NOTE: Nobody reads this blog. But . . .
For now, links to six reports and three analyses: from the Cradle, Reuters, Middle East Monitor, the Associated Press, Middle East Eye;, and Informed Comment; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials. (Scroll up or down for today’s GAZA, WEST BANK and UKRAINE so far, and down for IRAN 8-15-26.) — MCM
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Iran declares 60-day MoU deadline ‘irrelevant’ amid continued U.S. violations. From the Cradle. Iran’s Foreign Ministry released a statement today declaring the Islamabad memorandum of understanding’s 60-day period “not relevant,” as Washington continues to violate the agreement and threaten the Islamic Republic. READ MORE . . .
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Iran threatens to go ‘fully offensive’ if diplomacy with U.S. fails. From Reuters. DUBAI — Iran has decided to shift its policy from defensive to “fully offensive” due to the deadlock in efforts to agree a permanent end to its war with the United States, a senior Iranian official told Reuters today. READ MORE . . .
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Trump threatens to bomb Oman if it ‘gets in the way’ of U.S.-Iran negotiations. From Middle East Monitor. U.S. President Donald Trump today threatened military action against Oman if it interferes with U.S.-Iran negotiations, while saying Washington is in direct contact with officials from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from the Cradle.
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Iran working to finalize Strait of Hormuz agreement with Oman, and other Middle East News. From AP. Iran says it is working to finalize a joint statement with Oman on a plan to manage shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Fully reopening the waterway has been a key U.S. demand, and President Donald Trump has again threatened Oman if it gets in the way of that goal. Click HERE for report including a map and photos. Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others.
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FROM AUG. 16 Iran and Oman work on temporary Hormuz shipping route as Trump threatens to claim the strait. From Middle East Eye. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday that Tehran and Muscat were working to establish a temporary maritime route through the Strait of Hormuz, while stressing that the talks were separate from any decision on reopening the strategic waterway. READ MORE . . .
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The rise of a new Middle East security order and Iran’s strategic dilemna, by Mansoor Qaisar | Middle East Monitor The signing of the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement by Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan on Aug. 7 could mark the moment when three influential Muslim powers concluded that the old security architecture of the Middle East was no longer enough. READ MORE . . .
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FROM AUG. 13 The Mecca pact and the limits of a ‘Muslim NATO,‘ by F.M. Shakil | The Cradle The oil-rich Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, nuclear-armed Pakistan, and Turkiye, which commands NATO’s second-largest army, signed the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement on Aug. 7. READ MORE . . .
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TO BE CONTINUED