West Asia war LIVE: Iran defiant on strait as Trump tells Americans to accept high gas prices

Home News World This strait will be opened and ⁠closed only under Iran’s command, and so long as you do not accept the reality of defeat and stop indulging in fantasies, Iran will continue to enforce the blockade, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said Updated - August 15, 2026 07:03 am IST Vessels near the Strait of Hormuz. File | Photo Credit: Reuters Iran called on the U.S. to accept defeat while President Donald Trump blasted Iran as “evil” and urged Americans ‌to brace for continued high fuel prices. The comments suggested the warring parties remained far apart, with progress toward peace talks and oil tanker traffic through the strategic Strait of Hormuz waterway both halted.Also read | What does the U.S.-Iran agreement say? | Explained “This strait will be opened and ⁠closed only under Iran’s command, and so long as you do not accept the reality of defeat and stop indulging in fantasies, Iran will continue to enforce the blockade,” Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said in a post on X early Saturday (August 15, 2026), showing little urgency toward restoring prewar trade.“The Strait of Hormuz ‌cannot be seized by a tweet or an aircraft carrier, by issuing an order or by delivering an election speech,” he said. One out of every five barrels of the world’s oil exports passed through the strait before the U.S. and ‌Israel launched the war on February 28. Also read | No progress on reviving peace deal with U.S.: IranMr. Trump on Friday (August 14) urged Americans to accept slightly higher gasoline prices while the conflict with ‌Iran ⁠continues. At a political rally in Garden City, New York, Mr. Trump said paying “a tiny little bit more for your ⁠gasoline” is worth the cost of ensuring “a very evil country” could not have a nuclear weapon, one of the president’s stated rationales for the war. Follow the LIVE updates here:August 15, 2026 07:03 Trump tells Americans to accept high gas pricesDonald Trump yesterday urged Americans to accept slightly higher gasoline prices while the conflict with ‌Iran continues. At a political rally in Garden City, New York, Mr. Trump said paying “a tiny little bit more for your ⁠gasoline” is worth the cost of ensuring “a very evil country” could not have a nuclear weapon, one of the President’s stated rationales for the war. In a trend that has fueled inflation and disappointed voters, the average U.S. price of a gallon of gasoline was about $4.08 yesterday, according to the American Automobile Association. That’s up 29% from $3.16 a year earlier.- ReutersAugust 15, 2026 07:02 Iran calls on U.S. to accept defeatIran called on the U.S. to accept defeat while President Donald Trump blasted Iran as “evil” and urged Americans ‌to brace for continued high fuel prices. The comments suggested the warring parties remained far apart, with progress toward peace talks and oil tanker traffic through the strategic Strait of Hormuz waterway both halted.“This strait will be opened and ⁠closed only under Iran’s command, and so long as you do not accept the reality of defeat and stop indulging in fantasies, Iran will continue to enforce the blockade,” Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said in a post on X early Saturday, showing little urgency toward restoring prewar trade.“The Strait of Hormuz ‌cannot be seized by a tweet or an aircraft carrier, by issuing an order or by delivering an election speech,” he said. - ReutersAugust 15, 2026 07:00 UAE state oil company says vessel attacked in Hormuz StraitUnited Arab Emirates’ state-owned oil giant ADNOC said today one of its vessels came under attack in the Hormuz Strait, the latest incident in the waterway at the centre of the U.S.-Iran conflict.Tehran has imposed an effective blockade of the strait, a vital shipping route for global energy supplies, carrying out strikes on commercial ships since the war began in February.The Islamic republic has said it wants to charge users for passage, which Washington fiercely opposes.The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) “confirmed that one of its vessels was attacked while transiting the Strait of Hormuz on the evening of Friday, August 14”, according to the official WAM news agency, but reported no injuries.- AFP Published - August 15, 2026 06:59 am IST