West Asia war LIVE: Strait of Hormuz to remain closed until U.S. meets interim deal conditions, says Ghalibaf

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T urkish President Tayyip Erdogan urged U.S. President Donald Trump in a phone call to pursue talks with Iran to de-escalate ‌tensions between the two countries, and offered Ankara’s support for peace efforts, the Turkish presidency said on ⁠Tuesday (August 17, 2026).

Also read | Indian sailors’ SOS: ‘Company asking us to risk lives, cross Strait of Hormuz’

Turkiye, which has NATO’s second-largest army and borders Iran, has repeatedly called for an end to the war. It has maintained close ‌contact with the United States, Iran and mediators such as Pakistan and Qatar, while also ‌acting as an intermediary between the parties.

“Erdogan stated that ‌it ⁠is of great importance to make the utmost ⁠of diplomacy regarding the tensions between Iran and the United States, that we hope the talks will continue, and that Turkey will continue to support peace efforts,” the ‌presidency said in a statement.

Also read | Why is the Strait of Hormuz critical to global energy flows? | Explained

The call comes after a senior Iranian official told Reuters earlier on Monday (August 17) that Iran would shift to a “fully offensive” military posture because efforts ‌to negotiate a permanent end to the war have stalled, as Washington ruled out extending a temporary ceasefire agreement.

Indian sailors aboard a ship in the Persian Gulf have sent out an SOS video alleging that their employer is telling them to transit the Strait of Hormuz despite the security risks and put their lives in danger. The SOS video was sent on a day reports said that Iran is ready to escalate tensions in the chokepoint as talks with the U.S. to end the conflict have stalled.

Indian sailors plead for safety, refusing to navigate the perilous Strait of Hormuz under employer pressure amid escalating tensions.

Iran will escalate tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and beyond, and launch an attack if the ‌U.S. fails to implement an interim peace deal fully in a matter of weeks, a senior ⁠Iranian official told Reuters yesterday.

Iran threatens military action in weeks if the U.S. fails to honor a peace deal, escalating tensions in the region.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan urged U.S. President Donald Trump in a phone call to pursue talks with Iran to de-escalate ‌tensions between the two countries, and offered Ankara’s support for peace efforts, the Turkish presidency said today.

Turkiye, which has NATO’s second-largest army and borders Iran, has repeatedly called for an end to the war. It has maintained close ‌contact with the United States, Iran and mediators such as Pakistan and Qatar, while also ‌acting as an intermediary between the parties.

“Erdogan stated that ‌it ⁠is of great importance to make the utmost ⁠of diplomacy regarding the tensions between Iran and the United States, that we hope the talks will continue, and that Turkey will continue to support peace efforts,” the ‌presidency said in a statement.