2026 Iran War: 2026-08-11

Yemen's internationally recognized government said Houthi forces fired three ballistic missiles Tuesday at a Yemeni commercial vessel in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, killing four crew members: three Pakistanis and one Indonesian. Authorities said the deaths were the first known from Houthi shipping attacks in the latest fighting, as Red Sea routes gain importance while Hormuz remains constrained. Houthis also struck government-held Mokha and Marib with missiles and drones, according to Yemeni military statements.

The Wall Street Journal, citing a US official, reported that US forces fired early Tuesday on a Panama-flagged vessel after it allegedly tried to break the American naval blockade of Iranian ports. A helicopter struck the ship's rudder after warnings were ignored, with no immediate casualty reports. Maritime firm Vanguard identified the ship as container vessel Vela Nova, hit about 71 nautical miles from the Pakistani coast in the Gulf of Oman; all 17 crew were accounted for after a fire was extinguished.

Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said Tuesday the United States and Iran are "close to some sort of arrangement" over the Strait of Hormuz, citing signals from the past two to three days. Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari separately said Iran-Oman talks on reopening the waterway had reached an advanced stage and a "critical juncture." The comments came as President Trump hardened reparations demands that could complicate any deal.

Middle East Spectator published remarks attributed to newly appointed IRGC Navy commander Brig. Gen. Ali Azmaei warning that any hostile move by Israel, the United States or their partners toward Persian Gulf islands would meet a forceful response. The comments followed Mojtaba Khamenei's confirmation of Azmaei in the naval post. Independent confirmation from Iranian state media was not yet cited in the post.

Al Jazeera reported that US Central Command said Monday it has redirected 55 commercial vessels since reinstating a blockade in July and disabled at least two. Maritime analytics firm Windward, cited by Al Jazeera, said Iranian oil exports from Kharg Island remain fully halted under the blockade. The figures add operational detail to the US Navy control claims already circulating in Washington.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei told state media Monday that talks with Oman on the Strait of Hormuz were progressing, with agreement on a shipping route map and remaining technical issues. Baghaei said the talks also cover navigation services and that Tehran still views the US naval blockade of Iranian ports as an act of aggression. The discussions continue while Washington and Tehran trade competing claims over who controls the waterway.

Al Jazeera reports Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei's office confirmed a wave of senior military appointments on Monday. Major General Ali Abdollahi was named chief of staff of the armed forces, and Ahmad Vahidi was confirmed as IRGC commander with the rank of major general, succeeding Mohammad Pakpour, killed in the opening phase of the war. Ali Ozmaei was named IRGC Navy commander. Analysts cited by Al Jazeera said the reshuffle points to continued hardline resistance rather than softer terms with Washington.

President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House that the United States will seek compensation from Iran for what he called 50 years of damages, after Tehran tied reopening the Strait of Hormuz to US war reparations. Al Jazeera reported he framed the demand as covering US military deaths and Iranian protesters, and separately said Iran should pay for deaths in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Gaza. Analysts quoted by Al Jazeera described the remarks as complicating ongoing Oman-mediated shipping talks.

In comments carried on Al Jazeera's Iran war live blog, President Trump said the Strait of Hormuz is open and that only the US Navy controls the waterway under what he called an infallible blockade. He said Washington lets through vessels it chooses. The claim contrasts with Iranian officials who continue to condition any full reopening on US concessions, including an end to the naval blockade and reparations.

The Washington Post reported that an Iranian assassination threat against President Trump prompted a covert departure from Turkey after a NATO summit last month. According to the Post, Trump was publicly shown boarding Air Force One, then secretly moved via an airport catering truck to a smaller C-32A aircraft while the White House said he was on Air Force One. The report said the White House had downplayed the threat level.