As the US and Iran continue their conflict and dispute over the Strait of Hormuz, the American president has threatened to declare the vital waterway a US territory.
Responding to his remarks, major general Amir Hatami said: “Joking about such remarks is a major mistake, because this is Iran, and it has defenders who will break your legs,” according to Iranian broadcasters IRIB.
He added that the US forces had “effectively been driven out” and no longer had permission to enter the Gulf, the Sea of Oman or the Strait of Hormuz.
Hatami also said US bases would not be allowed to return to their previous status, adding that “Iran will never allow this”.
Iranian officials previously told Trump to “accept the reality of defeat” after declaring that it would not resume talks with the US with the Strait of Hormuz set to remain closed.
In full: US top Middle East commander visits deployed aircraft carrier, and other Mideast news
Adm. Brad Cooper, the top US military commander in the Middle East, visited the USS Lincoln in the Arabian Sea during a 10-day tour in the region that concluded on Saturday, U.S. Central Command said.
Israel said its strikes in southern Lebanon, which killed at least 11 people, targeted two Hezbollah commanders. And a Hamas delegation is in Cairo on Sunday for Gaza ceasefire-related talks with Egyptian officials.
Here’s a look at the latest developments on Sunday in the Iran war and the wider Middle East:
Holly Bancroft16 August 2026 18:09
Foreign ministers of several countries condemn Israel's rejection of Gaza peace plan
The foreign ministers of eight countries have issued a joint statement condemning Israel’s rejection of the Gaza peace plan and their rejection of the establishment of a Palestinian state.
The statement released on Sunday is from the foreign ministers of the UAE, Qatar, Jordan, Pakistan, Indonesia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
It blames Israel for actions that “fundamentally undermine collective efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace”. It adds: “This rejection confirms that Israel now bears the responsibility for obstructing efforts to achieve peace in Gaza and the rest of the occupied Palestinian territory.”
The ministers said that the proposed peace plan would limit weapons in conjunction with the withdrawal of Israeli forces and the deployment of an international stabilisation force.
Israel’s refusal to accept the plan “directly threatens to derail the intensive efforts of US president Donald Trump to end the war in Gaza and create the conditions for a lasting peace”.
Mr Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner is in Egypt this weekend for talks with Hamas.
Holly Bancroft16 August 2026 18:02
Danger in Saudia Arabia's Jazan province has passed
Saudi Arabia's civil defense said on Sunday that the danger in Jazan province had passed, according to a post on X. It had earlier issued an alert warning of potential danger in the area.
The warning was of “potential danger” in the southern Jazan province along the border with Yemen, an area that has been targeted by Yemeni rebels recently.
Holly Bancroft16 August 2026 17:12
Iranian parliament advances bill to criminalise interviews with 'hostile' media
Iran’s parliament have approved the general principals of a bill that would criminalise interviews and other communications with media deemed hostile to the Islamic Republic, including US or Israeli media and outlets financed by either country, Iran’s Shargh newspaper reported on Sunday.
Osman Salari, a member of the parliament’s judicial and legal commission, said the individual provisions of the bill, which is aimed at countering foreign intelligence influence, have yet to be debated and approved.
He told Mizan news agency that reports of the bill’s details should not yet be considered final.
It has been reported by Iranian media that the proposed bill would ban interviews or participation in discussions with “hostile” media, and violations would be punished with six months to two years in prison.
Interviews with other foreign media would require notification to the intelligence ministry, and contact with foreign embassies or other non-Iranian institutions without notification and permission would be punished with a fine and deprivation of certain social rights.
The move is not the first time Iran has criminalised cooperation with foreign entities. A law passed in 2025 after a 12-day war with Israel imposed tougher penalties for alleged cooperation with hostile states.
Iranian photojournalist Yalda Moaiery was sentenced this month to 15 years under that law over allegations that included giving interviews to media deemed hostile and providing photographs to US and Israel-linked organisations.
Holly Bancroft16 August 2026 16:06
Iran army chief to Trump: Hormuz defenders will ‘break your legs’
Iranian army commander Major General Amir Hatami has criticised US president Donald Trump over remarks about the Strait of Hormuz, according to IRIB.
“Joking about such remarks is a major mistake, because this is Iran, and it has defenders who will break your legs,” Hatami said.
He added that the US forces had “effectively been driven out” and no longer had permission to enter the Gulf, the Sea of Oman or the Strait of Hormuz.
Hatami also said US bases would not be allowed to return to their previous status, adding that “Iran will never allow this”.
Bryony Gooch16 August 2026 15:13
Crisis unfolds on Trump’s warship in the Middle East
Bryony Gooch16 August 2026 14:30
Iran executes man convicted of running over police during January protests
Iran executed a man convicted of deliberately driving his car into police officers during anti-government protests in the city of Karaj in January, Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Sunday.
Shahram Sadeghi was accused of driving a car into police officers in Karaj on 8 January, injuring seven officers, one of whom was reportedly left in a coma for three months, according to Tasnim news agency.
The Karaj Revolutionary Court sentenced Sadeghi to death and confiscation of his assets for what authorities described as an “operational action” in favour of Israel, the United States and hostile groups under Iran's espionage law.
The Supreme Court upheld the sentence and it was carried out early on Sunday, according to the judiciary.
Bryony Gooch16 August 2026 14:00
Recap watch: Trump says Strait of Hormuz will soon be 'called a territory of the United States'
Bryony Gooch16 August 2026 13:30
Recap: US Central Command chief visits aircraft carrier
Admiral Brad Cooper, the top US military commander in the Middle East, visited the USS Lincoln in the Arabian Sea during a 10-day tour in the region that concluded on Saturday, US Central Command said.
Adm. Cooper visited the USS Lincoln in the Arabian Sea as reports have emerged of mental health and supply issues aboard the long-deployed aircraft carrier.
The Lincoln arrived in the Middle East in January and has been supporting the US war against Iran, including the blockade on Iranian ports. Its deployment has included a record-setting uninterrupted time at sea of more than 240 days.
Extended deployments of carriers - which can have more than 5,000 sailors and Marines on board - have raised concerns about the impact not only on the ships but on service members.
"History will record this deployment as one of the most operationally intense and consequential of the modern era," Cooper said of the Lincoln strike group in a statement released Saturday.
Cooper also went to Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates to meet with civilian and military leaders, according to the Central Command statement.
Bryony Gooch16 August 2026 13:00
Drug abuse in Israel surges post-October 7, latest data shows
Bryony Gooch16 August 2026 12:30
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