Iran Won't Reopen Hormuz Yet           08/10 06:14

   Iran is insisting that the U.S. meet its demands in negotiations before the 
Strait of Hormuz reopens.

   (AP) -- Iran is insisting that the U.S. meet its demands in negotiations 
before the Strait of Hormuz reopens. Yemen's Defense Ministry announced a new 
death toll in the latest attack by Houthi rebels on the Red Sea town of Mokha. 
And Israel's military declared the Christian-majority town of Taybeh in the 
occupied West Bank a closed military zone after repeated settler attacks.

   Here's a look at the latest developments in the Iran war and the wider 
Middle East on Monday. Full coverage can be found here.

   Iran presses demands on US as shipping standoff grinds on

   An Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Iran will not reopen the 
Strait of Hormuz until the United States met its conditions.

   "It is up to the U.S. side to stop and make amends for its illegal and 
destructive actions," Esmail Baghaei said Monday, noting the American blockade 
of Iranian ports.

   Iran wants the U.S. to lift the blockade, pay compensation for months of war 
damage, lift economic sanctions and release Iran's frozen assets. The closure 
of the Strait of Hormuz -- a waterway that normally carries roughly one-fifth 
of the world's traded oil supplies -- has become the war's most lasting 
consequence. The impasse has kept energy prices as a major focus of U.S. 
politics ahead of November's midterm elections.

   Iran is holding separate talks with Oman over transit through the strait, 
including potentially a temporary shipping corridor. But it has said any actual 
reopening is contingent on talks with the U.S.

   Israel declares closed military zone in Taybeh

   Israel's military said Monday it had declared a Christian-majority town in 
the occupied West Bank a closed military zone to keep out Israeli settlers and 
other non-residents.

   The new tactic is designed to keep Israelis out of Taybeh, which is 
surrounded by settlements to its east and west and has been subject to arson, 
vandalism and settlers coming onto private and village property. The order does 
not apply to Palestinian residents or journalists, who the army said would be 
allowed unless soldiers determine their presence poses a threat. The army said 
its troops would detain suspects and disperse gatherings to keep the peace.

   The designation comes after months of the army and police struggling to 
maintain order throughout the territory, where at least 87 Palestinians have 
been killed by Israeli settlers or soldiers in 2026, according to the 
Ramallah-based Palestinian Health Ministry. Parts of Taybeh lie in what's 
called "Area B" where Israel maintains security control, but residents have 
complained that the army and police are slow to respond to attacks by extremist 
settlers.

   Yemen provides death toll on Sunday's Houthi attack on Red Sea town

   Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels attacked a Red Sea port town controlled by 
government forces on Sunday, killing seven and injuring 30 people. Yemen's 
Defense Ministry -- which operates under its internationally recognized 
government -- said four military personnel and three civilians were killed.

   The attack on Mokha is the latest in one of the largest waves of Houthi 
strikes on Yemeni military positions and areas held by the Saudi-backed 
government since a 2022 truce. It comes as threats to shipping through the 
Strait of Hormuz have renewed focus on the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb Strait at 
its southern tip. Some shipping has shifted toward that route with Hormuz 
largely off limits to traffic.

   Beekeepers try to restart honey production in Gaza

   More than two years of war in Gaza flattened most of the territory and 
destroyed sectors of the economy, but beekeepers are now beginning to rebuild 
their businesses.

   Before the start of the Israel-Hamas war, the sector was based in 
agricultural lands near the perimeter of the strip, which today remains under 
the control of Israel's military. But beekeepers have returned to areas near 
the Yellow Line that divides the territory and found enough hives to restart 
honey production. Producers in Gaza City and parts of Jabalia near the line are 
now maintaining hives to try and provide some income for themselves and their 
families.

   Yet they say their efforts are constrained by Israel's blockade on many 
items from entering the strip, including ones used for beekeeping.

   "The bee sector is an important sector for sustainability, ecological 
balance and farming," said Ibrahim al-Dabbeh, the head of the Cooperative 
Association of Beekeepers.