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US officials say CIA Director John Ratcliffe secretly visited Moscow and warned Russia not to attack NATO countries or help Iran, but President Trump denies the trip carried any such warning.
New US sanctions on Iran have prompted China to threaten retaliation, while Iran itself has vowed to hit back.
Six months into the war between Israel/US-aligned forces and Iran, a projectile hit an oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil-shipping route, without hurting anyone.
The United States rolled out its toughest Iran sanctions yet and, for the first time, sanctioned Chinese companies directly for trading with Iran, while the US Treasury chief urged every country to cut ties with Tehran.
Taiwan's government agency in charge of national security is coordinating a major defense buildup, including an 18% rise in next year's military budget, as tensions with China continue.
A US-Canada trade truce collapsed, and 50% US tariffs on C$20 billion of Canadian goods are now in force; Canada says it will match them dollar-for-dollar.
The US is asking allies and China to join tougher sanctions on Iran, but China has refused, and shipping through the Hormuz Strait, a key oil route, has dropped sharply.
A Russian missile and drone attack hit Kyiv, Ukraine's capital, overnight, killing at least 12 people and wounding 33 in one of the deadliest strikes on the city this year.
Tensions in the Gulf, the waters between Iran and the Arab states, are rising: Chinese tankers are avoiding the Strait of Hormuz, and the United Arab Emirates cut trade with Iran after an Iranian missile landed in its waters.
Ukraine fired around 620 drones at Moscow, one of the war's biggest attacks, while Iran vowed to keep the Strait of Hormuz — a narrow waterway carrying much of the world's oil — closed until the US meets old conditions, and markets fell.
On 17 August 2026, the US cut back joint military exercises with South Korea after Seoul would not help pressure Iran, and threatened to bomb Oman over the same issue, while Canadian provinces held firm against US tariff demands of up to 50%.
Russia and Ukraine each launched record drone attacks overnight: Russia faced its biggest barrage yet on Moscow, while Ukraine sent up to 800 drones into Russia, killing at least six people.