Morning Briefing: Aug. 22, 2026

Here’s a rundown of all the news you need to start your Saturday, including Trump saying Iran is still not ready for the “right deal” amid tightening economic pressure; Türkiye slamming the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office for remarks targeting President Erdogan, and Türkiye and seven other countries condemning Israel's unlawful settlement policies in Palestinian territories.

TOP STORIES

• Trump says Iran still not ready for ‘right deal’ amid tightening economic pressure

US President Donald Trump said he still believes Iran is not ready to make "the right deal" with Washington as tightening economic measures have been deployed against Tehran.

"They would love to make a deal, but they're not ready to make the right deal, in my opinion," Trump told reporters before boarding Air Force One for a trip to the state of South Carolina to attend a rally.

Denying that the escalation of economic measures meant military options available to the US were limited, Trump said Washington intended to see "what happens" in terms of their effect on the already-strained Iranian economy after nearly six months of war with the US.

• Türkiye slams Israeli Prime Minister’s Office over remarks targeting President Erdogan

Türkiye strongly rejected remarks by the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office targeting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, describing them as devoid of “historical facts and political seriousness.”

“The insolent rants of the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office targeting our President, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, which are devoid of historical facts and political seriousness, are yet another indication of the helplessness of an administration seeking to evade accountability for war crimes and crimes against humanity,” Türkiye’s Communications Directorate said in a statement on Turkish social media company NSosyal.

The directorate said the “cheap politics” of Netanyahu and his associates, aimed in part at gaining an advantage in elections, had no standing in Israeli society, the region, the international community or Türkiye.

• Türkiye, 7 other countries condemn Israel's unlawful settlement policies in Palestinian territories

Türkiye and seven other countries condemned Israel's continued settlement policies in the occupied Palestinian territories and rejected the E1 settlement plan east of occupied East Jerusalem.

The foreign ministers of Türkiye, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates "unequivocally" condemned Israel's continued "illegal settlement policies" and categorically rejected the E1 plan and related settlement activities.

They also condemned violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians and their property, saying the acts violate international law and relevant UN resolutions, and pose a serious threat to regional and international peace and security.

NEWS IN BRIEF

• US President Donald Trump said his political operation has about $850 million available, and he plans to spend “a lot of that money” to support Republican candidates he favors in the 2026 midterm elections.
  
• A man is in custody after he stabbed two people at prayer in a Sikh temple in Edmonton, Alberta, according to Canadian police.
  
• The US Supreme Court temporarily allowed the Trump administration to continue construction of a White House ballroom, pausing a lower court order that had halted much of the project.
  
• An explosion rocked a weapons depot in northwestern Libya, with media reports and witnesses reporting that ammunition and rockets were propelled into surrounding areas.
  
• Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz dismissed Economy Minister Jose Gabriel Espinoza via an executive decree published in the official gazette.
  
• Lebanese President Joseph Aoun urged Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to pressure Israel to implement a framework agreement between Beirut and Tel Aviv, which was reached under US auspices.
  
• The death toll from the earthquake in Colombia has risen to 321, the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD) said.
  
• US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is expected to step down by year’s end, possibly sooner, amid months of tension with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.
  
• TikTok and parent company ByteDance have agreed to pay $400 million to settle with the US Justice Department over allegations the platform violated a children’s online privacy law.
  
• The Palestinian Fatah and Hamas groups are preparing to hold a meeting in Cairo next week to resume national dialogue and discuss challenges facing the Palestinian cause, Palestinian sources familiar with the matter told Anadolu.
  
• Ukraine said that at least 15 people were killed and 130 injured, including 23 children, from Russian drone strikes on the city of Kryvyi Rih in the central Dnipropetrovsk region.
  
• One person was killed and two seriously injured when a person armed with a sword entered a school in central Sweden and carried out an attack, public broadcaster SVT reported.
  
• The UN human rights office has warned that violence by Israeli occupiers and forces in the occupied West Bank is worsening, alongside what it described as a widening push by Israel towards annexation.
  
• UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher has allocated $3 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to strengthen Ebola preparedness efforts in the Central African Republic, according to a UN spokesman.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

• US public debt surges past $40T amid quarter-century of crises, wars

The US’ public debt skyrocketed in the past quarter-century amid mounting defense spending, the 2008 financial crisis and budget deficits caused by stimulus packages and tax cuts during the coronavirus pandemic.

The debt surged exponentially in the last 25 years due to the wars waged in the last quarter-century, the country’s massive defense expenditures, and the pandemic, according to the US Treasury Department.

It stood at $5.8 trillion in August 2001, and exceeded $10 trillion in 2008 due to defense spending during the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, as well as tax cuts.

SPORTS

• Türkiye beat Latvia 3-0 in European Women’s Volleyball Championship opener

Türkiye’s National Women’s Volleyball Team defeated Latvia 3-0 in their opening Group A match of the Trendyol 2026 European Women’s Volleyball Championship.

Playing at Istanbul’s Sinan Erdem Sports Hall, Türkiye won the sets 25-17, 25-16 and 25-16.

Türkiye made a strong start and took control of the opening set behind effective serving and attacks from Melissa Vargas, building a 19-12 lead before closing out the set 25-17.