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strikeMay 6, 2026

Labour looks both ways

Summary

WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING … Donald Trump went and suspended “Project Freedom” as the naval operation threatened to send the fragile ceasefire with Iran into meltdown. The president wrote on Truth Social that the U.S. Navy’s attempt to shepherd commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz would be “paused for a short period of time” to see if a deal with Iran can be struck. Talk about TACO: Trump’s latest gambit in the Gulf didn’t even last 48 hours. Find the details on POLITICO. Top Marks: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also declared an end to the offensive stage of Operation Epic Fury (aka the U.S.-Israeli war with Tehran that triggered the strait closure) … but the blockades remain and hopes that this could genuinely end soon are slim. Meanwhile the Gulf is leading news bulletins and oil prices will be watched nervously. Can’t someone tell them we’ve got an election on? Good Wednesday morning. This is Sam Blewett. **A message from The Boeing Company: Growing UK talent together means backing the businesses that advance the aerospace industry. We’re proud to support a highly-skilled workforce and partner with local suppliers to drive shared economic growth.** DRIVING THE DAY LOOKING TO THE LEFT: It’s the last proper day of the election campaign before voters stick two fingers up at the traditional twosome. Labour has by far the furthest to fall on Thursday — so Keir Starmer’s band of un-merry MPs are going hard in attacking the populist challengers on both flanks. Reform UK has had a bit of a bumpy ride of late, but it’s the Green Party that is coming under the most sustained pressure right now. Green shoots: Zack Polanski will defend himself — and likely go on the offensive — in two sustained grillings today. First the Green leader has a huge test in the Today program’s 8.10 a.m. slot. Later he’ll bookend his day by talking to ITV’s Peston. A glance at the plummeting personal ratings in recent days indicates how blinding the spotlight’s glare can be. Send for aid: There will of course be intense scrutiny on antisemitism within the Greens and on the party’s failure to swiftly root it out. But an investigation by the Times’ James Beal is prompting questions of a different flavor about Polanski’s judgment … and C.V. The paper found various times the “eco-populist” has claimed to have been a “spokesperson” for the British Red Cross … but the humanitarian charity has publicly disputed this and raised it with Polanski’s team. It grows! Beal also reports that Polanski wasn’t a full member of the National Council of Hypnotherapy while working as a hypnotherapist, despite apparently making claims to prospective clients. There is also more evidence of alleged boob-enlarging hypnotherapy being practiced in Harley Street by someone Polanski knew, even if the Green leader says he was never paid to try it. There are plenty more strands in the story that hacks will no doubt be following up in the months to come. Look into my eyes (not my past): The Greens clarified that Polanski hosted fundraisers for the Red Cross, among other activities (he posted pics), which isn’t exactly being a spokesperson. They also hit back at the Times for what they argue is an “incredibly offensive antisemitic” cartoon of Polanski published last week. In war, charity … in politics, war: One of Labour’s two eve-of-poll hit jobs (we will get to the other in a minute) is the publication of a dossier of 25 Green candidates accused of peddling dangerous conspiracy theories and antisemitism. While we’re on that point, it seems that four of the eight candidates whose alleged antisemitic remarks were highlighted in the Labour attack vid still haven’t been suspended, as Playbook revealed yesterday … or, at least, the Greens haven’t been able to provide an update otherwise. Gonna need a bigger boat: Meanwhile, the Mail splashes on the Greens investigating more than 30 of its prospective councillors for allegations of anti-Jewish racism. The Greens responded by saying they were proud of the “vast majority” of the party’s 4,500 candidates and insisting they’re already investing in better vetting to prevent wrong ‘uns “slipping through the net.” On the other end of the media spectrum: The New World’s James Ball has also dug into Polanski’s prolific social media use to find more dodgy “likes,” including posts calling Starmer a “genocidal Zionist” and calling Labour a “bunch of rancid murderous bigots.” Green Co-Deputy Leader Rachel Millward will be on Politics Live today, where she’s bound to be asked about her own questionable X post following the Golders Green attack. LOOKING TO THE RIGHT ONTO LABOUR’S OTHER BIG OPPONENT: Nigel Farage will be raising a glass of claret watching the two parties of the left go at each other while he enjoys his Reform insurgency. But Labour hasn’t given up on that — it’s trying to fight on two fronts. Deploy Pat: Starmer’s steady pair of hands, Pat McFadden, has been trusted with the final morning broadcast round of this elections campaign. The DWP secretary does hope to use it to land a few digs at Polanski — but also intends to go after the millions Farage has accepted from “crypto billionaires in Thailand.” And Labour’s other attack piece into the day is a plea from Deputy Leader Lucy Powell for voters to reject the “toxic politics” of Reform. He’s not getting off scot-free: The BBC News at Ten had a prominent package last night on the (until recently) secret £5 million Farage trousered, before he was an MP, from Reform UK mega donor Christopher Harborne. Farage insisted that it was a donation for his personal safety, telling broadcasters at his final big rally of the campaign in Merthyr Tydfil that his party had looked at every legal angle and concluded there was no obligation to declare such a “personal gift.” Gift of the grift: As More in Common’s Luke Tryl pointed out on Newsnight, the Reform diehards may not give two figs, but it may not play well with wavering voters who are needed to get Farage over the line in Westminster. Some who thought Farage was different are now suggesting he looks more like the “establishment,” Tryl said. Farage is campaigning in the northwest today and may do a pool clip, so watch out for more. FWIW: YouGov’s weekly national poll has a Reform lead, the usual Labour/Tory/Green cluster and the Lib Dems in fifth. The usual heavy caveats apply. The fight for the final stronghold: Labour seems to be throwing a lot at the capital in the final hours. Starmer was let loose on the campaign last night — albeit in a stage-managed event in a community hall gathering of true believers. “Of course, we know it’s challenging,” Starmer said of the state of play. Ed Miliband and Bridget Phillipson will be campaigning within the confines of the M25 today (though, in fairness, John Healey is being sent to the West Midlands and Lisa Nandy the northwest). Kemi’s got the Knowledge: Kemi Badenoch is also spending the final hours of the campaign in London — but she’ll be circling the “donut” in Conservative-branded Hackney Carriage, starting out in Wandsworth, where the Tory leader will do a pooled interview around 9 a.m. Meter’s on: Then her black cab will head to Croydon, Bromley, Enfield, Barnet and Harrow before finishing in Havering — the last on the list being a big Reform hope within the capital, as your Playbook author’s look at the election in the capital examined. (That piece also contains the nugget that Labour was in part investigating antisemitism in the Greens by comparing a list of 500 people kicked out from the party under Jeremy Corbyn to Polanski’s candidates list). Don’t try this at Home Counties: Ed Davey will spend his last day campaigning in Surrey, where the Lib Dems hope to take control of two Home County councils in what should be peak Toryland. The Telegraph has JL Partners polling suggesting the liberals will outperform the Tories in almost half the contested southern seats. The party sees expanding its base here as crucial to winning more MPs at the next election. Davey will speak to broadcasters around 2 p.m. Silver linings playbook? Labour also seems to be putting resources into the traditional Labour-Tory bellwethers of Wolverhampton and Stevenage. One MP who’s campaigned in the latter recently — and hopes voters there may be being turned off Reform in this ever perilous-looking world — reckoned it remained “all to play for.” You get the sense if there are any holds in areas like this then Labour might try spin the results as being not quite as bad as they could’ve been. Newkie frown: Activists have long feared Green victory in Gorton and Denton would scupper chances of holding onto Newcastle, because it’d shatter the claim that Labour’s the only party to keep out Reform in the progressive leaning wards, while Reform will triumph elsewhere. One MP who’s been campaigning there reckons it’ll end up a hot mess of up to five parties of similar size and no one able to control, and predicting similar for Birmingham. A good test for the brave new world of multi-party politics! LOOKING INWARDS SEEING THROUGH THE CLOUDS: One senior official made the argument to Playbook last night that the past few days offer Labour hope … of sorts. “When in government all the scrutiny is on us — but the last week we’ve seen a situation where the other parties are getting that. A general election will be 100 times this.” So, that could present a sliver of hope for quelling the challenge from the left and right for the Labour leader in 2029, whoever that is … Let’s face it: Downing Street is braced for all hell to break out as the results start rolling in on Friday. And there is a closely guarded plan on how to firefight whatever worst-case scenario does pan out. Unleash the charmer: Our Dan Bloom also hears No. 10 is drawing up plans for a big speech from Starmer to discuss policy and the overall direction of his government in the days following the results. (It’d be different to the security-focused speech that was called off due to the Golders Green attack.) But whether any of that is big enough to impress depends on how ambitious Starmer wants to be — or is able to be. A manifesto for changing: The Times’ Steven Swinford reckons there’s a conversation in No. 10 about tearing up all sorts of red lines in the Labour’s manifesto to remove some of the strictures preventing the government giving the big offer that voters actually crave. It’ll be well worth watching McFadden’s words on just whether the changing picture in the world means the manifesto isn’t so iron-clad now. Food for thought: There will be a big battle for ideas in the smouldering wreck of the election results, as all sorts of interest groups jostle to get their ideas before a Starmer scrabbling round for rejuvenated policy platform … or his successor. The Labour Growth Group has announced a May 12 launch of what promises to be a new center-left diagnosis of Britain’s challenges and a plan for fixing it in favor of Britain’s “grafters.” It’s elementary: Tom Watson has urged Labour MPs to stop all the plotting to remove Starmer. And Watson speaks with some experience of that. As a junior minister he spearheaded the last letter-based attempted coup against a Labour premier… that led to Tony Blair naming his departure date. “I would tell them not to be as reckless as we were in 2006,” the former deputy leader wrote on his Substack. Hindsight is one hell of a drug. It’s all ancient Greek: In the Mail, Jason Groves and Dan Hodges hear Cabinet ministers are discussing a “Trojan Horse” plot to demand Starmer stop blocking Andy Burnham from the Commons, as long as the Manchester mayor publicly professes loyalty. That, figures pushing this theory goes, would allow all the infighting to stop because there would be a “clear successor” to Starmer in place. Touch wood! Diolch! Two senior government officials have warned they are braced for Welsh Labour Leader Eluned Morgan to call for Starmer’s resignation at some point after the (lack of) votes are counted on Friday. “Eluned will go over the top and call for him to go — it’ll be like Anas Sarwar all over again,” one of them told Playbook. Though the other downplayed the impact of the first minister (who may end up losing her seat) calling for the PM’s head as “priced in.” It’s looking real: The Telegraph splashes on Morgan telling Amy Gibbons in an interview that there’s “a danger” Labour will lose its 27-year grip on the Senedd because of protest votes against Starmer. Morgan will be today telling the good people of Pembrokeshire just why they should vote Plaid Cymru Labour. Well Plaid: Rhun ap Iorwerth will hold Plaid Cymru’s final rally in Llandudno early this afternoon. His band of Welsh nationalists are shouting about the latest YouGov MRP for ITV in Wales has them up four points on 33 percent, and Reform static on 29 percent. That difference, according to Cardiff University calculations, would win Plaid 43 seats to Reform’s 34. Let’s face it, a lot would have to go right for the number crunchers for that to turn out correct — but, as ever, the polling will be important for narrative-setting on the doorsteps. He’s on the stage, at least: Polling legend John Curtice is debating what the local and devolved elections will mean for the U.K., with former Nicola Sturgeon adviser Liz Lloyd and others, at an IfG event at 5.30 p.m. Details here. And then quiet: An eerie calm before the political storm should then set in on Thursday, when election rules mean broadcasters have to stay schtum on political issues and they instead start pumping out a full day of dog content. Enjoy the peace while it lasts. **Policy moves in real time, and so should you. POLITICO Pro’s Live Monitoring tracks U.K. Parliament as it happens, with instant transcripts, keyword alerts and updates wherever you are. It’s how policy professionals avoid missing critical moments. Trial Live Monitoring for free.** TODAY IN WESTMINSTER PARLIAMENT: Knocking doors. ADOPTS STATESMAN MODE: The government is gearing up to legislate so that perpetrators of antisemitic attacks orchestrated from Tehran will face up to 14 years in prison, Matt Dathan and the Times team report in the paper’s splash. That includes if attackers are dimwittedly acting on behalf of Iranian proxies. Dathan and team report that the legislation will be included in next week’s king’s speech — and would also introduce the long-promised proscription-esque powers to ban state groups like the IRGC, as Starmer told the Jewish Chronicle last month. Double it: The Home Office announced an extra £18 million in funding for the Met Police to boost patrols to tackle a surge in antisemitic hate crime. Commissioner Mark Rowley welcomed the extra dough — but Playbook (and others) privately hear he’s arguing that £35 million is the minimum required to keep communities safe in a “sustainable” way. BUSINESS AS USUAL: Business Secretary Peter Kyle is at the G7 trade meeting. He’ll be in and out of meetings including, most crucially, one with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. He’ll then pop up on BBC Business Today, at 4.30 p.m. Kyle’s got his work cut out. Unhappy anniversary: It’s now one whole year since Britain struck a trade deal with Donald Trump … but the fallout is still hitting Britain’s arable heartlands, as my colleague Sophie Inge reports. The decision to grant the U.S. a massive duty-free quota for bioethanol has undermined domestic production — knocking out a major market for U.K. wheat, depressing prices, and forcing farmers to lean more heavily on imports of animal feed just to stay afloat. IN WESTMINSTER … OR ARE THEY? Some civil servants have been faking work attendance and failing to go to their offices for years on end, according to a Telegraph investigation. Some staff are accused of faking in-office work by connecting their office Wi-Fi from a nearby car park before returning home. GAME, SET: The government is examining whether to make reselling tickets for specific major sporting events without authorization a criminal offense. The move is part of the government’s drive to make the U.K. “event ready,” alongside discussions about potential bids, including for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in the 2040s. BBC Sport has a write-up. RULED: Four Palestine Action activists have been found guilty of criminal damage at a U.K. site of Israel-based defense firm Elbit Systems. One of the activists, 23-year-old Samuel Corner, was also found guilty of inflicting grievous bodily harm after striking Sergeant Kate Evans with a sledgehammer, fracturing her spine, the BBC reports. The break-in happened before Palestine Action was proscribed by the government (and we’re still waiting for the Court of Appeal judgment that could see that move overturned). CONVENTIONAL THINKING: Leaving the European Convention on Human Rights would have “consequences” for the U.K. — including putting it in a group with the autocracies of Russia and Belarus, the head of the organization that oversees the treaty has warned. Alain Berset sat down with my POLITICO colleague Jon Stone. THE BIG QUESTION: Migration Observatory Director Madeleine Sumption — and the Home Office’s interim Migration Advisory Committee chair — is delivering Bright Blue’s Ludgate lecture titled: “Can governments do immigration policy better?” Considering the Observatory recently pointed out the U.K. has the fifth-largest initial decision asylum backlog in Europe at the end of 2025, the answer to the lecture’s title may be: “probably?” Tune in at 1 p.m. to find out. THE TATE WE’RE IN: Self-proclaimed misogynist Andrew Tate sought written assurances from prosecutors that he wouldn’t be arrested if he returned to the U.K. for a civil case in which he’s accused of rape, the High Court heard. The CPS declined the request by Tate and his brother Tristan, who were charged together last May with rape, sexual assault and other offenses. The Guardian has the story. SW1 EVENTS: The Sir Harry Evans investigative journalism summit kicks off at 9.30 a.m., with talks from hacks including Gabriel Pogrund, Mishal Husain, Beth Rigby and Michael Gove. REPORTS OUT TODAY: While 46 percent of U.K. residents are proud of where they live, only 37 percent of people feel their area is thriving, according to polling by JL Partners for the Social Value Commission … and the failure of Northern Ireland’s devolved institutions to deliver effective public policy and services may ultimately threaten their stability, and that of the Good Friday Agreement, argues the UCL Constitution Unit. **Start your morning in Westminster. Politics at Sam and Anne’s drops in your feed by 8.30am with sharp insight from Sam Coates (Sky News) and Anne McElvoy (POLITICO). The stories shaping Parliament, the voices setting the agenda, and what you need to know, all in under 20 minutes. Listen now on your favourite podcast app ** BEYOND THE M25 ON THE GROUND IN UKRAINE: Russian attacks killed more than 20 people across Ukraine on Tuesday, ahead of rival unilateral ceasefires proposed separately by Moscow and Kyiv. The BBC has the story. TOUGH TALKS: Trump’s latest tariff threats are pushing EU talks on implementing last year’s transatlantic trade deal toward a showdown, my POLITICO colleagues report. Negotiators from the EU Parliament, national capitals and the European Commission are meeting today to try to hammer out their differences amid a deepening impasse over whether to back the accord. COMING ATTRACTION: China’s top diplomat Wang Yi (who wants to get tankers moving in the Gulf) hosted Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in the last few hours — days before Trump’s planned visit to Beijing. FEELING GROUNDED: Two million airline seats have been cut from this month’s schedules as airlines rethink their operations due to soaring jet fuel prices. The story splashes the Sun and the i Paper. TRUMP ATHENS-BOUND: The U.S. president will visit Greece soon, U.S. Ambassador Kimberly Guilfoyle said Tuesday. She added that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will also visit Athens, along with Rubio. Trump may visit ahead of a NATO summit in Turkey on July 7-8. **A message from The Boeing Company: Global aviation relies on British manufacturing. We partner directly with almost 1,000 UK suppliers, connecting these domestic enterprises to global markets. It's a collaboration that sustains more than 25,000 high-value jobs across the country. Investing in local partnerships ensures UK talent continues leading the industry. Discover how our commitment to UK suppliers drives economic momentum.** MEDIA ROUND Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden broadcast round: Times Radio (7.05 a.m.) … Sky News (7.15 a.m.) … GB News (7.30 a.m.) … LBC (7.50 a.m.). Shadow Transport Secretary Richard Holden broadcast round: LBC News (7.35 a.m.) … Sky News (7.50 a.m.) … GB News (8 a.m.) … Talk (8.20 a.m.). Also on Times Radio Breakfast: SNP MP Stephen Gethins (7.45 a.m.) … Labour peer David Blunkett (8.05 a.m.) … former adviser to Keir Starmer Peter Hyman (8.35 a.m.). Also on Sky News Mornings: Scottish Greens Co-Leader Ross Greer (8.40 a.m.) … Union of Jewish Students President Louis Danker (9.15 a.m.) … Scottish Liberal Democrats Leader Alex Cole-Hamilton (9.30 a.m.) … U.K. Birth Trauma Inquiry Chair Theo Clarke (9.40 a.m.). TODAY’S FRONT PAGES POLITICO UK: One year on: The hidden impact of Trump’s trade deal with the U.K. Daily Express: ‘Unremovable.’ Daily Mail: Thirty green candidates probed over Antisemitism. Daily Mirror: We’re still only ones on your side. Financial Times: Long-term borrowing costs highest in decades as prolonged inflation looms. Metro: ‘A target on the back of UK Iran critics.’ The Daily Telegraph: Starmer could cost us election, says Welsh leader. The Guardian: Labour under pressure after UK borrowing costs hit 28-year high. The i Paper: Millions face flight cancellations as jet fuel shortage deepens and Iran ceasefire falters. The Independent: Ceasefire shattered as Iran fires drones and missiles at UAE. The Sun: Come cry with me. The Times: New powers to treat Iran proxies as foreign spies. LONDON CALLING WESTMINSTER WEATHER: Sunny spells. High 13C, low 9C. SPAD MOVE: Jonathan Heywood has started as a policy SpAd for Shabana Mahmood in the Home Office. NEW GIG: Former Teneo Senior Managing Director Alex Hickman has joined JL Partners as a director. JOB AD: Labour MP Naushabah Khan is hiring a chief of staff. MEA CULPA: Smoking is the biggest cause of preventable death in the U.K. WRITING PLAYBOOK PM: Emilio Casalicchio. WRITING PLAYBOOK THURSDAY MORNING: Sam Francis. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO: Former PM Tony Blair … Birmingham Northfield MP Laurence Turner … Labour peer John Hutton … U.K. Deputy Permanent Representative to the U.N. James Kariuki … former SNP MSPs Alasdair Allan and Stuart McMillan … Labour peer Parry Mitchell … Lib Dem Head of Media Christine Longworth. PLAYBOOK COULDN’T HAPPEN WITHOUT: My editors Dan Bloom, Alex Spence and James Panichi; diary reporter Bethany Dawson; and producers Dean Southwell and Hugh Kapernaros. SUBSCRIBE to the POLITICO newsletter family: Brussels Playbook | London Playbook | London Playbook PM | Playbook Paris | Berlin Playbook | POLITICO Confidential | Sunday Crunch | EU Influence | London Influence | Berlin Bulletin | D.C. Playbook | D.C. Influence | Canada Playbook | POLITICO Forecast | All our POLITICO Pro policy morning newsletters

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  • Sam BlewettBy Sam Blewett

    WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING … Donald Trump went and suspended “Project Freedom” as the naval operation threatened to send the fragile ceasefire with Iran into meltdown. The president wrote on Truth Social that the U.S. Navy’s attempt to shepherd commercial ships through the Strait of…

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Something Changed in a Single Day: Trump Claimed Backchannel Talks With the IRGC, Then Said No Talks Were Happening at All

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President Donald Trump has made another bombastic pronouncement amid the war with Iran. On Tuesday, he shared a map labeling the Strait of Hormuz “NEW U.S. Territory,” via his Truth Social platform. Iran has continued to stress that the strait will not be fully reopened until Washington meets its slew of demands, including ending its blockade on Iranian shipping and scrapping oil sanctions.

Ship Hit in Strait Just hours before Trump’s latest post, a vessel exiting the Strait of Hormuz was struck by an unidentified projectile off the coast of Oman. According to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, the ship’s engine room was hit, resulting in a “crew casualty.

” Officials did not immediately identify the vessel or its cargo. The Omani Coast Guard said it was assisting the remaining crew as authorities investigated the incident. Iran’s Stranglehold on the Strait Since the United States and Israel launched attacks on the Islamic Republic on February 28, Iran has tightly restricted shipping through the waterway.

Prior to the war, around one-fifth of globally traded oil passed through Hormuz. Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said Tuesday that Tehran would maintain its restrictions until Washington fulfilled what Iran considers its commitments under the interim U.

S.-Iran agreement struck in June. Those demands include lifting the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports, releasing frozen Iranian assets, removing sanctions on Iranian oil and gas exports, and ending U.S. military threats and operations. “Until the United States fulfills its commitments under the agreement … the Strait of Hormuz will not reopen,” Qalibaf said.

Blockade Vs. Territory Asked in the Oval Office on Monday about his earlier suggestion that Hormuz could become American territory, the president said he liked the idea. “We control it with the blockade, and I like the idea of declaring it a territory,” Trump told reporters, adding: “We have total control over the strait now.

” Washington’s blockade is hitting Iranian shipping hard. U.S. Central Command said Monday that American forces had redirected 64 commercial vessels, disabled three ships, and boarded another two as part of the renewed blockade. That does not mean Washington has eliminated Iran’s ability to disrupt other shipping.

Tuesday’s unexplained attack came after a string of strikes on vessels attempting to navigate the area. Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi also rejected Trump’s territorial claim on Tuesday, describing it as a “delusion.” Tehran has repeatedly maintained that it, rather than Washington, will determine when normal passage through the strait resumes.

Iran and Oman Near Deal Complicating matters further are separate negotiations between Iran and Oman, the two countries sitting on opposite sides of the strait. Iran said Monday that the two governments were finalizing details of an agreement concerning shipping routes through Hormuz.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said an “understanding has been reached regarding the map of the transit route.” Trump responded by threatening Oman, a longstanding U.S. partner, telling Fox News that Washington would “bomb the shit out of them” if Muscat “gets in the way.

” The diplomatic clock has already run down. The 60-day negotiating period established by the June memorandum between Washington and Tehran expired on Monday without a broader agreement being reached. Trump has said the United States is not seeking an extension.

Tehran Likely to Double Down Columnist Melanie Phillips slammed President Trump’s plans for a ceasefire last month, complaining that it had given Tehran the upper hand and showed that “everyone can now see America is not prepared to make the sacrifices necessary to defend itself.

” Trump has claimed Iran has essentially lost this war and that the blockade is massively damaging its economy. However, he has also instructed his team to pursue a “low-key” approach to talks. On July 7, Trump said the agreement was “over”, while Iran’s Foreign Ministry said it was “suspended” the following week.

“They should put up the white flag of surrender,” Trump told Fox News on Monday, claiming that backchannel talks with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) were ongoing. The IRGC has denied these claims. On Tuesday, Trump dramatically changed his tune, stating that no talks with Iran were ongoing, and that no discussions were scheduled.

About the Author: Georgia Gilholy Georgia Gilholy is a journalist based in the United Kingdom who has been published in Newsweek, The Times of Israel, and the Spectator. Gilholy writes about international politics, culture, and education.

Location: Tehran
Georgia Gilholy
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Iran War Day 172: ‘No Talks’ Scheduled with Tehran, Trump Says

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Iran War Day 172: ‘No Talks’ Scheduled with Tehran, Trump Says In a post on Truth Social Tuesday President Donald Trump said that “there are no talks or conversations going on, or scheduled, with the Islamic Republic of Iran.” Trump added that the U.

S. naval blockade on the Strait of Hormuz “remains in full force and effect” and that the waterway “is open and operating.” In a separate post, Trump published an image labelling the strait as “NEW U.S. Territory.” Only six commodity ships transited the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, according to Kpler data cited by Reuters.

Iran’s Speaker of Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Tuesday, Until the commitments made by the United States in the memorandum of understanding, including the lifting of the blockade, the release of frozen assets, the lifting of oil sanctions, the end of threats and military operations on all fronts, and other conditions to which America agreed in the memorandum, are implemented, the strait will not be opened.

The deadline for that memorandum of understanding—signed by Trump and Iran’s president in June—expired on Monday. The two nations had agreed to negotiate a final peace deal over a 60-day period, but the framework agreement quickly fell apart, and the deadline seemingly wasn’t extended, despite mixed reporting.

Subscribe Today Get daily emails in your inbox Ghalibaf will lead a “high-level parliamentary delegation” to Iraq on Wednesday, Iran’s Fars news agency reported. The visit comes as pro-Iran militia groups face a September 30 deadline set by the Iraqi government to disarm.

Syria condemned reported Israeli strikes against Abu Duhur airbase on Tuesday, while the U.S. expressed concern over the incident. U.S. Ambassador to Turkey and special envoy for Syria and Iraq Tom Barrack wrote on X that “we are deeply concerned that the confirmed Israeli airstrikes on Abu al-Duhur Airbase constitute an unnecessary escalation that does not advance regional stability.

” The price of Brent Crude oil was over $91 per barrel on Tuesday morning. AAA recorded the national average price of regular gas at $4.07.

Location: Tehran
Harrison Berger
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Trump says no talks planned with Iran, Tehran says Strait of Hormuz still shut

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U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday no talks were taking place with Iran and none were scheduled, and he insisted that the Strait of Hormuz was open, contradicting an earlier Iranian assertion that the critical waterway remained shut to shipping.

The receding prospects of a deal to end the nearly six-month conflict drove up oil prices again on Tuesday, while stock markets sagged and borrowing costs for major economies including the U.S. hit multi-decade highs, amid concerns about the long-term inflationary and fiscal impact of the crisis.

A temporary ceasefire agreement expired on Monday and a senior Iranian official told Reuters that his country was moving to a “fully offensive” military posture due to the diplomatic stalemate, though there were no reports of fresh strikes by either side on Tuesday.

“There are no talks or conversations going on, or scheduled, with the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Tuesday. “The Naval Blockade remains in full force and effect. The Hormuz Strait is open and operating. All water mines have been removed or detonated,” he added.

On Monday, Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and special envoy, had sounded an optimistic note, saying talks with Iran were still under way and were “probably more robust” than they had ever been. Despite Trump's typically ebullient remarks about the situation in the Gulf, preliminary shipping data on Tuesday showed ship crossings via the Strait of Hormuz were still in single digits on Monday.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said it received a report on Tuesday that a vessel was struck by an unknown projectile while transiting outbound in the Strait of Hormuz, causing engine room damage and a crew casualty. The remaining crew were being assisted by the Omani Coast Guard, according to the report.

Top Iranian negotiator Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said in comments published by state media that the strait would remain shut until the U.S. met the conditions of an interim deal signed with Iran in June. These conditions include the U.S. lifting its blockade of Iranian ports, lifting oil sanctions, releasing Tehran's frozen assets, and ending threats and military operations on all fronts, Qalibaf told parliament.

A memorandum of understanding signed on June 17 had set a 60-day time frame for a broader deal on Iran's nuclear programme and U.S. sanctions. That period elapsed on Monday and Trump said he had no plans to extend it. The agreement, which declared the “immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts,” had quickly unravelled over a dispute about control of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway through which a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas flowed before the war.

Both Trump and Tehran have frequently switched between threats and more emollient rhetoric as they seek a way out of the crisis, which erupted when the U.S. and Israel launched strikes against Iran on February 28. Iran remains open to dialogue with the U.

S. but does not confuse negotiations with surrender, Mohammad Mokhber, an adviser to Iran's supreme leader, said on Tuesday, according to the semi-official Fars news agency. Mokhber said military pressure and sanctions would not break Iran's resolve and that the country would defend its security, dignity and allies while not seeking war.

Even as Iran projects resilience in the war, its leaders are worried that a threat of more economic punishment could increase hardships, reignite unrest and further erode the Islamic Republic’s legitimacy, according to three Iranian officials. Thousands of people have been killed in the conflict, mainly in Iran and Lebanon.

Iran has bombed U.S. military bases and infrastructure in countries including Oman, Jordan, Kuwait, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. Benchmark Brent crude oil futures have surged during the conflict, hitting a peak of $126 a barrel, roughly 75% above pre-war levels.

Brent crude futures settled up 20 cents on Tuesday at just over $91 a barrel. For Americans who will vote in November congressional elections, gasoline prices have risen above $4 per gallon, up from less than $3 before the war, according to the automotive group AAA.

Location: Tehran
Parisa Hafezi; Katharine Jackson
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Iran’s gutted ranks leave loyalists filling critical posts — with one glaring problem

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Iran is rebuilding the upper ranks of its military and security establishment after months of wartime losses by turning largely to familiar veterans — figures whose careers in some cases stretch back to the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the Iran-Iraq War and previous domestic crackdowns.

The appointments follow the deaths of several senior Iranian commanders in U.S.-Israeli strikes since the war began Feb. 28, The National reported Aug. 11. For Washington, the stakes go beyond who fills the vacancies. The reshuffle puts veteran hardliners atop institutions that shape Iran’s military operations, national-security policy and internal security at a time of renewed confrontation with the United States.

The appointments do not prove that Tehran has run out of younger commanders or that loyalty was the sole criterion, but the reliance on figures whose careers stretch back decades is raising a broader question for U.S. policymakers: whether wartime losses have left Iran increasingly dependent on a smaller circle of trusted ideologues — potentially narrowing the room for compromise even as Washington tries to pressure Tehran back toward a deal.

IRAN’S REVOLUTIONARY GUARD SIDELINES PRESIDENT AS MILITARY GRIP EXPANDS Former American prisoner Morad Tahbaz, who was detained in Iran in 2018 and freed in a U.S.-Iran prisoner exchange in September 2023, told Fox News Digital that he views the latest appointments as evidence of Tehran's continued dependence on longtime loyalists.

"They keep rotating the same old people, most of whom are fairly inept but are loyal to the Khamenei father and son," Tahbaz told Fox News Digital. The reshuffle spans Iran's conventional military, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, its naval arm, the Basij paramilitary force and the country's highest national-security council.

Iran's state-run IRNA reported Aug. 10 that Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei appointed Ali Abdollahi chief of staff of the Armed Forces, Kioumars Heydari his deputy, Ahmad Vahidi commander of the IRGC, Mostafa Izadi deputy IRGC commander, Ali Ozmaei commander of the IRGC Navy and Hossein Taeb head of the Basij.

The previous day, former IRGC commander Mohsen Rezaei, 71, was named secretary of the Supreme National Security Council and Khamenei's representative on the powerful body. Reuters reported Aug. 10 that the SNSC coordinates Iran's security and foreign policy and that Rezaei replaced Mohammad Baqer Zolqadr, who had been appointed secretary in late March following the death of his predecessor, Ali Larijani.

The appointments do not establish that Iran has run out of younger or less familiar commanders. But the reliance on longtime military and security figures has fueled assessments that wartime losses have narrowed the regime's pool of officials it regards as sufficiently experienced and politically trustworthy.

Erfan Fard wrote for the Middle East Forum on Aug. 15 that Khamenei was not promoting a new generation but turning to veterans of the revolution, the Iran-Iraq War, intelligence operations and domestic repression, arguing that an architecture based on "institutional memory, loyalty, and coercive power" was taking shape.

The Foundation for Defense of Democracies argued in an Aug. 12 policy brief that the reshuffle looked "less like renewal than a game of musical chairs among regime veterans." The appointments also formalized the position of Ahmad Vahidi, a veteran hardliner who had already emerged near the center of wartime decision-making.

Vahidi was a major player in shaping Tehran's wartime policy and had risen through the IRGC's early intelligence and external-operations apparatus before later serving as defense and interior minister. As interior minister, Vahidi oversaw police units involved in the crackdown on the 2022 protests.

IRNA confirmed Aug. 10 that Khamenei promoted Vahidi to major general and formally appointed him commander-in-chief of the IRGC. WHO IS AHMAD VAHIDI? IRAN’S NEW IRGC CHIEF TIED TO GLOBAL ATTACKS AND ‘DEATH TO AMERICA’ IDEOLOGY Hossein Taeb: The intelligence veteran returns to the Basij to build a ‘20-million-strong Basij force.

’ One of the most closely watched appointments is Hossein Taeb, the cleric and veteran security official tapped to lead the Basij, the IRGC's volunteer paramilitary force that has repeatedly been used against domestic dissent. The National reported that the Basij has been used to suppress internal dissent, while The Times reported Aug.

12 that the force is embedded in neighborhoods, universities, workplaces, factories, ministries and mosques and has played a central role in suppressing successive uprisings. For Tahbaz, Taeb's return is personal. Tahbaz was detained in 2018, while Taeb was leading the IRGC Intelligence Organization.

"Ta’eb is extremely close to Mojtaba Khamenei but was very unceremoniously fired from his former position as head of the IRGC Intelligence Organization," Tahbaz told Fox News Digital. "He was personally responsible for my and my colleagues' arrests and detentions.

He lives and breathes conspiracy theories." The Times reported Aug. 12 that Taeb and Mojtaba Khamenei's relationship dates back more than four decades and that both served in the Habib Battalion during the Iran-Iraq War. The newspaper also reported that IRGC intelligence arrested environmentalists and dual nationals during Taeb's tenure.

Taeb previously commanded the Basij before moving into IRGC intelligence. The Times reported that months after the disputed 2009 election, the Guards' intelligence division was elevated into an independent organization with Taeb as its first chief. Taeb's earlier leadership of the Basij also drew U.

S. sanctions. In a Sept. 29, 2010 Treasury Department fact sheet, the U.S. government said that while Taeb commanded the Basij during the June 2009 election, forces under his command participated in "beatings, murder, and arbitrary arrests and detentions of peaceful protestors.

" According to IRNA, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf congratulated Taeb on his appointment as head of the Basij Organization, saying his tenure could mark a new chapter for the volunteer force. Ghalibaf said the Basij now needs a more comprehensive and forward-looking approach and argued that Taeb’s appointment by the supreme leader could help advance what he described as one of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s longstanding goals: building a 20-million-strong Basij force.

UN WATCHDOG SLAMS POTENTIAL ELECTION OF IRAN TO PANEL WITH HUMAN RIGHTS SWAY: 'LUNATICS RUNNING THE ASYLUM' Mohsen Rezaei: Back at the center after four decades Few appointments better illustrate the return of Iran's old guard than Mohsen Rezaei, who was named secretary of the Supreme National Security Council.

Reuters reported Aug. 10 that Rezaei joined the IRGC shortly after the 1979 revolution, became its commander in 1981 at age 27 and led the force for 16 years, including through most of the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq War. He later served as secretary of Iran's Expediency Discernment Council for more than two decades and as vice president for economic affairs from 2021 to 2023 under President Ebrahim Raisi.

Now, at 71, he is secretary of the SNSC and Khamenei's representative on the body. Beni Sabti, an Iran expert at Israel's Institute for National Security Studies, argued that bringing back longtime figures such as Rezaei reflects weakness rather than renewal.

"This is, again, another evidence that they don't have anyone else," Sabti told Fox News Digital. "So they have to bring him out again from the desk and put him somewhere. These are the guys that they have." Rezaei and Vahidi were also among six people for whom INTERPOL authorized Red Notices requested by Argentina in 2007 in connection with the investigation into the 1994 bombing of the AMIA Jewish community center in Buenos Aires.

INTERPOL said in November 2007 that its General Assembly upheld the publication of notices for six individuals, including Ahmad Vahidi and Mohsen Rezaei, after Iran challenged Argentina's requests. Sabti argued that Rezaei's re-emergence is particularly telling because Tehran's decision-making circle has become less ideologically diverse.

"Today, there is only one opinion, and this is the main problem," Sabti said. "This is why you think that there is unity and the system is stronger. No, it's not stronger. Actually, it's weaker also because of that." TRADE VESSEL STRUCK BY PROJECTILE IN STRAIT OF HORMUZ AMID US-IRAN TALKS Ali Abdollahi: A wartime commander takes the top military job Ali Abdollahi was elevated to chief of staff of Iran's Armed Forces, putting him at the top of the country's military command structure.

IRNA confirmed the appointment Aug. 10. Abdollahi had previously commanded the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, Iran's joint operational command responsible for coordinating its armed forces in wartime, according to Iran International on Aug. 10.

His appointment also comes amid an effort to integrate the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters more closely with the Armed Forces General Staff. Le Monde reported Aug. 11 that Abdollahi's task includes completing that integration in an effort to further centralize command and coordination.

Fard argued in his Aug. 15 Middle East Forum analysis that Abdollahi's elevation exemplifies Tehran's reliance on longstanding revolutionary-security figures rather than a generational break. FREED AMERICAN REVEALS BRUTAL IRAN PRISON ORDEAL, WARNS HOSTAGES FACE GREATER DANGER Kioumars Heydari: The regular army moves closer to the center Former Army Ground Forces commander Kioumars Heydari was appointed deputy chief of staff of the Armed Forces, bringing a senior officer from Iran's conventional military into the new command structure.

The National reported that Heydari formerly commanded the Army Ground Forces and has held senior positions in Iran's regular army, known as the Artesh. IRNA independently confirmed his appointment. His inclusion also demonstrates that the reshuffle is not limited to the IRGC.

Fard argued in the Middle East Forum that Heydari's previous public rhetoric surrounding protest suppression indicates that Tehran has increasingly integrated the regular army into its domestic-security posture. Mostafa Izadi: Another veteran rises inside the IRGC Mostafa Izadi was appointed Vahidi's deputy, putting another longtime commander near the top of the IRGC hierarchy.

IRNA confirmed Izadi's appointment Aug. 10, while The National described him Aug. 11 as a veteran commander who has held a number of senior positions in Iran's military and security establishment. Iran International reported that Izadi previously commanded the Cyber and New Threats Headquarters within the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters.

IRAN HARDLINER BEHIND US DEAL WARNS TEHRAN WON’T HONOR AGREEMENT IF TRUMP FAILS TO DELIVER Ali Ozmaei: A new commander at one of Iran's most sensitive fronts Rear Adm. Ali Ozmaei was appointed commander of the IRGC Navy, putting him in charge of a force central to Iran's military posture in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz.

The National reported Aug. 11 that Ozmaei replaced Alireza Tangsiri, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in March, and that the IRGC Navy is responsible for Iran's military operations in the Gulf and around the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian state media also highlighted Ozmaei's longstanding maritime experience.

IRNA reported Aug. 11 that Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf praised Ozmaei's years in maritime defense and his familiarity with the current conflict and the Strait of Hormuz. The appointment came one day before Rezaei said the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed unless the United States changed its behavior and accepted Iran's conditions.

Reuters reported that Rezaei said Washington would have to end the war and unfreeze Iranian funds overseas, with other conditions relayed through mediators. Taken together, the seven personnel changes show Tehran moving to fill and reshuffle critical military and security posts after significant wartime losses.

What remains an assessment rather than an established fact is whether the identities of those chosen reveal a deeper shortage of trusted successors. Sabti said the return of veteran figures reflected what he sees as a shrinking bench of trusted officials and a less diverse decision-making circle.

Tahbaz offered a less academic version of that assessment. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP "They keep rotating the same old people," he said.

Location: Tehran
Efrat Lachter