Iran-US war latest: Another blow to peace as crucial Oman talks postponed after Trump tries to claim Hormuz oil
Close Trump says he could keep Iranian oil ‘like Venezuela’ On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Oman announced late on Sunday that planned talks with Iran about the future of the Strait of Hormuz had been cancelled “in the interests of consensus”, scuppering hopes of a diplomatic breakthrough in the near term. Foreign minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi said the meeting had been postponed, without a clear alternative date set. He said Oman remained committed to “fostering dialogue that supports stability and lasting cooperation in our region”. Iranian officials had said earlier that they would attend the gathering with Gulf Arab states to present an agreement with Oman on the future governing of shipping routes through the Strait, which carried about a fifth of global oil supplies before the war. The international waterway was free to cross before the war and shipping companies have warned such an agreement could set a dangerous precedent. Formal control of the Strait of Hormuz would also hand Iran more leverage in future talks with the US. The channel continued to pose risks for oil shipping as it was reported on Sunday that a vessel had been struck by a projectile during transit, causing a fire and forcing the crew to evacuate. Oil prices surged to $102.35 on Monday morning. Recommended Iran's nuclear chief not expected to attend IAEA General Conference, official says Hegseth accused of pressuring two rescued airmen to do interview with Bari Weiss’ ‘60 Minutes’ Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen claim new attacks on Saudi Arabia Key Points Trump says US could keep Iranian oil like Venezuela deal Oman postpones meeting with Iran and regional countries on Hormuz Trump denies China helped Iran before attack that killed US troops Iran says one killed in strike on commercial ship Oil prices jump more than 2% to $107 after new strikes Houthis claim attack on another Saudi airbase Yemen’s Houthis have claimed an attack on Saudi Arabia’s Khamis Mushait air base. More as we have it... James Reynolds 14 September 2026 09:19 Watch: Trump says he could keep Iranian oil ‘like Venezuela’ Trump says he could keep Iranian oil ‘like Venezuela’ James Reynolds 14 September 2026 09:00 Oman says talks with Iran have been postponed Oman says that a planned meeting with Iran and regional Gulf states about the future of the Strait of Hormuz has been postponed in the “interests of consensus”. “It has been decided to postpone to a later date the regional meeting that was to be held on Monday in Salalah, in order to create conditions conducive to a constructive dialogue,” the Oman News Agency said. Iranian officials had said they would attend that gathering with Gulf Arab states to present an agreement with Oman on governing shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz, which carried about a fifth of global oil supplies before the war. James Reynolds 14 September 2026 08:25 Analysis: The US has made progress in reopening the Strait of Hormuz, but the Iran war is far from over In recent weeks, the United States has succeeded in loosening Iran's grip over the Strait of Hormuz while virtually shutting down Iran's own oil exports, accelerating its economic free fall. But the war launched by the U.S. and Israel in February — intended to last a few weeks — is still far from over, and the stalemate is costly for both sides. An agreement reached in June quickly crumbled, with so sign of diplomatic progress since then. Low-level fighting persists, and the U.S. does not seem to have an exit strategy. “Unfortunately, the US is not winning in the war with Iran despite its limited success in loosening Iran’s grip over the strait and the devastating impact on Iran’s economy,” said Mona Yacoubian, a Middle East expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. Read the full analysis: The US has made progress in reopening the Strait of Hormuz, but the Iran war is far from over The United States has succeeded in loosening Iran's grip over the Strait of Hormuz while virtually shutting down Iran's own exports James Reynolds 14 September 2026 08:20 Iran's nuclear chief not expected to attend IAEA General Conference, official says The head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization is not expected to attend the annual gathering of the UN nuclear watchdog’s member nations in Vienna for the first time in years because he is banned from international travel, an official briefed on the matter said. Mohammad Eslami’s exclusion from the IAEA conference is another sign of rapidly deteriorating relations between Iran and the West. Austria sought a waiver of the travel ban on Eslami with the UN sanctions committee but it was not granted, the official said. As host of the United Nations in Vienna, Austria can request exemptions from travel bans to enable sanctioned officials to attend international conferences at the UN. James Reynolds 14 September 2026 07:41 Plans for new airport in Damascus sparks outcry Syrian government plans to turn a former military airport in Damascus into a hub for private jets are raising alarm among rights groups and residents who say redevelopment could disturb suspected mass graves and override private land claims. Syria’s civil aviation authority said last week it was preparing to reclassify Mezzeh military airport for limited civilian use, focused on private and executive aviation, to complement Damascus International Airport, according to a report on Syria's state news agency, SANA. Rubble removal and infrastructure upgrades had already begun, the report said. The project is emerging as a test of how Syria’s new authorities balance a drive to attract investment and redevelop state assets with two unresolved legacies of Assad’s family rule: the fate of tens of thousands of missing Syrians and property rights clouded by decades of expropriation. More here. Plans for airport in Damascus sparks outcry over disturbance of thousands of graves A 2025 investigation identified two suspected grave sites linked to people who died in detention at Mezzeh Alisha Rahaman Sarkar 14 September 2026 07:00 New York jeweler has been released from prison in Iran but banned from leaving country An Iranian American jeweler from New York has been released from prison in Iran, but he is prohibited from leaving the country, according to his family and federal officials. Kamran Hekmati was let out of Tehran’s notorious Evin prison on Sept. 5 after completing about half of a two-year sentence, his family recently wrote on a website advocating for his release. The family said they are also “desperately afraid for his health and well-being” as he requires regular medical checkups to ensure his bladder cancer doesn’t relapse. More here. A New York jeweler has been released from prison in Iran but is banned from leaving war-torn country A New York jeweler has been released from prison in Iran, but he is prohibited from leaving the country Alisha Rahaman Sarkar 14 September 2026 06:45 Watch: Trump says he could keep Iranian oil ‘like Venezuela’ Trump says he could keep Iranian oil ‘like Venezuela’ Alisha Rahaman Sarkar 14 September 2026 06:34 Trump says US could keep Iranian oil like Venezuela deal President Donald Trump suggested that US could stay in Iran and "keep the oil", drawing a parallel with a US push to take control of a fifth of Venezuela's vast oil reserves. On a trip to Ireland for meetings and to watch golf, he reiterated that he still expected the Iran war to end this year, possibly just after midterm elections due in the US in November. Speaking at the Irish Open golf championship, Trump added that the price of gasoline would "drop like a rock" once the Iran war ended. Trump said that he would only make the "right deal" and wouldn't do one that was "no good", adding that Iran was "calling constantly" for peace talks — an assertion that Tehran has dismissed in the past. But the president also introduced another option: stay engaged with Iran. He drew a parallel with the US deal in Venezuela, announced in August. "We'll ultimately get out (of Iran), unless we decide to stay and keep the oil like Venezuela," Trump said, adding that the US revenue from Venezuela has "paid for the war many times". Alisha Rahaman Sarkar 14 September 2026 05:50 Trump denies China helped Iran before attack that killed US troops US president Donald Trump brushed aside a report that Iran acquired satellite images of a base in Jordan from Chinese entities before an attack that killed three US troops. The Wall Street Journal cited unnamed US officials about the attack in Jordan. Asked whether he would mention the issue at an upcoming meeting with Chinese president Xi Jinping, Trump did not directly answer, and instead equated the surveillance activities of China and the United States. "They basically do what we do," he told reporters aboard Air Force One. "When they say China spies on us, I say you're right and we spy on them too." Trump on Sunday reiterated his view that he has a good relationship with Xi. "I think he's behaved reasonably well, and we behave reasonably well," Trump said as he flew back to the US after a weekend trip to Ireland. Alisha Rahaman Sarkar 14 September 2026 05:40 Newer 1 / 3 Older