening security coordination along their shared border and countering terrorism.

That’s according to Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB.

Israeli forces blew up a four-storey public school in Zawtar al-Sharqiyah village in southern Lebanon’s Nabatieh governorate, Al Jazeera reported, citing Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency.

No casualties were immediately reported.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has met General Joseph Clearfield, head of the committee monitoring the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire, alongside US Ambassador Michelle Sison.

The meeting followed overnight explosions across southern Lebanon, including what the state-run NNA described as a “massive” Israeli bombing of Haddatha village in the Bint Jbeil district.

Pakistan Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Tehran as Islamabad stepped up efforts to revive stalled US-Iran peace negotiations.

Pakistan was a guarantor of the interim agreement that unravelled last month after Washington and Tehran resumed military strikes.

State-run refiners HPCL and MRPL are seeking up to a combined six million barrels of crude oil through spot tenders, Reuters reported, citing tender documents.

MRPL, which is seeking up to two million barrels for delivery during October 10-20, has asked suppliers to avoid the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea. HPCL is looking to import up to four million barrels for delivery in September and October.

Israeli forces arrested three Palestinians, including journalist Muhammad Awad, during raids in the occupied West Bank, Wafa news agency reported. The arrests took place in Beitunia and nearby el-Bireh in the Ramallah area. According to Wafa, troops raided and searched the homes of the three Palestinians before taking them into custody during dawn raids.

The US Energy Information Administration has raised its 2026 oil price forecasts as disruptions to shipments through the Strait of Hormuz continue. The EIA now expects Brent crude to average $86.81 per barrel in 2026, up from $81.91, while its WTI forecast has risen to $80.88 from $76.26. It expects Brent to average $69.39 next year. WTI is forecast at $65.39.

Three Pakistani citizens were killed and one injured after Houthi rebels attacked a vessel in the Red Sea, Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Wednesday.

I have learnt with deep concern about the unfortunate incident involving an attack on a commercial vessel in the Red Sea. According to the information available so far, three Pakistani nationals have lost their lives and one has sustained injuries in the incident. We extend our…

— Ishaq Dar (@MIshaqDar50) August 12, 2026

The deaths were reported a day after Yemen’s coastguard said Houthi strikes on a vessel off Yemen’s coast killed at least six people, escalating concerns over Red Sea security.

US President Donald Trump said he secretly switched planes in Turkey last month on the instructions of the Secret Service, confirming reports of an extraordinary security operation prompted by an Iranian assassination threat.

Trump was transferred from Air Force One to a military aircraft using a catering truck after a NATO summit in Ankara. He said the plane he eventually flew aboard was still more vulnerable than Air Force One.

Nearly 700 US service members have been wounded during the Iran war, with most suffering traumatic brain injuries from drone and missile attacks, AP reported.

While most returned to duty and the Pentagon described many cases as “minor concussions”, doctors warn that seemingly mild injuries can cause headaches, dizziness and memory problems lasting months or years.

Experts cannot predict who will develop long-term symptoms, while repeated blows increase the risk of lasting damage.

Concerns have also emerged over whether troops received timely care after an Iranian drone strike in Kuwait, with Democratic lawmakers seeking an investigation after some personnel allegedly went weeks without screening or specialised treatment.

IRGC commander Mohammad Reza Naqdi said that victory is on Iran’s side with the ever-shifting war objectives of the US. He said so in an interview with PBS News.

“Certainly, victory is on our side,” he said when asked where he sees Iran at this juncture of the war.

“After the defeat of America’s two main objectives — toppling of leadership and the breaking up of Iran — we saw confusion and bewilderment in America. It became a war without a strategy,” he said.

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has claimed that the Iranian government is at its weakest since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, crediting President Donald Trump’s military and economic actions against Tehran.

“The operation between the US and Israel did an enormous level of damage,” Huckabee told Newsmax, adding that Trump was willing to “bankrupt” Iran.

Crude oil prices held on to a four-day rally in early Asian trade on Wednesday, with Brent near $89 a barrel and WTI above $83 after gaining around 11% over the period.

Prices briefly pared gains after Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said the US and Iran were close to “some sort of agreement”.

However, fresh maritime incidents in the Gulf of Oman and off Yemen’s Red Sea coast kept supply concerns elevated.

Israel has carried out a “massive” bombing of Haddatha village in southern Lebanon’s Bint Jbeil district, Al Jazeera reported, citing the state-run National News Agency.

The Strait of Hormuz will remain closed unless the US changes its behaviour and accepts Tehran’s conditions, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei said on Tuesday, according to Reuters.

“The US has to end the war and unfreeze Iranian funds overseas,” Rezaei was quoted as saying by the semi-official Tasnim news agency, adding that Iran’s other conditions had been conveyed to Washington through mediators.

Good morning and welcome back to our live coverage of the war in West Asia.