Global Express | Aug 13, 2026 Trump Says U.S. Will "Keep" Strait of Hormuz as Tehran Pushes Back

1. U.S.-Iran standoff escalates as Trump says U.S. will "keep" Strait of Hormuz

President Donald Trump declared on Truth Social on Aug. 13 that the United States has "total control over the Strait of Hormuz," vowing "I think we will keep it." He described the U.S. naval blockade as a "wall of steel" and said "there is nothing Iran can do about it."

Tehran quickly pushed back, insisting the strategic waterway is "under Iran's control and management." Trump has previously threatened to strike Iran's infrastructure if its forces fire on ships in the strait. The world's most important oil-shipping route has become the front line of the escalating U.S.-Iran confrontation.

2. Putin makes first visit to Kuril Islands, drawing protest from Japan

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Aug. 13 made his first visit to the Kuril Islands, a Moscow-controlled Pacific archipelago also claimed by Japan, prompting a diplomatic protest from Tokyo. The trip, his first to the area in 13 years, came as he observed large-scale Pacific fleet exercises.

Japan quickly voiced a strong protest through diplomatic channels, calling the visit damaging to bilateral relations. The territorial dispute over the islands has long been a core sticking point between the two countries, which have never signed a peace treaty since World War II.

3. Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan sign joint defence pact

Amid rising tensions across the Middle East, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have formally signed a joint defence agreement, deepening security cooperation among the three nations. Analysts say the pact will "reshape the security architecture" of the region.

According to Reuters, the agreement is defensive in nature and technically similar to NATO's Article 5 collective-defence clause, though it is not directed at any specific actor. The three countries said the move aims to jointly address increasingly complex regional security challenges.

4. Houthis kill six in first deadly attack since Iran war began

Yemen's Houthi rebels carried out a "double-tap" missile strike on a commercial vessel in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, killing at least six people. It appears to be the group's first deadly attack on shipping since the U.S. and Israel began striking Iran on Feb. 28.

Yemen's government blamed the Iran-backed Houthis for the attack. The group announced a naval blockade of Saudi ports last month, and Red Sea shipping security now faces its gravest test since the U.S.-Iran conflict erupted.

5. U.S. budget deficit surges to highest level since March 2021

The U.S. budget deficit surged to $432.3 billion in July, up about 48% from a year earlier and the largest monthly shortfall since March 2021, when pandemic relief pushed it to $660 billion.

Analysts say accelerating federal spending and calendar shifts in benefit payments were the main drivers. The climbing deficit and growing interest burden on the national debt are raising fresh concerns about America's fiscal health.

6. U.S. gas prices top $4 a gallon, highest this late in the year

The national average for gasoline stood at $4.03 a gallon on Wednesday, according to AAA — the first time prices have been above the $4 mark this late in the year, a record seasonal high.

GasBuddy petroleum analyst Patrick De Haan noted that both gasoline and diesel prices are at all-time seasonal highs during the peak summer driving season, likely adding further pressure on consumers' travel and living costs.

7. Colombia quake toll reaches 265 as search enters final phase

The magnitude-7.4 earthquake that struck Colombia on Monday — the strongest to hit the country this century — has killed 265 people, injured more than 3,500 and left nearly 500 missing. Rescue efforts have entered what officials called the "final phase."

In the hard-hit city of Pereira, crews continued digging through rubble for survivors. Colombia's government declared three days of national mourning and dispatched additional rescue teams and supplies to the disaster zone.

8. DR Congo Ebola outbreak nears 2,000 deaths as WHO warns

The World Health Organization has warned that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is "not optimistic." Three months into the outbreak, nearly 2,000 people have died and more than 4,000 have been infected, with 60% to 70% of patients dying at home.

The WHO said remoteness, armed conflict, insufficient medical resources and misinformation have all made the outbreak harder to contain. Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that at the current pace, it could surpass the 2014-2016 West Africa outbreak to become the deadliest Ebola epidemic on record.

9. China's C919 completes first international commercial flight

China's C919 passenger jet has completed its first scheduled international commercial flight, operated by Air China from Beijing Capital International Airport to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, in just over two hours — a milestone in COMAC's bid to challenge the Boeing-Airbus duopoly.

The C919 has been flying domestic routes since 2023. Analysts say the jet still has a long way to go before it can seriously threaten Boeing and Airbus overseas, but the international debut is seen as a major step for China's aviation industry.

10. Trump secretly switched planes over Iran threat, leaving Rubio as "decoy"

The New York Times revealed that after wrapping up the NATO summit in Ankara on July 8, Trump secretly switched aircraft over a credible Iranian assassination threat — including specific surface-to-air missile intelligence targeting Air Force One — slipping away under cover of a catering truck to a smaller C-32A military jet.

The presidential aircraft, meanwhile, flew on as scheduled carrying Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and unwitting press staff, effectively serving as a giant "decoy." The revelation has sparked public outcry and renewed attention on security anxieties inside the White House amid the U.S.-Iran conflict.